In this passage, Elkanah, who lives in the hill country of Ephraim, has two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah has children, yet Hannah is barren; this fuels their rivalry. Peninnah vexes Hannah to no end when the entire family goes up to Shiloh to worship the Lord. During one of these trips to Shiloh, Hannah silently vows that if the Lord will give her a son, then she will dedicate him to His service. Eli assumes that her silent vow is the act of a drunken woman, yet she corrects him; he then blesses her. Hannah later conceives and gives birth to a son, Samuel (his name sounds like the Hebrew for "heard of God").
This passage highlights the value that Israelites placed on childbearing (especially the bearing of sons) at that time. Indeed, barrenness was perceived as a sign of God's judgment on the affected woman. Clearly Hannah subscribed to this viewpoint, and so she desperately wanted to bear a son.
2. Hannah Dedicates Samuel
In this passage, Elkanah and his family return to Shiloh to 1) offer their annual sacrifice to the Lord and 2) fulfill Elkanah's vow to the Lord (though the substance of this vow is not mentioned). Hannah does not join them on this trip, though, as she is weaning Samuel. After she weans him, they travel to Shiloh, bringing a bull, some flour and wine. She then reminds Eli of her silent vow to the Lord, and she formally dedicates Samuel to the Lord.
One must wonder if Eli remembered Hannah's silent vow to the Lord, especially since at least one year had elapsed since that incident.
3. Hannah's Prayer
In this passage, Hannah prays to the Lord - rejoicing in the fact that He had allowed her to bear a son. Indeed, God had allowed her to triumph over her rival, Peninnah. She exults in this reversal of fortune and praises God for His hand in her victory. She states that her victory in this instance is actually God's victory. She then returns to her hometown of Ramah, leaving Samuel in Shiloh.
This passage is similar to the Psalms where the psalmist praises God for defeating his (i.e. His) enemies and effecting his (i.e. His) victory. Clearly Hannah identified herself as a "soldier" in God's "army," while she identified Peninnah as a "soldier" in the enemy "army." One must wonder if Peninnah knew of Hannah's prayer; if so, how did she respond to it?
4. Eli's Wicked Sons
In this passage, Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, commit various sins as they serve at the Tent of Meeting in Shiloh. For example, they take parts of the sacrifices that are offered at Shiloh that the Lord has commanded them to avoid. They also sleep with the women who are serving at the Tent of Meeting. Eli is troubled by his sons' behavior; he warns them of God's impending judgment, yet they refuse to heed his warnings. On the other hand, Samuel ministers before the Lord. He sees his parents when they make their annual trip to Shiloh; Eli blesses them on these visits, and Hannah has five more children. Also, God is pleased with Samuel, and others approve of his actions.
Initially, I was confused as to why Hophni and Phinehas were being condemned for taking arbitrary parts of the sacrifices that were being offered at Shiloh. Then I looked at the sidebar of my NIV Study Bible, which notes that in Leviticus 7:34, the Lord had stated that priests could only take the breast and thigh of each fellowship offering. Also, Hophni and Phinehas were taking the fat of each sacrifice, which should have been given over to the Lord. In addition, they took the raw meat of each sacrifice, since they wanted to slow-roast it; slow-roasting this meat, though, violated the Lord's commands that arose from the first Passover.
5. Prophecy Against the House of Eli
In this passage, a man of God comes to Eli and delivers the following prophecy: the Lord had chosen Eli's forefathers as His priests. Yet since Hophni and Phinehas have dishonored the Lord at the Tent of Meeting, He will prevent Eli's descendants from serving Him. Moreover, He will bring disaster on Eli's family; Hophni and Phinehas will die on the same day. He will then appoint a new priest and establish his descendants in that role; He will also make Eli's descendants dependent on his descendants.
After reading this passage, I wondered: who was the new priest that the Lord would appoint to replace Eli's descendants in that role? My NIV Study Bible states that this prophecy was initially fulfilled during the reign of Solomon, when Zadok and Abiathar served as priests; note that Abiathar was a descendant of Eli. Yet in 1 Kings 2, Solomon removes Abiathar from the priesthood for supporting his brother, Adonijah, in his quest to become the king of Israel after David's death. Also, my Study Bible notes that Jesus Christ Himself is the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy.
In this passage, Samuel is ministering before the Lord under Eli's guidance. One evening, when they have already laid down, the Lord calls Samuel. Samuel runs to Eli, yet Eli notes that he did not call him. The Lord calls Samuel a second time; Samuel runs to Eli, and Eli gives him the same answer. Now the Lord calls Samuel a third time; Samuel runs to Eli, and this time Eli realizes that the Lord is calling him. He then tells Samuel how to respond if the Lord calls him again. The Lord then calls Samuel a fourth time; Samuel responds according to Eli's instructions, and the Lord tells him that He will judge Eli's family for 1) the sins of his sons and 2) his sin of failing to restrain them. The next morning, Eli compels Samuel to tell him what the Lord told him. The passage concludes with a statement that Samuel's holiness became more evident as time passed.
This is an interesting passage, and several verses are essential in terms of understanding it. In verse 1, it is noted that the Lord rarely spoke to His people, which must be connected with the spiritual apathy that reigned in Israel at that time. Perhaps Eli himself had drifted from the Lord, since it took three visits from Samuel before he realized that the Lord Himself was calling Samuel. In verse 7, it is noted that Samuel did not know God, since God had not revealed Himself to him; thus, I wonder if Samuel fully comprehended the Lord's prophecy regarding Eli's family.
