[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SATURDAY MARCH 19

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SATURDAY March 19

DAILY BIBLE READING

1 Samuel 1-3 New King James Version
The Family of Elkanah
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of
Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of [a]Elihu,
the son of [b]Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives:
the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had
children, but Hannah had no children. 3 This man went up from his city
yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two
sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. 4 And
whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give
portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to
Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the
Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to
make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it was, year
by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her;
therefore she wept and did not eat.

Hannah's Vow
8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you
not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten
sons?"

9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now
Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the [c]tabernacle
of the Lord. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord
and [d]wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts,
if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember
me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male
child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no
razor shall come upon his head."

12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli
watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved,
but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli
said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!"

15 But Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful
spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured
out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked[e]
woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken
until now."

17 Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant
your petition which you have asked of Him."

18 And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the
woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

Samuel Is Born and Dedicated
19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and
returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife,
and the Lord remembered her. 20 So it came to pass in the process of time
that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name [f]Samuel, saying,
"Because I have asked for him from the Lord."

21 Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the
yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to
her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he
may appear before the Lord and remain there forever."

23 So Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best to you; wait
until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord [g]establish [h]His word." Then
the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with [i]three
bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house
of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered a
bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, "O my lord! As your
soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the
Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition
which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long
as he lives he shall be [j]lent to the Lord." So they worshiped the Lord
there.

Hannah's Prayer
2 And Hannah prayed and said:

"My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My [k]horn is exalted in the Lord.
[l]I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

2 "No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.

3 "Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the Lord is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.

4 "The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.

6 "The Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.

"For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

"For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces;
>From heaven He will thunder against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

"He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the [m]horn of His anointed."

11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child [n]ministered to
the Lord before Eli the priest.

The Wicked Sons of Eli
12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt;[o] they did not know the Lord. 13 And
the priests' custom with the people was that when any man offered a
sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in
his hand while the meat was boiling. 14 Then he would thrust it into the
pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself
all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the
Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest's
servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, "Give meat for
roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw."

16 And if the man said to him, "They should really burn the fat first; then
you may take as much as your heart desires," he would then answer him, "No,
but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force."

17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for
men abhorred[p] the offering of the Lord.

Samuel's Childhood Ministry
18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen
ephod. 19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it
to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly
sacrifice. 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "The Lord
give you descendants from this woman for the [q]loan that was given to the
Lord." Then they would go to their own home.

21 And the Lord visited[r] Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons
and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

Prophecy Against Eli's Household
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel,
[s]and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the
tabernacle of meeting. 23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things?
For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24 No, my sons! For it
is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord's people transgress. 25
If one man sins against another, God[t] will judge him. But if a man sins
against the Lord, who will intercede for him?" Nevertheless they did not
heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them.

26 And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and
men.

27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "Thus says the Lord: 'Did
I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in
Egypt in Pharaoh's house? 28 Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of
Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear
an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the
offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Why do you kick at My
sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and
honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all
the offerings of Israel My people?' 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel
says: 'I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk
before Me forever.' But now the Lord says: 'Far be it from Me; for those who
honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your [u]arm and the arm
of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good
which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house
forever. 33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall
consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your
house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 Now this shall be a sign to
you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day
they shall die, both of them. 35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful
priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will
build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. 36 And
it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and
bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say,
"Please, [v]put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece
of bread." ' "

Samuel's First Prophecy
3 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the
Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. 2 And it
came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when
his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, 3 and before the
lamp of God went out in the [w]tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God
was, and while Samuel was lying down, 4 that the Lord called Samuel. And he
answered, "Here I am!" 5 So he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you
called me."

And he said, "I did not call; lie down again." And he went and lay down.

6 Then the Lord called yet again, "Samuel!"

So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me."
He answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 (Now Samuel did not
yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to
Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me."

Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to
Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say,
'Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his
place.

10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel!
Samuel!"

And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears."

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at
which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will
perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from
beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever
for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and
he did not [x]restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of
Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or
offering forever."

15 So Samuel lay down until [y]morning, and opened the doors of the house of
the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called
Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son!"

He answered, "Here I am."

17 And he said, "What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not
hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from
me of all the things that He said to you." 18 Then Samuel told him
everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord. Let Him
do what seems good to Him."

19 So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words
[z]fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that
Samuel had been [aa]established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 Then the Lord
appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh
by the word of the Lord.

Footnotes
1 Samuel 1:1 Eliel, 1 Chr. 6:34
1 Samuel 1:1 Toah, 1 Chr. 6:34
1 Samuel 1:9 palace or temple, Heb. heykal
1 Samuel 1:10 Lit. wept greatly
1 Samuel 1:16 Lit. daughter of Belial
1 Samuel 1:20 Lit. Heard by God
1 Samuel 1:23 confirm
1 Samuel 1:23 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; DSS, LXX, Syr. your
1 Samuel 1:24 DSS, LXX, Syr. a three-year-old bull
1 Samuel 1:28 granted
1 Samuel 2:1 Strength
1 Samuel 2:1 Lit. My mouth is enlarged
1 Samuel 2:10 Strength
1 Samuel 2:11 served
1 Samuel 2:12 Lit. sons of Belial
1 Samuel 2:17 despised
1 Samuel 2:20 gift
1 Samuel 2:21 attended to
1 Samuel 2:22 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; DSS, LXX omit rest of verse
1 Samuel 2:25 Tg. the Judge
1 Samuel 2:31 strength
1 Samuel 2:36 assign
1 Samuel 3:3 palace or temple
1 Samuel 3:13 Lit. rebuke
1 Samuel 3:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX adds and he arose in the morning
1 Samuel 3:19 fail
1 Samuel 3:20 confirmed