The Lord of Hosts (I Samuel Part 1)

I Samuel is a record that completes the Judges era and transitions to the Kings era in the Old Testament timeline. Samuel was very involved as a judge and prophet during this transition time. Samuel was a great man for God.  He lived, as many of God's other prophets have, in the middle of difficult times. His great story starts with his family.

The opening record of I Samuel focuses on the family of Samuel. Elkanah was Samuel's father and Hannah was his mother. Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah, and this arrangement caused, as one would expect, many problems. It was a polygamous marriage and as such, was not the way God designed marriage. It is an indication of the downward spiral that was going on in God's people at that time. It was obviously a far cry from the idyllic life of the garden of Eden.

Hannah (whose name in Hebrew means 'grace'), was a great woman who loved God. In the beginning chapter she had no children with Elkanah.  The people of that culture at that time believed that the 'Lord had closed her womb'. They didn't know very much about how the devil worked the power and authority he had gained at the time of Genesis 3 when Eve had a run-in with the serpent in Eden.   God is the author  and offerer of love and encouragement, the devil is the pusher of evil and oppression.

Most believe that Elkanah was a levite and lived in Ephraim.  Levites didn't own land and therefore were found throughout other tribes.  Elkanah went yearly to worship at Shiloh were the Ark of the Covenant was located.  His two wives and children went with him.

3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. I Samuel 1:3

God is the true leader and protector of his people as the 'Lord of Hosts'  Hannah uses the same name when she prayed to God for a son as recorded in I Samuel 1:11.  A 'host' can can be an angelic army or a human army. Regardless, the effect is on protection. Since the events recorded in Genesis 3, another negative force gained access to the people of the earth as it still does today.  Where people chose to ignore God, things became contaminated and opened the door for a world to exist that was not like it was when God made it originally. Polygamy wasn't God's idea, it was man's.

God worked through those he could work through to protect his people. People in the Old Testament were in the dark about the devil and his influence.  Many attributed the evil struggles that existed to God.  People do the same today even though we live in in the New Covenant period of the risen Messiah. Jesus Christ's purpose (I John 3:8) in bringing in the New Testament Covenant, was to destroy the works of evil. God is all good. There is no darkness in him at all. We limit God when we accept the darkness that the world has to offer as being from God.

Hannah was someone who loved God. It is significant that she was instrumental in helping the dire situation that had developed in the culture of the twelve tribes. She had a baby named Samuel who would grow up, hear from God,  judge Israel, and anoint David who was also well aware of the Lord God of Hosts. David addresses God as the 'Lord of Hosts' several times in the books of Samuel. David relied on the Lord of Hosts.

We Need Some More Pilgrims Not Programs

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all, partly because it has not been tampered with as much as the other holidays (notwithstanding Black Friday). There is a lot to be thankful for and thankfulness  is a calm balm that is truly encouraging.

My grandparents were dairy farmers in a small town in Connecticut. Part of the house they lived in dates back more than 300 years ago.  The town and surrounding area still radiates the history of early America. Every time I have traveled to New England, I feel the history of those people who bravely set out to find freedom in order to live the kind of life God intended for them.  Our literature today reflecting back on that time period, along with most of the history books in school, are skewed by the political leanings and ideologies of their authors. The diaries and logs of the men and women who lived back then are the best places to go to truly understand the history of that era in American history.

Loving God has so little to do with the 'ought to' mentality.  The people of early Plymouth didn't do the things they did out any duty they felt they needed to perform. Their actions speak of a firm acknowledgement of knowing a loving God in much the same way as men like Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Isaiah, Deborah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, David and many others of the Bible. The fruit of their labors and beliefs are easily recognized today, even with the confusion and chaos that is constantly stirring things up.

God tells us to pray for those who are in authority:

2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

It is a relief!!! to pray and  not an obligation! We can all excel in prayer and be so much the more blessed.  The pilgrims knew the value and love of humble prayer. Their government was simple. They knew the God who loved them.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Recently, I was having a conversation with a friend and we got to talking about respect and the current culture. He made a statement to me that it was important to respect people's beliefs. I had to think about that for a moment. In my own mind, I think it is important to respect others as people but not necessarily to respect their beliefs. We respect people's right to choose what they believe as long as it doesn't violate the welfare and freedom of another person.

The word 'respect' is composed of two sub-words 're' and 'spect' or 'to look back on'. 'Giving consideration' can be another shade of meaning. In relationships and in our conversations, we are never alone or ever without effect on one another. Wonderful loving conversations are thoughtful and respectful and hopefully not selfish.  We are all too human at times, but that doesn't mean that that we never stand up for what we believe in and speak truthfully and openly. Often that can be the most loving (love is the key) thing to do for another person. Words have power and we should use them wisely. There are also times when the most lovingly wise thing to do is to be silent. The situation determines the thoughtful choice. (I just hope we are not too much in a hurry to figure that all out)

The Corinthian culture at the time of the New Testament had a lot of similarities to our culture today especially in philosophy of life and social issues. Paul, in writing to them about the beautiful concept of grace, was clear in enlightening his readers on the love of God and true freedom.

12 All things are lawful (allowed, permitted) unto me, but all things are not expedient (beneficial, profitable): all things are lawful for me, but (emphatic 'but') I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Corinthians 6:12

We can become slaves to the culture and the philosophies of the day.  We can even be enslaved by our own appetites, emotions and thinking.  The point Paul is making is that God's heart is that we are free from things unprofitable and that do not benefit us if we so choose. He cannot control those things that are set in our path to enslave us. He does however gives us a lot of resources to help us and then he leaves the choice up to us.