Faithful During Grief

September 8, 2019 Background Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1 – 2:10 Lesson Passage: 1 Samuel 1:9 – 20 Few things are as emotionally burdensome as the sense of great loss in a person’s life. Although we tend to only associate grief with the death of a loved one, any significant loss or the anticipation of an impending loss can cause a person to grieve. Personal loss can cause the onset of a season of much mental and emotional pain. We simply call it grief. It truly seems like too small of a word to fully capture the pain that one endures in it. Grief has been the subject of research and experimentation for centuries. Its stages are well defined and painfully consistent across gender, racial, ethnic, cultural, educational, and financial demographics. Grief affects people of all classifications. At least two stages of grief can become so intense that clinical/medical intervention may be needed to help the person cope and return to a sense of normal. Those two stages are anger and depression. I believe those are important as we consider the scripture in today’s lesson. The central figure in today’s lesson is Hannah. Hannah was one of two wives of a God-fearing man. Hannah was barren but the other wife gave birth to sons and daughters. The biblical description of Hannah’s disposition indicates that she had become very depressed (perhaps clinically). The bible indicates that the other wife added to Hannah’s misery by provoking her. The bible does not give details about what the other wife did but it was enough that she was referred to as Hannah’s rival. Hannah’s depression returned on an annual basis at the time the family went to Shiloh to take offerings before the Lord. Of course, her rival was present to “rub Hannah’s situation in her face”. The annual return to the house of the Lord was also a time of provocation. On the occasion identified in the scriptures, Hannah cried and had no appetite. Her husband attempted to console her but to no avail. The priest in Shiloh, Eli, observed Hannah in prayer pouring her heart out to God and begging for a baby boy. Because she did not pray aloud, Eli assumed her actions were indicative of her being intoxicated. Eli rebuked Hannah because he thought she was intoxicated but Hannah responded in self-defense and explained that she had not drank any intoxicating drink but was merely pouring her heart out to God. Eli blessed her by asking that God would grant her petition. Hannah gave birth to a son before the family’s return to Shiloh the following year. This time she did not go with them but vowed to stay away until she weaned the baby and then she would take him before the Lord in Shiloh and leave him there as she had vowed. After he was weaned, Hannah took the baby boy and an offering before God in Shiloh. After the offering, she announced to Eli that she was the woman who had prayed before the Lord and He had granted her petition. Therefore, she was bringing the boy back to the Lord as she had vowed. After a time of prolonged grief, Hannah looked to the Lord for the answer to her depression. The Lord answered Hannah’s prayer and removed her grief. The baby boy, who was God’s answer to Hannah’s prayer, was named Samuel. Samuel was the last of the judges and the last to serve in the triune office of judge, priest, and prophet until the birth of Jesus. God gave him to Hannah so she could give him back to God because Hannah was faithful during her time of grief. Robert C. Hudson August 14, 2019

A Covenant to Marry

August 18, 2019 Background Scripture: Ruth 1:6 – 18; 3; 4; Matthew 19:1 – 12 Lesson Passage: Ruth 3:1 – 6, 8 – 12, 16 – 18 Today’s lesson finds Naomi and Ruth safely in the land of Judah after the famine had passed. In the Law, God had given instructions for His people to provide for the poor among them by allowing them to glean in the grain fields. The few scattered stalks of grain remaining after the reapers were finished were considered God’s provision for the poor. Naomi and Ruth were in Judah, but because they were both widows, they were now counted among the poor. Ruth, true to her commitment to Naomi, had joined the gleaners to gather enough grain for Naomi and her to survive on. It was while Ruth was gleaning in the grain field that the providential hand of God began to move on behalf of Ruth and Naomi. (It seems to never fail that when we set our hearts to do right, and earnestly work at it, God steps in and does for us what we could never do for ourselves.) Although Ruth was not aware of it, God had directed Ruth to the field of a near-relative of Naomi. While Ruth was in the field gleaning, God had caused Ruth to catch the eye of Naomi’s near-relative. God is an incredible match maker. The near-relative’s name was Boaz. Boaz inquired of his servants concerning Ruth’s identity. He learned that she was the daughter-in-law of his relative, Naomi. Boaz spoke to Ruth and advised her to stay in his field and glean with the other women who were there. Ruth humbled herself and bowed before Boaz. She asked him why she was receiving this favor. Boaz informed her that her reputation had preceded her. The story of Ruth’s covenant with Naomi and all that she had done to assist Naomi had become known in the land of Judah. Boaz told Ruth that the favor she was receiving through him was the God of Israel’s way of repaying her for her unselfish devotion to Naomi. Naomi was one of God’s children by divine covenant. Ruth’s unselfish devotion and commitment to a child of God had come full circle and she was now reaping unexpected blessings for it. After learning of the encounter, Naomi shifted into “mother mode” and started instructing Ruth according to the custom of the Jews on how to win the heart of Boaz. God set the stage and now Naomi was quickly taking over as production manager of the drama that was about to unfold on that stage. Ruth followed the instructions of Naomi and she won the heart of Boaz—just as Naomi told her it would happen. Boaz complimented Ruth for her virtuous character and made a commitment to seek to have her as his wife. What a miraculous transition. Ruth went from being an impoverished gleaner in a field to being the wife of the field’s owner. Boaz succeeded in marrying Ruth and they became the great-grandparents of King David. King David is a progenitor of Jesus of Nazareth, who is the son of God. God selected some individuals with amazing traits to be in the family tree of His only begotten son. God ordered the steps of faithful people and, in this situation, it led to a covenant to marry. Robert C. Hudson July 20, 2019