Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 1:9-18
Hannah’s Prayer for a Son
9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”
15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”
17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”
18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.
Hannah’s Prayer for a Son
9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”
15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”
17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”
18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.
Commentary:
1:12–19 Eli shows his piety in rebuking Hannah, whom he takes to be drunk (which would be an offense to the sanctuary). But Hannah explains that her visible display of emotion is genuine, due to deep anguish. Eli acknowledges his mistake and blesses Hannah—a blessing that proves effective.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 492.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 492.
Questions:
Hannah came to the Tabernacle looking for comfort. Instead, she was misunderstood.
As she prayed silently, Eli watched her from a distance and assumed the worst. He accused her of being drunk, when truthfully she was pouring out her heart before God. Imagine how painful that must have been. Hannah had already endured years of disappointment and ridicule. Now even the high priest misunderstood her.
Hannah didn't respond with anger or sarcasm. She didn't try to embarrass Eli or demand an apology. She simply explained the truth with humility and grace. Why? Because Hannah cared more about being known by God than being understood by everyone else. We often feel a strong need to defend ourselves whenever someone gets us wrong. Sometimes there is a place for clearing up misunderstandings, but there's a difference between speaking the truth and demanding that everyone see us the way we want to be seen.
Jesus understood that better than anyone. He was falsely accused, mocked, and condemned, yet He entrusted Himself to His Father. He knew the truth didn't depend on public opinion. There will be times when people misunderstand your motives or judge you unfairly. In those moments, we are all called to remember that our identity isn't found in the opinions of others. It is found in the God who knows our heart and our motives completely.
As she prayed silently, Eli watched her from a distance and assumed the worst. He accused her of being drunk, when truthfully she was pouring out her heart before God. Imagine how painful that must have been. Hannah had already endured years of disappointment and ridicule. Now even the high priest misunderstood her.
Hannah didn't respond with anger or sarcasm. She didn't try to embarrass Eli or demand an apology. She simply explained the truth with humility and grace. Why? Because Hannah cared more about being known by God than being understood by everyone else. We often feel a strong need to defend ourselves whenever someone gets us wrong. Sometimes there is a place for clearing up misunderstandings, but there's a difference between speaking the truth and demanding that everyone see us the way we want to be seen.
Jesus understood that better than anyone. He was falsely accused, mocked, and condemned, yet He entrusted Himself to His Father. He knew the truth didn't depend on public opinion. There will be times when people misunderstand your motives or judge you unfairly. In those moments, we are all called to remember that our identity isn't found in the opinions of others. It is found in the God who knows our heart and our motives completely.
- Is there someone whose opinion has too much influence over your joy or your sense of worth? How would trusting God's opinion above theirs change about the way you respond to them?
- Why was Jesus able to remain faithful even when He was falsely accused and rejected? How does being secure in Christ free us from constantly needing to defend or prove ourselves?
- When was the last time your desire to be right became more important than reflecting the character of Christ? What would repentance look like in that relationship?
Prayer Topics:
- Confess the times you've responded with pride, anger, or defensiveness because you cared more about protecting your reputation than reflecting the character of Christ.
- Thank God that He knows your heart completely and loves you fully, even when others misunderstand, misjudge, or misrepresent you.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the humility to respond with grace when you're criticized, misunderstood, or falsely accused, trusting God to be your defender.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
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