April 8 - Ruth 4:13-22 | 1 Chronicles 2:9-55 | 1 Chronicles 4:1-23 | 1 Samuel 1:1-8

Good morning everyone,

Well, today our reading begins with Ruth marrying Boaz and living the “happily ever after”. Little did she know back in the hard times of her life, when she was a widow traveling to a country foreign to her with her mother-in-law, none the less, where she would find herself working in the fields to support them, that she would have a son whose family tree would bring the births of David and Jesus or that she would be mentioned in the line of the King of Kings. So while the book of Ruth is arguably an amazing love story, it is also a beautiful picture of someone who did not grow up knowing God but later in life was introduced to Him and used in a mighty way by Him. Very cool!

Also today we have a little “who’s who” lesson :-) 1Chronicles, though hard to get my tongue to wrap around some of those names, I am confident I botched many of them up, I always find it very interesting to see who was the father of who (or would that be whom?) Anyway, while always kind of tedious, inevitably I find something I think “so that’s how he ties in”, making it not quite so dull a read.

On to 1Samuel. 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book. It was divided into two parts by the Greek translators of the Old Testament and the division stuck. Written about 1100 BC, the author is unknown though some have suggested it was Zabud, the son of Nathan the prophet, who penned the book. He was the personal advisor to King Solomon and would have had access to information about David’s rein.

The book begins with Elkanah and his two wives. Peninnah, who was able to give him many children and Hannah, the one he loved very much, though barren. Now, never in all of the Bible when a man has two wives or two women does it bode well, there is always trouble and such was the case with these two women. Hannah desperately wanted to have children, her heart broke to have a child of her own to present to her husband. Elkanah knowing the pain she suffered, though unable to change the circumstances would allow Hannah extra portions to try and ease the ache in her heart. However, the special treatment only served to feed the green eyed monster in Peninnah and she would then taunt Hannah, goad her and making her even more miserable. Tomorrow we will read that it is when Hannah, in her desperate prayers to God vows that if she is allowed a son she would certainly give him back to the Lord, her prayers are answered, her womb is opened and she gives birth to Samuel. 

Hannah never gave up praying and hoping, which “btw” (tee hee) is a brilliant example of how we should be living our lives. Just because it does not appear to us that God is answering our prayers does not mean that we should quit asking. When we pray God can say, “Yes”, “No” or “Wait”. 1Thessalonians instructs us “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” However in our prayer we must be praying for God’s will. James 4:3 says “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” It was when Hannah finally prayed for God’s will that she got a “thumbs up” and great things happened.

I am really looking forward to going through the amazing stories in the Samuels, I hope you are too. I pray God will richly bless your day and to God be all the glory. Amen?!

God bless you …