TODAY WE BEGIN A JOURNEY INTO `THE KINGDOM BOOKS' THAT WILL TAKE US AROUND A YEAR OR SO TO COMPLETE, SO BUCKLE IN, HERE WE GO!!
1 BOOK OR 4 ??
THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL AND KINGS WERE ONCE A SINGLE UNIFIED WORK, REFERRED TO AS “THE BOOKS OF THE KINGDOM”. HOWEVER OVER TIME THAT BODY OF WORK GOT DIVIDED INTO 4 BOOKS (1 SAM, 2 SAM, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS), WHICH IS WHAT WE FIND IN ALMOST EVERY VERSION OF SCRIPTURE TODAY.
WHY WAS IT DIVIDED INTO 4 BOOKS? FIRST IT WAS SPLIT INTO TWO BOOKS, LOOSELY CALLED “KINGDOMS” (LATER SAMUEL) AND “KINGS”. THIS SPLIT HAPPENED BY THE TRANSLATORS IN ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT WHILE THEY WERE TRANSLATING THE HEBREW TEXT INTO (WHAT WE CALL TODAY ) THE GREEK SEPTUAGINT (LXX). CENTURIES LATER OTHER SCRIPTURE VERSIONS SUCH AS THE VULGATE (A LATIN TRANSLATION) SPLIT IT AGAIN INTO 4, AND AROUND THE 16TH CENTURY EVEN THE MOST MODERN HEBREW SCRIPTURES ACCEPTED THIS CHANGE ALSO.
BUT DON'T WORRY, THIS SPLIT DIDN'T REALLY AFFECT THE CONTENT OR THE SLOW CORRUPTION OF IT ... (REMOVING THE CREATOR’S NAME AND ANYTHING REMOTELY `HEBREW’ FROM THE CONTENT ... THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ISSUE). IT’S JUST GOOD TO KNOW THAT THE 2 BOOKS OF SAMUEL AND KINGS WERE ORIGINALLY ONE LARGE DOCUMENT SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT FROM THE AUTHOR’S MIND, THIS WAS A SINGLE ACCOUNT WITH CONNECTED HISTORY THAT WAS RECORDED, FLOWING FROM ONE TO THE NEXT COMPLETELY INTERTWINED: LATER FACTS OF THE STORIES ARE DEPENDENT ON EARLIER FACTS, AND THE LATER STORIES OFTEN EXPAND ON INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE EARLIER STORIES, JUST LIKE THE BOOKS OF MOSES.
WHO WROTE SAMUEL?
AS FOR THE AUTHOR OF THESE BOOKS, IT WAS NOT SAMUEL HIMSELF (HE CERTAINLY GAVE SOME OF THE MATERIAL FOR THE OPENING CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK THOUGH). THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT MORE THAN ONE WRITER WAS INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THESE KINGDOM BOOKS AND THE TITLE OF `SAMUEL' WAS NOT GIVEN FOR IT’S AUTHOR BUT RATHER FOR IT’S CENTRAL CHARACTER. SAMUEL DIED BEFORE DAVID RULED A UNITED YISHARAL, AND SO EVERYTHING IN THIS SERIES OF 4 BOOKS THAT REFERS TO KING DAVID (AT LEAST FROM ABOUT THE TIME OF HIS CORONATION) WAS WRITTEN BY SOMEONE ELSE AND EDITED A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
THE BOOK OF 1ST CHRONICLES (CHAPTER 29) TELLS US THAT SOME OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT KING DAVID’S REIGN COMES FROM DOCUMENTS THAT ARE NOW LOST TO US, ENTITLED, “SAMUEL THE SEER”, “NATHAN THE PROPHET”, AND “GAD THE SEER”. IN OTHER WORDS THE GREATEST PORTION OF WHAT WE’LL EXAMINE OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO IS ...
A COMPILATION OF VARIOUS RECORDS FROM THE ERAS OF SAMUEL, KING SAUL, AND KING DAVID AS WRITTEN BY A NUMBER OF HISTORIANS; AND THEN THOSE RECORDS WERE USED AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION BY SOME OTHER AND LATER ANONYMOUS EDITORS (PLURAL) WHO WROTE THE BOOKS OF `SAMUEL' AND `KINGS' AS THEY APPEAR TODAY IN OUR SCRIPTURES.
TRANSITION
SAMUEL TELLS THE STORY OF THE TRANSITION FROM THE PERIOD OF THE JUDGES (THE SHOPHETIM) THAT STARTS LATE IN THE BOOK OF JOSHUA, EXTENDS THROUGH THE BOOK OF JUDGES, AND INCLUDES THE BOOK OF RUTH, AND THEN TAKES US INTO THE PERIOD OF THE MONARCHY (THAT IS, THE KINGS OF YISHARAL). HOWEVER THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL END WITH KING DAVID, SO IT’S LEFT TO OTHER RECORDS TO TAKE IT FROM THERE.
IN THE FIRST PART OF SAMUEL WE’RE GOING TO SEE A PROGRESSION OF 3 MAJOR EVENTS TAKE PLACE EACH WITH A RATHER IN-DEPTH STORY SURROUNDING THEM:
1) THE ANOINTING OF SAMUEL AS A NEW TYPE OF JUDGE THAT IS ACTUALLY MORE LIKE A PROPHET, THEN ...
2) THE CORONATION OF SAUL AS THE FIRST KING OF YISHARAL AND THEN EVENTUALLY HIS REJECTION BY YAHUSHA, AND FINALLY ...
3) SAUL’S GROWING CONFLICT WITH DAVID THAT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE DECLINE OF SAUL’S KINGDOM, AND TERMINATES WITH DAVID EVENTUALLY REPLACING SAUL.
THE ERA OF THE JUDGES PROVED THAT YISHARAL NEEDED A KING BECAUSE NOT EVEN YAHUSHA'S CHOSEN NATION (WHO HAD EVERY ADVANTAGE IN HAVING HIM AMONG THEM AS THEIR KING AND ALAHIM) COULD WITHSTAND THE EVIL NATURE THAT LURKS WITHIN US ALL TO DO THINGS OUR OWN WAY. SELF-INTEREST, GREED, AND THE SHEER AMBITION OF POWER COMBINED FOR THE EVER-DECLINING MORALITY OF YISHARAL UNTIL FINALLY YAHUSHA HAD TO RESCUE THEM ONCE AGAIN OTHERWISE ABSOLUTE DESTRUCTION WOULD BE THE ONLY OTHER OUTCOME. AND YAHUSHA’S WAY TO RESCUE YISHARAL AT THIS POINT IN THEIR HISTORY WAS TO GIVE THEM A KING, AS A SHADOW OF WHAT HE WOULD ONE DAY PHYSICALLY BECOME FOR US.
YES, YAHUSHA HAS BEEN STEADILY MOVING YISHARAL ALONG A PATH TOWARDS THE ULTIMATE KING, HIMSELF, AND GIVING GLIMPSES ALL ALONG THE WAY OF HIS ATTRIBUTES AND CHARACTER AS A MESSIAH AND KING :
HE GAVE YISHARAL A LEADER IN MOSES WHO DISPLAYED THE CHARACTER OF BEING A MEDIATOR FOR THE PEOPLE.
THEN YAHUSHA GAVE YISHARAL A LEADER IN JOSHUA WHO DISPLAYED THE CHARACTER OF BEING A WARRIOR CHIEF.
DURING THE ERA OF THE JUDGES YAHUSHA SHOWED THE FUNCTION OF DELIVERANCE FROM OPPRESSION BY RAISING UP VARIOUS JUDGES TO SAVE YISHARAL FROM THE NEVER-ENDING ARRAY OF ENEMIES WHO TRIED TO RULE OVER YISHARAL AND TAKE THEIR LAND AND POSSESSIONS.
AND DURING THE COMING ERA OF THE KINGS (THAT SAMUEL WILL TRANSITION YISHARAL INTO) YAHUSHA WOULD GIVE YISHARAL A LEADER IN DAVID WHO HAD THE FUNCTION OF ULTIMATE CENTRAL AUTHORITY AND (IF IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED UNDER YAHUSHA'S GUIDANCE) YISHARAL WOULD TRULY EXIST AND OPERATE AS HIS INTENDED KINGDOM ON THIS EARTH; BUT IF IT WAS DONE BY IGNORING YAHUSHA’S INSTRUCTIONS, THE RESULTING KINGDOM WOULD SIMPLY BE ANOTHER IN A LONG LINE OF KINGDOMS OF MEN, DESTINED TO FALL AND BLOW AWAY LIKE DUST, JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER KINGDOMS HAD DONE THROUGH THE AGES.
IN SAMUEL WE’LL RUN INTO SOME OF THE MOST FASCINATING EVENTS IN THE SCRIPTURE, INCLUDING THE CAPTURE OF THE ARK OF THE BLOOD-COVENANT WITNESS BY THE PHILISTINES AND THEN IT’S QUICK RETURN. WE’LL SEE KING SAUL GO FROM BEING AN ADMIRED AND CHARISMATIC LEADER, INTO A DEPRESSED AND DEPRAVED PSYCHOPATH. THEN WE’LL WATCH A YOUNG DAVID COURAGEOUSLY FIGHT THE GIANT GOLIATH BECAUSE THE YISHARALITE SOLDIERS WERE TOO AFRAID TO CONFRONT HIM; AND THEN WE'LL SEE THE PEOPLE’S GROWING LOVE OF DAVID LEAD TO SAUL BECOMING JEALOUS, PARANOID AND MENTALLY UNSTABLE.
IN SAMUEL WE’LL FIND THAT THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD AT SHILOH EXISTED ONLY IN NAME NOW. IT HAD SUFFERED FROM THE APOSTASY THAT YISHARAL HAD PLUNGED INTO DURING THE DARK TIMES OF THE JUDGES, AND SO WE FIND THE AGED AND DECREPIT HIGH PRIEST ELI UNABLE TO CONTROL HIS THOROUGHLY WORTHLESS SONS, WHO EVEN EAT THE SACRIFICES BROUGHT FROM THE PEOPLE RIGHT OFF THE ALTAR PIT AS THOUGH THEY WERE HAVING A BARBEQUE.
IF YISHARAL WAS GOING TO BE LIFTED FROM ITS CURRENT PATHETIC STATE OF BONDAGE TO EVIL IDOLATRY IT WOULD NEED YET ANOTHER NEW BEGINNING OF SORTS AND SO YAHUSHA WOULD HAVE TO START AT HIS OWN EARTHLY SANCTUARY AT SHILOH; BUT SUCH A RESCUE COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE ACCOMPLISHED USING THOSE CORRUPT MEN WHO WERE THE CURRENT PRIEST-PRETENDERS.
SO THE HUMBLE HANNAH, WIFE OF ELKANAH, ASKS YAHUSHA FOR A CHILD AFTER BEING BARREN AND A SON IS BORN TO HER: SAMUEL. AND YAHUSHA SEPARATES SAMUEL APART FROM ALL OTHERS FOR THE SPECIAL DIVINE PURPOSE OF CALLING JUDGMENT UPON THE CURRENT HIGH-PRIEST AND HIS SONS WHO HAD FAILED SO MISERABLY IN PROPERLY SERVING YAHUSHA AND YISHARAL.
LATER WE'LL SEE THE RISE OF KING SAUL, AND SAMUEL’S ROLE OF LEADING YISHARL WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE. KING SAUL NOW RULED OVER THE POLITICAL MATTERS OF YISHARAL, AND SAMUEL WOULD REPRESENT THE SPIRITUAL VALUES OF YAHUSHA ON EARTH. BUT WHO (SAUL OR SAMUEL) WOULD HAVE THE LAST WORD?
YISHARAL IS NOT A UNIFIED NATION AT THE TIME OF SAMUEL AND WARFARE IS RAGING AMONG THE TRIBES AND CLANS FOR TERRITORIAL DOMINANCE. AND SUCH INSTABILITY MEANS THAT NEIGHBOURING NATIONS HAVE A MUCH EASIER TIME IN ATTACKING THE PROMISED LAND BECAUSE NO OTHER TRIBE WOULD COME TO THEIR BROTHER'S AID. SO INTO THESE DARK CIRCUMSTANCES YAHUSHA WOULD SEND A NEW KIND OF DELIVERER TO USHER YISHARAL INTO A NEW KIND OF RULE, SHOWING HIS MARVELLOUS MERCY BY RESCUING HIS PEOPLE FROM A HIDEOUS CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR OWN BEHAVIOUR.
Yisharal post-Judges finds themself in the same place Yisharal (the Bride) does today in the 21st Century; overwhelmed, overcome, emotional, enslaved to their own stupid imaginations, unsure of their calling, they don't know whether they're chosen or not, tossing and turning on every new wave of doctrine and philosophy. . . . and completely captivated and invested and soooooo over-opinionated about what the world is doing, with all of it's pleasures and legislations and movements and mindsets.
Meanwhile Yahusha is about to bring His Kingdom (reign) into this dimension. He already sowed a small portion of it into His Bride (to prepare the way for His Kingship, to start the ball rolling and initiate the process of transformation through tests and training) so that (like He did the first time) Yisharal would be ready for His appearance. .. . but what happened?
The enemy happened - Religion happened !
So He sent His cousin John ahead to prepare the way for His Kingdom, and to remind people of the true message of repentance and deliverance, to till the ground and sow the seeds for Him to feed, water and harvest.
The same is true today too, however through His bloodshed, Yahusha's own resurrected, firstfruit being is now connected to His Creation in a way totally unique (since the Garden anyway), whereby we (HIS ROYAL FAMILY) can think what He thinks, feel what He feels and be empowered by His Living Words to do great bizarre feats of loving-kindness for Him, to again PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE COMING KINGDOM.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE A ROYALTY?
DO YOU BEHAVE - WALK - COMPOSE YOURSELF WITH THE HEIRS AND GRACES OF A MONARCH THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY?
Is your inheritance being robbed from you through doubts and listening to the wicked slime that comes at you daily to make you feel like nothing? They're very happy that you're too gutless to grow a pair and express Yahusha's divine order and routine and loving-kindness in your life ... IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP !
THE KINGDOM IS COMING
OUR INHERITANCE IS ALMOST HERE
THOSE WHO WANT YAHUSHA WILL HAVE HIM
THOSE WHO DON'T ... WON'T
SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING WORRYING AND BEING EMOTIONAL ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY?
IF YAHUSHA HAS CHOSEN THEM, IT MEANS HE WANTS THEM AND HE'LL FINISH THE WORK, NOT YOU ... HIM !
SO START ENJOYING YOUR BRIDEGROOM AND TAPPING INTO HIS LOVE IN YOUR DAY - HE REALLY IS IN EVERTHING IF YOU'RE INTERESTED AND HUNGRY ENOUGH TO FIND HIM.
THIS IS TRUE KINGDOM BEHAVIOUR !
..
HANNAH (SAM.1)
There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah, a town in the hill country of Ephraim. His great-great-grandfather was Zuph, so Elkanah was a member of the Zuph clan (of the Ephraim Tribe). Elkanah’s father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu. THIS INFO (+ 1 CHRON 6) CONNECTS THIS GUY ELKANAH ALL THE WAY BACK TO KOHATH, ONE OF THE SONS OF LEVI, MAKING SAMUEL ACTUALLY A LEVITE.
And Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah and although Peninnah had children, Hannah did not for she was barren. A MAN WITH MORE THAN ONE WIFE USUALLY DID SO FOR STATUS, SINCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, HAVING AN HEIR WAS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. A MAN MIGHT MARRY A SECOND WOMAN IF HIS FIRST WIFE COULDN’T SEEM TO PRODUCE HIM A SON QUICK ENOUGH, AND INDEED PENINNAH PRODUCED AN HEIR FOR ELKANAH WHEN HANNAH COULDN’T SEEM TOO.
And once a year Elkanah traveled from his hometown to Shiloh, where he offered sacrifices to "Yahuah of Hosts" at the Tabernacle, where Eli was the High Priest, and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas were priests.
"YAHUAH SHABUOT" IS A BRAND NEW TITLE FOR THE ALAHIM OF YISHARAL, AND THE FIRST TIME IN THE SCRIPTURE IT’S DISCOVERED. BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN? IN GENESIS THE TERM “HOSTS” (SHABUOT) SPEAKS OF BOTH MESSENGERS (ANGELS) AND STARS ...
... AND NOTICE IN BOTH CASES IT’S REFERRING TO BODIES (IN THE SKY/SHAMAYIM). A “HOST” OF SOMETHING MEANS IT IS A MULTITUDE, OR IT’S A COUNTLESS NUMBER (JUST LIKE ‘AS MANY AS THE SAND ON THE SEASHORE’). SO WHEN THE SCRIPTURE SPEAKS OF A “HOST” OF ANGELS OR A “HOST” OF STARS, IT MEANS A HUGE AMOUNT, LIKE A ARMY. SO "YAHUAH SHABUOT" REFERS TO YAHUSHA WHO IS THE MASTER AND ALAHIM OF BOTH THE STARS (VISIBLE) AND THE ANGELS (INVISIBLE); EACH INNUMERABLE IN QUANTITY. SO THIS MAJESTIC TITLE FOR YAHUSHA SHOWS THAT HE IS THE KING AND MASTER OVER ALL THE SEEN AND THE UNSEEN (BOTH DIMENSIONS).
Whenever Elkanah slaughtered an offering, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and each of her sons and daughters to eat. But he always gave Hannah double the amount of meat, because he loved her very much and preferred her, even though it was Yahusha who was keeping her from having children. WE SAW JACOB FAVOURING RACHEL OVER LEAH IN THE SAME WAY. IN NEARLY EVERY SITUATION WHERE A MAN HAS MORE THAN ONE WIFE (OR CONCUBINE) WE FIND BIG TROUBLE, BECAUSE IT’S SIMPLY NOT IN THE HUMAN NATURE OF WOMEN TO ACCEPT BEING `ONLY ONE OF SEVERAL' IN A MAN’S HOUSEHOLD, AND IT’S NOT IN THE HUMAN NATURE OF MEN TO LOVE SEVERAL WOMEN EQUALLY, AND THAT’S WHY IT ISN’T YAHUSHA’S IDEAL PATTERN.
IT WAS YAHUSHA WHO WAS KEEPING HANNAH FROM HAVING CHILDREN. INTERESTING, MORE AND MORE WE’RE SEEING THAT THE MINDSET IS THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS (GOOD OR BAD) TO THE FOLLOWER OF YAHUSHA IS OF YAHUSHA. THE HEBREWS (RIGHTFULLY) HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THE IDEA THAT YAHUSHA COULD SEND CATASTROPHE OR HE COULD SEND BLESSING TO ONE OF HIS OWN,
ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. THUS IT WASN’T WITH A “BLAMING” ATTITUDE THAT HANNAH WAS SAYING THAT YAHUSHA “SHUT UP HER WOMB”, IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF FACT. IT WAS WITH THE SIMPLE UNDERSTANDING THAT NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT YAHUSHA’S APPROVAL SO AT THE VERY LEAST YAHUSHA APPROVED OF HER BARRENNESS.
TO HANNAH’S THINKING SHE’D EITHER COMMITTED A CRIME AGAINST YAHUSHA AND THIS CURSE OF CHILDLESSNESS WAS HER PUNISHMENT, OR SHE HADN’T, BUT YAHUSHA HAD HIS OWN PURPOSE FOR CLOSING UP HER WOMB.
SO FOR A HEBREW WIFE OR CONCUBINE TO BE BARREN IT WAS ESSENTIALLY VIEWED AS DISOBEDIENCE TO YAHUSHA, AND THE CONSEQUENCE WAS VERY PUBLIC. YES, IT MAY HAVE BEEN SUSPECTED THAT THE WOMAN’S BODY WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND OUT OF HER CONTROL; HOWEVER THAT DIDN’T MAKE IT ANY LESS HER FAULT, AND GENERALLY THIS WAS SEEN AS A CURSE FROM YAHUSHA RESULTING FROM SOME BEHAVIOUR SHE'D DONE.
And Hannah’s `rival wife' (co-wife) Peninnah was bitchy and liked to taunt Hannah, making her feel miserable for not having any children (and for being her husband’s favourite), especially when the family went to the Tabernacle each year. Yes, every year this whole nasty scene played out as they all went up to Shiloh together as a family.
Elkanah would sacrifice and give Hannah an extra portion, and then Peninnah would retaliate by ‘slinging crap’ (verbally) at Hannah for being childless, finding comfort in the fact that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy her extra food. But this particular year it upset Hannah so much that she couldn’t eat her festive meal and instead she just wept and wept.
So Elkanah asked, “Hannah my Darling, why are you crying? Come and eat with us! I know this is hard, but you gotta stop being so sad all the time. Isn’t our life together enough? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
So when the sacrifice had been offered, Hannah pulled herself together and sat with her family, but got up afterwards and went to be alone with Yahusha in the Tabernacle. Eli the High-Priest was sitting in his chair near the door to the Tabernacle (A CHAIR WAS AN ITEM OF FURNITURE RESERVED FOR THOSE OF HIGHER RANKING AND IT WAS CONSIDERED A POSITION OF HONOR, UNLIKE TODAY IT WAS NOT A USUAL PIECE OF FURNITURE, FOR MOST PEOPLE MERELY SAT ON THE GROUND OR ON A ROCK).
So Hannah, broken-hearted and crushed in spirit, fell down and wept before Yahusha, “O’ Yahuah of Hosts, I’m your servant, but I’m so tired of being upset and miserable, ignored and neglected! I can’t take it anymore, please see my pain and suffering and let me have a son, for I’m your servant and I’ll do anything you want. I’ll even give the child back to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut by a razor,” she vowed.
WAS SAMUEL A NAZIRITE LIKE SAMSON? THE VOW THAT HANNAH VOWED WAS THE VOW OF A NAZARITE, AND IT WAS DONE IN A SIMILAR WAY AS SAMSON’S MOTHER DID TO HAVE HER BARREN CONDITION REVERSED. USUALLY A LEVITE WOULD NEVER BE A NAZARITE BECAUSE THE WHOLE IDEA OF TAKING A NAZARITE VOW WAS TO GET SPECIAL STATUS TO SERVE YAHUSHA LIKE THE LEVITES DID. BUT LEVITES WERE AUTOMATICALLY BORN WITH THE RIGHT TO SERVE YAHUSHA AT THE TABERNACLE, SO IT’S KIND OF REDUNDANT FOR HANNAH TO MAKE A NAZARITE VOW ON BEHALF OF HER LEVITE SON-TO-BE, SAMUEL.
LEVITES WERE GENERALLY NOT REQUIRED TO BEGIN THEIR FULL-TIME SANCTUARY SERVICE UNTIL THEY WERE 25 YEARS OLD, AND NORMALLY THEY WERE RELEASED FROM IT BY THE AGE OF 50. BUT IN OUR CASE WITH SAMUEL, HE WOULD BE YAHUSHA’S PROPERTY RIGHT AWAY DUE TO HANNAH’S VOW, AND SAMUEL WOULD BEGIN TO SERVE EVEN AS A SMALL CHILD AND WOULD NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL HIS DEATH. THEREFORE I HAVE NO DOUBTS THAT THIS WAS A NAZARITE VOW.
And Eli the High-Priest was watching Hannah, for she was crying to Yahusha for a long time, but her pleading was mainly silent in her heart (her lips were moving but there was no sound), and Eli thought she was drunk. WHY WOULD HE JUMP TO THAT CONCLUSION? SURELY PEOPLE GO TO THE TABERNACLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YAHUSHA ALL THE TIME . . . PROBABLY BECAUSE HE HAD TO REGULARLY DEAL WITH WORSHIPPERS WHO DRANK LOTS OF RITUAL WINE BEFORE THEY CAME BEFORE THE SANCTUARY TENT TO SPEAK TO YAHUSHA. REMEMBER THIS WAS A VERY DARK AGE OF CONFUSION AND APOSTASY FOR YISHARAL AND I IMAGINE WE KNOW LITTLE OF ALL THE DEPRAVITIES AND NONSENSE THAT WENT DOWN UNDER THE GUISE OF `OBEDIENT SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATION AND WORSHIP’
“How long are you going to stay drunk?” he asked. “Sober up and get with it girl, you’ve had enough!”
“No … Master … please … you don’t understand … I’m not pissed like one of those worthless immoral women … I haven’t even been drinking at all. I’m just beside myself with grief, so miserable and upset and I’ve been crying to Yahuah this whole time, hoping that He’ll hear me and help.”
“Well it’s time to go in peace now, you should go home and stop worrying so much. I’m sure the Alahim of Yisharal will answer your request.”
“Thankyou Master, I only seek His favour”, Hannah said, then she left, and after eating something, she felt much better. THE ACT OF POURING OUT HERSELF TO YAHUSHA IN COMPLETE HONESTY BROUGHT PEACE AND COMFORT TO HER. IT’S NOT THAT SHE BECAME CERTAIN THAT NOW SHE WOULD CONCEIVE, IT’S THAT THE INTIMACY WITH YAHUSHA, DONE IN A HUMBLE AND SINCERE MANNER, GAVE HER THAT “PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING” THAT YAHUSHA’S BRIDE TODAY ALSO RECIVES THROUGH HIS PORTAL. IT’S NOT THAT OUR CIRCUMSTANCES NECESSARILY CHANGE, ITS THAT SOMEHOW YAHUSHA GIVES US AN UNSPOKEN ASSURANCE THAT HE HEARS, IS WITH US, LOVES US, AND THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS IT WILL BE OK. HANNAH’S STATE OF MIND WAS SO ELEVATED THAT HER APPETITE RETURNED.
Elkanah and his family got up early the next morning and bowed down before Yahusha, then they went back home to Ramah. And later Elkanah slept with his wife Hannah and Yahusha indeed ‘remembered her’. NOTHING TO DO WITH MEMORY, BUT ABOUT ACTIVATING HIS PLAN AND TIMING. WHEN YAHUSHA `REMEMBERS’ SOMEONE IT IS TO BRING BLESSING, NOT CALAMITY.
And Yahusha blessed her with a son, and she named him Samuel (SHEMUAL - NAME OF ALAHIM) because she had specifically asked Yahusha for him.
THE TERM “NAME” DOESN’T REALLY MEAN JERRY, OR BOB, OR KATE. RATHER A BETTER WAY TO THINK OF IT IS AS “ATTRIBUTES” OR “ESSENCE” OR “CHARACTER”. SO IT MEANT THAT ALAHIM (YAHUSHA) IS THE FATHER AND SAMUEL IS HIS OFFSPRING (NOT LITERALLY BUT FIGURATIVELY). YAHUSHA HAD ACTIVELY CAUSED HANNAH TO BECOME PREGNANT, JUST HAS HE HAD FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE ACTIVELY CAUSED HANNAH TO BE BARREN. THEREFORE SHE’S BUT GIVING YAHUSHA THE ESTEEM.
The next time Elkanah and his family went to offer their yearly sacrifice, he took along a gift that he had promised to give to Yahusha, but Hannah stayed home, because she had told Elkanah, “Samuel and I won’t go until he’s old enough for me to stop nursing him. Then I’ll give him to Yahuah and he can stay there at Shiloh for the rest of his life.” A CHILD IN THIS ERA WAS WEANED (FROM THE BREAST AND NO LONGER TREATED AS A BABY) AROUND 3-5 YEARS OLD.
“Whatever you feel is best Darling,” Elkanah said. “Stay here until he’s a little older and I’m sure Yahuah will help you do what you’ve promised.” So Hannah didn’t go to Shiloh again until she’d stopped nursing Samuel.
ELKANAH IS VALIDATING HANNAH’S VOW IN AGREEANCE, WHICH IS BOTH A DUTY AND THE CHOICE A HUSBAND HAS: NUM 30 "BUT IF HER HUSBAND MAKES HER WORDS NULL AND VOID ON THE DAY HE HEARS THEM, THEN WHATEVER SHE SAID, WHETHER VOWS OR BINDING OBLIGATION, WILL NOT STAND BECAUSE HER HUSBAND HAS VOIDED THEM; AND YAHUSHA WILL FORGIVE HER".
When it was the time of year to go to Shiloh again, Hannah and Elkanah took Samuel to the Tabernacle in Shiloh, as well as a three-year-old bull, a twenty-pound sack of flour, and a clay jar full of wine. Hannah and Elkanah offered the bull as a sacrifice, then brought the little boy to Eli the High Priest. WHAT A BITTERSWEET MOMENT THAT MUST HAVE BEEN FOR HANNAH AS SHE LED LITTLE SAMUEL BY THE HAND AND TURNED HIM OVER TO ELI.
“Master,” Hannah said, “A few years ago I stood here beside you and asked Yahuah to give me a child . . . and Here he is! Yahuah my Alahim gave me just what I asked for, so now I’m entrusting him to you and giving him back to Yahuah to be His servant for his whole life.”
So Elkanah bowed down before Yahusha at Shiloh, and Hannah rejoiced, saying, “I’m bursting with joy Yahuah, for you make me so strong and happy and my horn (STRENGTH, DIGNITY, AUTHORITY) rises up in You. I rejoice in Your deliverance (YAHUAH + DELIVERANCE = YAHUSHA) and laugh in the face of my enemies. Surely I’m walking on sunshine, lollypops and rainbows now, for there is no other Alahim like You my King. We are safer with you than on the highest rock. DID HANNAH SPEAK THE NAME OF YAHUSHA WITHOUT EVEN REALISING IT, 1200 YEARS BEFORE HIS ARRIVAL, THROUGH HIS INSPIRATION??
HANNAH EXPRESSES A CONCEPT OF YAHUSHA THAT WAS ONLY NOW JUST BEGINNING TO CATCH ON IN YISHARAL AND IT'S THE FACT THAT YAHUSHA ISN'T JUST YISHARAL’S ONLY ALAHIM ... HE'S THE ONLY ALAHIM IN EXISTENCE!! THIS WAS A STATEMENT OF MONOTHEISM. SHE SAYS THAT THERE'S NO ROCK THAT CAN COMPARE TO YAHUSHA. “ROCK” HAD BECOME A COMMON EXPRESSION FOR YAHUSHA IN YISHARALITE CULTURE AND WAS SLOWLY BECOMING A TERM THAT HAD PROPHETIC MESSIANIC SIGNIFICANCE, UNTIL WE FINALLY REACH THE `GOSPEL’ TEXTS WHERE “ROCK” SPECIFICALLY REFERRED TO THE MESSIAH (YAHUSHA)!
And Hannah rejoiced before Yahusha saying, "Go and tell all those proud boasting sons of bitches to `shut their pie-holes' for Yahuah knows everything that’s happening with me He and what’s go'in down all over Yisharal town ... for it's obvious He sees and judges everything we do and say, isn't it? O' Yahuah, you smash down the weapons of the warriors, giving strength to everyone who stumbles. The rich and the gluttons are out begging in the streets for scraps, while the poor and starving are fed in abundance, coming back for seconds and thirds. The barren woman finds herself with a houseful of children, while the mother of many grieves, losing them all. Master you brings death and you bring life, you take people to the grave and raise them up again. You bring poverty and you bring wealth, lowering some and lifting up others. O’ Yahuah you put poor people back on their feet again, picking them up from the street-gutters and garbage dumps. You rekindle and restore the hopeless, burned-out lives, filling and infusing them with fresh hope, giving them back their dignity and respect again, so that they can join You again in the sun, as royalty! Don’t you know that the whole formation and structure of the earth is Yahuah’s, for He’s laid out His plans and order on a firm foundation. He protects and cares for His trusted friends, but leaves the wicked and the evil stumbling around in the dark. Sheer brute force and muscle won’t help you in this life, for Yahuah blasts His enemies right out of the sky when He fights back and they will crash and burn big-time. Yahuah, I know that you will judge this whole earth and make things right again, giving power and strength to your chosen King who will rule this world and exalt the horn (STRENGTH, DIGNITY, AUTHORITY) of His anointed”.
Elkanah and Hannah then went back home to Ramah, but the child Samuel stayed to help Eli serve Yahuah. AFTER DROPPING OFF THE KINDERGARTEN-AGED SAMUEL AT SHILOH AND ENTRUSTING HIM INTO THE CARE OF THE HIGH PRIEST ELI, ELKANAH, HANNAH AND PENINNAH PACK UP AND RETURN TO THEIR HOME IN RAMAH AND SAMUEL BEGAN SERVING YAHUSHA AT THIS STARTLINGLY EARLY AGE, AS THIS WAS THE LIFESTYLE HIS MOTHER HAD DEDICATED HIM TO FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE.
THIS `SONG OF HANNAH’ (A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING WHICH HAS THE SAME SOARING TONE AS MANY OF DAVID’S PSALMS) IS ALMOST A PROPHETIC FRAMEWORK FOR ALL THAT IS GOING FOLLOW IN THE BOOKS OF THE KINGDOM (1 SAM, 2 SAM, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS) AND IN AN EVEN BROADER SENSE, ALL SET-APART SCRIPTURE THAT FOLLOWS IT.
HANNAH’S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH YAHUSHA IS THE FORCE BEHIND HER WORDS AND THOSE EXPERIENCES ARE EXPRESSED IN SUCH A WAY IN THIS PSALM THAT IT ACTUALLY RESULTS IN A BEAUTIFUL AND PROFOUND STATEMENT OF YAHUSHA’S UNRIVALED PERFECTION AND NATURE.
HANNAH IS LIKE JOB: SHE'S FOUND HERSELF RECEIVING GREAT AFFLICTION FROM YAHUSHA FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, HOWEVER SHE HAS ALSO FOUND HERSELF RECEIVING THE GREATEST MERCIES AND BLESSINGS FROM HIM, ALSO FOR REASONS UNKNOWN. AND ON ANOTHER LEVEL WHILE THIS PSALM IS BUT ONE INDIVIDUAL’S PASSIONATE AND MOVING WORDS, INSPIRED BY HER OWN DELIVERANCE EXPERIENCE, IT ALSO APPLIES TO ALL YISHARAL AS A NATION.
WHEN WE READ LUKE 1 WE SEE YAHUSHA'S MOTHER MIRIAM ALMOST SAYING WORD-FOR-WORD THE SAME THINGS AS HANNAH, SPEAKING OF THE COMING DELIVERER. HANNAH’S WORDS HAD MESSIANIC OVERTONES, BUT MIRIAM’S WAS DIRECTLY SPEAKING ABOUT THE MESSIAH'S BIRTH. HANNAH SAW THE REDEEMER AS YAHUAH THE CREATOR IN THE SHAMAYIM, BUT MIRIAM ACTUALLY SEES HER SON YAHUSHA AS YAHUAH THE CREATOR IN THE FLESH (INCARNATE).
Hannah’s song ends with the whole reason that Yahusha gave her Samuel: TO ANOINT THE NEW KING OF YISHARAL. And this King is to be unlike the Kings brought to power by men. This King shall be Yahusha’s King and so Yahusha will lend some of His power to His Anointed King. When we realise that THE HEBREW WORD FOR `ANOINTED' IS `MASHIACH' (which we translate as Messiah), then we see that FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE SCRIPTURE THE CONCEPT OF MESSIAH BEING CONNECTED WITH A KING IS PRESENTED. This makes Hannah’s experience and contribution to Yisharal's history of redemption even more amazing and central. What a blow-out !!
Can you see Yahusha moving and speaking through the experiences of His Bride today in the 21st Century, to prepare a people, perfect and ready for His coming reign, a Reign of Perfection and Purity, of Loving-Kindness and Eternal Peace? Again, this is why we are going through the maturing and transformation, to make us ready . . . BECAUSE WE AREN'T YET! But we better hurry, because the last trumpet is about to sound !!
MANY MISSED YAHUSHA'S FIRST ARRIVAL ... DO WE WANT TO MISS HIS TRIUMPHANT RETURN?
The Message has been sown, the fruit is growing, the Witnesses of Yahusha's Eternal Blood-Covenant of Deliverance are slowly beginning to shine (as the ark did), and even the Creation itself is proof of Yahusha's existence, as it groans along with the rest of us for deliverance and the transformation of rebirth.
2 PETER 3 BRS: "The Day of Yahusha will come sneaky like a thief comes in the night, suddenly. The sky will disappear with a great noise and all the elements will melt with intense heat as the earth and all the `grand achievements' within it are frackled up. So since everything's gunna be destroyed in this way, WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE SHOULD WE BE IN SET-APART AND OBEDIENT BEHAVIOUR? ... Waiting, watching, (even hurrying this global destruction by our swift progress) . . . Knowing that Yahusha's promised us a New Earth and New Sky, a whole brand-spank'in New Universe . . . . so yeah, we'll wait for that inheritance thanks very much . . . preparing ourselves so that we'll be in peace, spotless and blameless when He arrives . . . "