READING FOR FEBRURARY 27, 2025: 1 SAMUEL 1, MATTHEW, PSALM 1 SAMUEL 1 This chapter describes life as we often know it to be: disappointing with hurtful personal conflicts. Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, who loved her greatly. Yet, his love did not give her everything she felt she needed. She wanted a child. The Lord, however, prevented her from having one. On top of this, Elkanah’s other wife had children and taunted Hannah over her barrenness. This is one of many cases in the Bible that mentions God brought about a sad situation to a person. Often well-intentioned believers say God never does this, but God’s word repeatedly states otherwise. This happened initially when God brought about hardship and death to humans as a result of their disobedience (Gen 3), when He caused the great flood (Gen. 6), when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19), when He caused a man to be born blind (John 9), and when he gave Paul a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12). These actions were and are done out of God’s love, holiness, and wisdom to achieve a greater purpose than we can easily understand (Rom. 8:28). We also know Jesus experienced the greatest possible hardship at the cross because He wants all of us to be saved (John 3:16), the best outcome.
Hannah sees the path out of despair while praying at the tabernacle in Shiloh. She pledges to God that if He gives her a child, she will dedicate him totally to God’s service at Shiloh as a Nazarite (one who lives under a vow to God). Note that when she made this promise to God and identified herself as God’s bondservant, her sadness left and her appetite returned. This was before she became pregnant. Putting God first in our lives does not bring sadness—just the opposite. The rest of the chapter tells of Samuel’s, her son’s, birth and her following through with her pledge, once the child is weaned. SPOILER ALERT: Samuel becomes known as one of the great men of faith in the Bible (Heb. 11:32). Would this have been likely to happen had not God initially prevented Hannah from having children, which in turn caused her to pledge Samuel to lifetime service and holiness? God’s ways are always best.
MATTHEW 19 The Pharisees asked Jesus a provocative question: “Is it right for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?” Jesus, as is almost always His practice answers by way of quoting the Bible. (He is quite the Bible thumper.) He quotes from Gen. 1:27 and 2:24. As he did with the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), though, he provides a higher standard than found in the Old Testament. His complete response comes in verse 9: “Whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” When-
ever we think the Bible needs be adjusted to fit the cultural norms of our current time, consider the disciples here. They were simply stunned by this counterculturally high standard, and replied that if this were the case, it is better not to get married. Jesus picks up this thread and develops this concept using the eunuch (i.e., castrated male) as a metaphor.
Jesus acknowledges that the lifestyle option He is about to offer can only be chosen by those given a special mission from God. His eunuch metaphor means that some have chosen to remain celibate single men in order
READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 27, 2025 CONTINUED: MATTHEW 19, PSALM 14 to focus on God and His kingdom of heaven. This path was chosen and recommended by the Apostle Paul (1 Cor.7:7-8). It’s quite countercultural for Evangelical Christians today, however. How many such churches seek single pastors? Yet, there are many wonderful, Spirit-filled believers today who have followed this higher call.
If for any reason we have not met the standards Jesus gives (and few have met the highest standard), there is no value in feeling defeated. Our sins have been covered forever by the blood of Jesus as we confess them (1 John 1:9). We can focus on obeying God now and influencing others to do the same. God has great tasks for us today and in the future. Remember how He used those flawed people listed in His genealogy in Matt. 1?
Yet more children are brought to Jesus. How is it that the disciples failed to apply the lessons from Matthew 18 about the value of children? We really need frequent reminders. To combat this forgetfulness God gave this advice: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it” (Joshua 1:8). We are doing the right thing reading the Bible each day! Also, Jesus has given us help neither Joshua nor the disciples had at this point: “The Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you” (John 14:26).
In the encounter with the rich young ruler, Jesus again engages in a Socratic-like dialogue to draw out the condition of the man’s heart. When the right path is offered the man, we observe the perfect example of what St. Augustine called “disordered love.” His greater love would always be riches over God. Peter was quick to remind Jesus that the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus; he wondered what was in it for them. Jesus’s stunning response: twelve heavenly thrones from which to judge the tribes of Israel--eternal life also thrown in. Not a bad haul for an uneducated fisherman from Galilee. Recall martyred missionary Jim Elliot’s wisdom: “He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
PSALM 14 Read carefully. It says the fool has said in his heart, "There is no God.” It is still likely true that no one running for president or most offices could politically survive by confessing to being an atheist out loud. But saying and being are not the same according to Jesus: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:15). Some revealing fruit mentioned here by the Psalmist: corrupt, does abominable deeds, doesn’t understand Spiritual truth, doesn’t seek God, and exploits people. These are legitimate fruits to evaluate for candidates for office, pastors, elders (1 Tim. 3), and all of us (Psalm 139:23-24).
On the other hand, more people today are proudly embracing unbelief. They are sometimes called nones. This is from a recent article: “Nones account for a large portion of Americans, as shown by the 30% of U.S. adults who claim no religious affiliation in a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.” February 2025 in America is increasingly looking like Psalm 14. Thankfully the trends are not the same everywhere in the world.
This is not a cause for panic because as Psalm 11:4 reminds us, the Lord is still in His holy temple, in ultimate control. This is cause for prayer (Matt. 9:38) and action: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”(Matt.28:19-20) HOW EXCITING!
