Dialogue with God--Day 120 Through the Bible

God allows us to choose how we respond to Him.

"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,

being understood by the things that are made, 

  even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."  

(Romans 1:20)

                                        

Our Pastor made some comments Sunday before our worship service began that opened my eyes to something I had never considered.  He said that worshiping God is a matter of dialogue between us and Him. It is a matter of a back and forth relationship.  God blesses us--we thank Him and praise Him.  He gives us His Word--we choose to respond or to do nothing.  Our choices draw us into a relationship with God or prevents such a relationship from developing.  In today's scriptures we read about two different people with opposite outcomes in their lives.  Hannah trusted God for her dilemma and was blessed with an answer to her prayers while Eli accepted things the way they were and received judgment on his house.  Do I respond to God when He "pushes the envelope" or do I draw a line and cut myself off from Him?

Hannah sought the Lord because of her barrenness.  Her husband loved Hannah and showed her favor by giving her "double portions" when they went yearly to worship the Lord in Shiloh.  Her husband's other wife evidently showed signs of jealousy by provoking Hannah "severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb".  Every year when they traveled to Shiloh, Hannah endured this and "wept in anguish" and was unable to eat. She then made a vow to the Lord that if He would give her a son she would give him to the Lord.  The priest at first accused her of being drunk, but then he told her to go in peace, and the God of Israel grant her petition.

Samuel was born to Hannah and she kept her vow and when he was weaned she took him to serve in the temple.  She "lent him to the Lord" for as long as he would live. Hannah was a praying woman and rejoiced in the Lord saying, "I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation".  She went on to praise God and give Him glory, recognizing His strength and power. She did not put God aside when she received what she wanted.  God also blessed Hannah with other sons and daughters. She made Samuel a "little robe" each year and took it to the temple when she went there to worship.  Samuel became established as a prophet of the Lord and became Israel's greatest judge.  Samuel was willing to listen to God and follow His instructions and Samuel is listed in the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11.

Eli was the priest in the temple who told Hannah to go in peace.  The outcome of his life was very different from that of Hannah's. Eli's sons were known for cheating the people and for their licentious lifestyles. They were "sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord" (I Samuel 2:12). They refused to listen to their father and he evidently took no corrective action with his sons. God sent a prophet to speak to Eli.  He told Eli he honored his sons more than he honored God and that his sons would both die on the same day.  God also revealed to Samuel that He would judge Eli's house.  Eli insisted Samuel tell him what God had said and Samuel obediently held nothing back.  Eli responded, "It is the Lord.  Let Him do what seems good to Him".  It seems Eli had just given up--maybe it was because he was old and blind.  You would think he would have sought God's mercy with repentance and tears.  However, he seemingly just accepted his fate and the fate of his sons.

How would we have responded?  It's easy to accept things and take no action.  Yet when we look at Hannah's life, we see her crying out to God year after year.  Hannah knew the Lord.  And, as Proverbs 15:8-9, says, "But the prayer of the upright is His delight.  The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him (or her) who follows righteousness".  Eli did not follow righteousness and his sons did not know the Lord.  Life holds many choices for us.  Choosing not to seek God is a choice.  May we follow Hannah's example and take action with persistent prayer, remaining faithful to God.  May we develop a "dialogue" with our Father.  He closed Hannah's womb--she prayed--He gave her a son--she "lent him to the Lord".  Eli failed in his relationship with God.  God reprimanded Eli--Eli took no action, he did not respond to God.  No one likes to be ignored.  I doubt that God does either.  Father, give me a heart that is responsive to You, even as Hannah responded and was blessed.