HANNAH

“She [Hannah], greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.”
– I Samuel 1:10

This O.T. record of a godly woman’s struggles speaks to us today in at least two ways.

Hannah’s trials show us that believers are not exempt from the everyday troubles of life. Hannah’s heart was broken because of situations God allowed and because of circumstances sinful man caused. Hannah was barren (and we are told twice in back-to-back verses – five and six – that Yahweh had closed her womb). So this God-fearing woman lacked the ability to conceive – the very thing that virtually defined what it meant to be a woman in her time. Our Sovereign Lord could have altered the situation, but He chose not to at the time, so this woman endured pain as a result of a condition that God permitted. In addition, Hannah had human-caused trouble. She was “bitterly provoked” and “irritated” by her “rival” – her husband’s second wife. For whatever reason, Hannah’s husband succumbed to the culture of the day and took two wives, contrary to God’s vision for marriage and His explicit commands. The result? The wife with children (Peninnah) constantly mocked the wife without children (Hannah). Both barrenness and ridicule left Hannah “oppressed in spirit”, “afflicted”, and weeping so much she could barely eat. To make matters worse, when Hannah went to “church” (the Temple), she was falsely accused of being drunk and sharply rebuked by the priest! Yes, God’s people do go through severe trials at times. So, what are we to do?

Well, Hannah’s response to her struggles shows us that our troubles should motivate us to draw near to God. What I love about this whole situation is Hannah’s unashamed, honest prayers to God. She put aside her self-reliance and pride and inhibitions and “poured out her soul before the LORD” (verse 15). What an encouragement for us to do the same! Oh, how tempting it is either to try to figure out on our own the answers to the problems that plague us, or to wallow in self-pity – both of which keep us from the very God who cares for us and who can provide the guidance and comfort we need for the situations we encounter.

So today, I encourage you not to neglect communing with your wonderful Father. If you’re having a ‘valley’ experience right now, do like your sister Hannah and take your burdens to the Lord. If you’re having a ‘mountaintop’ experience today, then let your thanks and praises to God ring from that height! But be sure to remember a brother or sister (or even an unsaved friend or family member) who is ‘going through’, and intercede for them right now. Stand in the gap in prayer and petition God on their behalf.

“For whatever was written in earlier times
was written for our instruction, so that through
perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.”
-- Romans 15:4

JUST A WORD

JUST A WORD

Recently I have been reminded of the numerous times in Scripture when Jesus was teaching His disciples, using words or actions, and they just ‘did not get it’. Recalling the many occasions where the Twelve did not grasp the full meaning, missed the point altogether, or were just ‘clueless’ about a matter of great importance to the Savior, I found myself first snickering at their bumbling, then convicted by my own ignorance and arrogant impatience with others.

Here’s a sampling of what I’m talking about (all texts NIV— emphasis mine):

1) After Jesus dropped the ‘bomb’ on His followers that He was going to be betrayed, this is what Scriptures say was their response: “But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.” – Luke 9:45

2) Maybe it was the topic, but again Jesus took the Twelve aside to tell them of His impending fate, this time being more explicit, perhaps because His crucifixion date was getting closer. Jesus told His boys He was going to be mocked, insulted, spit on, flogged, and killed, but then resurrected on the third day, just as the prophets wrote about. What was their reaction? “The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about.” – Luke 18:34

3) Now I can see how the Twelve would be confused by this next chain of events. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and quoted some Old Testament passages that predicted his entry (something about a King coming). True to form, here’s what’s said about His crew: “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.” – John 12:16

4) Here’s one of the most stunningly stark realities of the Twelve thus far: Jesus had been crucified, and we all know it was women who first learned of and then shared with others that Jesus was no longer dead but had risen (yeah!). Well, Peter and John, Jesus’ closest disciples, ran to the tomb to see for themselves if what the women said was true (did not sound like they believed Jesus would rise, right?). Here’s what’s said of John, the disciple Jesus loved: “So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb [John] then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” – John 20:9

Whoa!

I’ve cited just a few instances that prove there was a great deal about Jesus – His mission and purposes – that His followers did not understand while He walked this earth. There are many, many other cases where the disciples’ words or actions showed a serious lack of understanding.*

What can we take away from all this? Was Jesus just such a ‘deep’ Teacher that He had a hard time translating His knowledge to His pupils? I don’t think so. The struggle that Jesus’ followers had with getting the meaning behind some of His words and actions has several applications for us today. Wanna hear them, hear they go…
1) With respect to others’ salvation and spiritual growth, have patience. A teacher by calling and profession, I know first-hand the frustration that comes when you try to teach a student something and, even after many tries, they ‘still don’t get it’. Imagine how Jesus, the greatest Teacher of all time, felt when He tried to communicate serious biblical truths to His disciples, only to find ‘they did not understand ANY of it’ – they didn’t even know what He was talking about! (Luke 18:34 above) And there did seem to be times when Jesus got a little frustrated, like when He chided the Twelve for not grasping the meaning behind His a miracle, proven by the fact that they still had unbelief when they were faced with the need for a similar miracle. But by and large, Jesus was extremely patient with the boys. How do I know? He did not give up trying to teach them. He repeated His messages over and over again, sometimes through hands-on lessons, other times through Old Testament references, still other times through real-life illustrations. As we seek to communicate the truths of the Gospel and of God’s Word to others, we’d do well to follow our Lord’s example. Whether it is a child or teenager we’re raising, a friend we’re discipling, or a co-worker we’re witnessing to, let’s not become discouraged when we share the truths of God’s word, only to have them bounce off the person’s heart and head like a basketball on a concrete court. Remember what Paul said: some of us plant, and others water (I Cor. 3:5-7). This nature comparison emphasizes many facts, one of which is that a person’s grasp of the truth is often a process. So don’t let exasperation hinder the process. (Think: How many times did you hear the Gospel before you got saved? How many times have you studied a passage/heard sermons on a topic before you let God change you in that area? How many people do you know who initially rejected God’s Word but later yielded to it and are standing strong for God to this day?)

2) With respect to others’ salvation and spiritual growth, remember God’s sovereignty. I can’t help but notice that in many of the passages describing the disciples’ ignorance, that ignorance was only temporary. In fact, in some cases the Bible says full understanding was ‘hidden’ from them at the time, and it was later that they understood and believed. Going back to Paul’s plant analogy, he said ultimately it is “God who gives the increase”. No matter how eloquent we are, no matter how knowledgeable we are or how skillful we are in sharing knowledge, our ability alone is insufficient to give a person understanding. God in His sovereignty has to move on a person’s heart and illuminate his/her mind so they can grasp the truth. So remember the role of God’s sovereign revealing – in His sovereign time – as you seek to see people’s lives changed through their understanding and acceptance of God’s truth.

3) With respect to the questions and problems of life, don’t be so quick to have all the answers. If Jesus’ own followers, who walked with Him closely on this earth in the flesh, did not understand some things, then surely there will be some matters that we just do not have understanding of as well. I remember shortly after 9/11 occurred a preacher stated that he knew why 9/11 happened. He went on to give some bogus reason, but I was struck by how certain this dude was that he knew why such a tragic event occurred. Knowing this person, I think he felt a need to have an explanation, maybe for unbelievers, as to why his God would allow such a horrible situation. I would like an answer, too, but the truth of the matter is, I don’t know why God chose to allow such a level of tragedy, in that case or in the case of the tsunami or the Holocaust or American slavery. The difference is that I am not going to pretend I have answers when I don’t. I realize that there is a limit to my knowledge and understanding, and there is a degree of mystery to God and His purposes that I will have as long as I’m on this earth. And as knowledge-loving as I am, by faith I have to rest in God’s character (as revealed in His word) even when I can’t explain this world. I believe it was Bro. Paul who said right now we see through a glass darkly, but when we see Jesus we’ll see more clearly (I Cor. something).

4) Last but not least, with respect to your own growth (in matters both spiritual and temporal), have patience. Sometimes the same frustration we feel towards others who don’t grow at the pace we’d like, we also have with ourselves. At times that feeling’s valid, but at other times it’s more a manifestation of impatience and arrogance than trust in God. Sometimes this frustration comes from a desire to be perfect, to have success (even spiritually), and to have a measure of ease. But one thing I’m learning in life is that true growth takes time. In Jesus’ parable about the seed and the sower, the seed that sprouted overnight didn’t last because it lacked depth. The seed that was genuine and lasting went deep and took time to grow. The same is true in Jesus’ parable about building your house on rock (which is harder and takes longer) versus building your house on sand. It took time for the leader of the disciples to go from being the ‘reed’ to the ‘rock’. It took experiences over time for the disciples to go from trusting Jesus in general to understanding and believing in Him as Messiah and Savior. And it’s going to take time and experience, orchestrated of course by God’s grace, to go from one level to the next in our obedience to Christ in whatever area(s) we are struggling with. Wanting perfection overnight is not realistic – though some growth should be evident over time.

One final point: Even though a certain lack of understanding is ‘understandable’ J, there is a lack of understanding that should be avoided at all costs. There is a failure to ‘grasp’ spiritual truths that comes from a hardened heart and a blindness to God’s Word because we’re rejecting or resisting God’s will. That’s not the kind that I’m talking about. What’s the difference? Well, it’s the difference between the student who doesn’t understand the lesson because they cannot, even though they try hard, and the student who doesn’t understand because they don’t want to (they cut class, they don’t do homework, they goof off through class – pattern of resistance). May God reveal to you where that difference lies.

Well, I’ve used too much of your time.

Peace,





*John 10:6-- the disciples and the crowds didn’t understand the shepherd-sheep figure of speech Jesus was using to describe His salvific role
John 13:7 -- Peter didn’t understand why Jesus would stoop so low as to wash his feet; Jesus seems resigned to this reality, and just tells Peter he’ll understand later
Matthew 15:15-16; 16:9, 11-12; Mark 4:10-13; Mark 8:15-21 -- the disciples didn’t understand the parables Jesus spoke – so they often took Him aside and asked Him to explain what they meant; the disciples didn’t understand the miracles Jesus did or the figure of speech He used to describe the religious leaders – at first, all resulting in Jesus repeatedly asking questions like: “You still don’t understand?”