Tag Archives: 1 Samuel 2:1-10

1 Samuel 1:4-20 – A double portion of love offering

On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.”

As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.

They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”

———————————————————————————————————-

This is an optional Old Testament selection from the Episcopal Lectionary for the Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B 2018. In the numbering system that lists each Sunday in an ordinal fashion, this Sunday is referred to as Proper 28. If chosen, it will next be read aloud in an Episcopal church by a reader on Sunday November 18, 2018. It is important because the story of Samuel’s birth to a barren mother, as the answer to prayers to God, shows that Salvation is possible to all who swear devotion to God.

When we read, “On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion,” the “portions” given are animals sacrificed. The sacrifices were made yearly in Shiloh, where a Levite priest would perform the ritual of sin offerings. This implies that all had sinned, but because Hannah was barren, her sins were worth double portions being sacrificed. Elkanah was willing to offer those extra animals “because he loved [Hannah].”

When we read, “she used to provoke her,” this was Peninnah pointing out to Hannah that her sins, which caused her barrenness, were why their husband Elkanah had to sacrifice more than customary. Peninnah had given birth to multiple “sons and daughters,” which she would point out to Hannah as proof that she was viewed by God as the better wife. These bitter words “provoked [Hannah] severely.” Thus, as time went on, Elkanah came to find Hannah weeping, not eating, and with a heart full of sorrow.

When we read, “After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh,” several deductions can be made here, with some important information missing from verses one through three being omitted from this reading.

One is the family traveled to Shiloh yearly. The Passover was not commanded to be observed at any specific location, but the eating and drinking could be an indication of that timing of travel. Even though 2 Kings 23:22 states, “Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed,” that truth leaves open the possibility of Levites honoring it yearly, while reminding the local Israelites to do so, family-by-family. It was not a pilgrimage event to a Temple of brick and mortar, but a private observance in each home. Still, Levite priests might have originated that concept informally.

Second, verse nineteen says “to their house at Ramah,” but verse one states this clearly as being Ramathaim Zophim. This is a distance of roughly twelve miles west of Shiloh, or about a day’s journey [with lambs]. Both places were in the area set aside for the tribe of Ephraim.

Third, it can seem as if Elkanah did the sacrificing. He was a prominent Levite of Ephraim, thus a priest who was capable of offering sacrifices; but verse three says that the sons of Eli – Hophni and Phinehas – made the offerings to God that Elkanah brought. Eli and his sons were priests of the tabernacle in Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, and all were Aaronites [Levites directly descended from Aaron]. Eli was both the judge of Israel [following Samson] and the high priest of the tabernacle.

Eli’s sons would later be exposed as bad priests, who kept the best portions for themselves, meaning what Elkanah’s family ate and drank quite possibly was part of the of their sacrificed lambs. This would have been eaten with wine, which might not have been the ceremonial Seder cups later established, but the act of getting drunk on wine into the evening could be what led Eli to think Hannah was drunk.

Seeing the depth of reality that this reading places one amidst, we then read that after eating and drinking, “Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord.” She went to the tabernacle to pray to the Lord, because “she was deeply distressed.” Eli was sitting outside the entrance to the tabernacle, in a seat next to a support pole for the tent of meeting. In the dark, Hannah must not have seen Eli, but Eli saw her come up, as she would have been lit into visibility by the fire still glowing from the altar of burnt offerings.

We are told the prayer of Hannah, which was silently communicated as she “wept bitterly.” In the vow Hannah made to God, she asked God to “remember me, and not forget your servant.” In the Epistle reading from Hebrews 10, Paul quoted Jeremiah 31:34, such that Yahweh said the time would come when “I will remember their sins no more.” That echoes back to the times of Hannah and Eli, when God remembered the sins of His people, expecting them to remember the connection a judge had with the Lord.  The high priest made sin offerings to God, in remembrance of past sins.  This method of atonement pleased God, so His judges were anointed to lead the people.

Seeing this expectation each Israelite shared, Hannah knew she had lived a life of devotion – to her husband, to her family [which included her husband’s other wife and children], and to her God. She should then be seen in the light of Job, who also was without sin and punished unjustly. Just as Job cried as he tried to get God to rescue him from a punishment he did not deserve, Hannah cried [silently], “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death.”

A “nazarite” is defined as, “An Israelite consecrated to the service of God, under vows to abstain from alcohol, let the hair grow, and avoid defilement by contact with corpses (Num. 6).” This was Hannah then saying her greatest sorrow was not from the hurtful things people thought, which her sister wife Peninnah said openly, but that she had failed God as a Levite wife. It was the duty of a Levite’s wife to give birth to a firstborn son, who would be dedicated to a lifetime of service in the temple – a nazarite. Because Peninnah was not Elkanah’s first wife, her firstborn son was probably exempt from that rule. Therefore, Hannah could not reward the love Elkanah showered upon his first wife by honoring his love with the redemption of the firstborn son [Pidyon haben], as commanded by God [Exodus 13:2].

Seeing Hannah’s lips moving as she wept bitterly, Eli’s first thought was she had drunk too much wine. When Eli said to Hannah, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine,” he was quite possibly making reference to ritual red wine being consumed as symbolic of sacrificial blood. Remembering God passing over the Israelites because the blood of firstborn male lambs was painted one the thresholds of their homes, would then have been done with wine. Consumed, it would mark them within as those who served the Lord as His priests. That event of memory would then explain why she cried to God, “remember me, and not forget your servant.”

We then read Hannah’s response to Eli presuming her to be drunk on wine, saying: “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.” She did not pour out red wine that would artificially intoxicate her and separate her from her grief. Instead, she poured out her soul. Her soul was the blood of the innocent that was painted over her flesh for the Angel of Death to see.

When Hannah then said to Eli, “Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time,” Eli immediately knew in his heart that the Angel of Death, sent by God to judge the worthless and spare the innocent, had spared Hannah. Hannah had been passed over.  Because Eli was a judge and high priest of Israel, he was able to discern God’s Will. It was then from that holy connection that Eli did not speak for himself, but for God, when he said to Hannah, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.”

For as holy a man as Eli was, his brain made errors of deduction. His faulty abilities to think what was going on, proved he was in no way capable to know what Hannah meant when she said to him [a stranger, basically], “I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Eli did not have permission to speak blessings for God, as if he felt being judge and high priest made him a powerful dude. Eli was, however, sacrificed of self so the Lord had total permission to use Eli’s voice to speak His Will through him.  Whereas a high priest had specific rules and regulations to follow, in order to maintain the dignity of the tabernacle, a judge had the freedom to speak without dogmatic procedure being a hindrance.

We do not read that Hanna jumped with joy after she heard Eli’s promise that God had granted her prayer and vow. We read she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” She was not a servant of Eli, which means she was responding to God, recognizing it was His voice that came from His servant Eli – a nameless figure in robes, sitting on a holy throne of the temple. Eli served the Lord as a judge.  Hannah then thanked God by asking Him to show her thanks for Eli, for the role he played as medium to her petition.

The joy that Hannah felt was then stated as, “Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.” Hannah was a changed person after having been assured her prayer would be answered. She was not praying for a baby, but a son who would be given to God out of devotion. She knew she could live a loved life without children of her own to raise. However, her heart was raised by knowing she could fulfill her role in maintaining the lineage of God’s servants in His tabernacle.

The real happy ending to this story is then stated as: “They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.” That happiness came from the rise of a new day, when the glory of the Lord shone brightly on Shiloh AND “they worshipped before the Lord.”

The naming of the baby Samuel says, “Heard Of God.”  He was the fulfillment of a prayer that was heard by God.  The name Elkanah was then lived up to: “God Has Redeemed” through a firstborn son kohen (priest).  The redemption of Pidyon haben had occurred.  The truth spoke by God through Eli was the fulfillment of his name: “God Is Me.”  Eli did not grant a prayer would be answered; it was God.  Hannah had been blessed as she prayed to be, living up to her name: “Gratuitous Gift.”  Her gift of a nazarite was God’s gift to her, as both gifts were of “Graciousness.”  Yahweh remembers His people for their service, more than for their sins.

As a final note, the Passover is always recognized on the 15th of Nisan, which is the first full moon of spring, with spring being when the Sun reaches the Vernal Equinox [a Northern Hemisphere event of rebirth]. Supposing Elkanan and Hannah went home to Ramathaim Zophim and “knew” each other on 17 Nisan, then the birth of Samuel would have been around 17 Tevet (nine months later, in the tenth month of the Hebrew calendar). That would have been around January 9th (Julian calendar), or the dead of winter. That would be symbolic of Samuel being a seed planted in Israel, to sprout, grow, and become a mighty oak tree in Israel’s history, when the judges would be replaced by kings.

As an Old Testament reading selection for the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for the LORD should be underway – one should have made a vow to God of self-sacrifice and service if God will allow one to give birth to Jesus Christ, the high priest “Heard Of God” – the message here is to feel the distress and “great anxiety and vexation” for not having yet delivered one’s soul into God’s hands. One needs to pour out one’s soul before the Lord.

The aspect of Elkanah giving twice as many animals to sacrifice for the sins of his wife Hannah has to be seen as him doing his priestly duty to bring a woman he loved dearly into favor with God. While it is not stated as why God answered Hannah’s prayer that specific time, knowing that verse three said this was a yearly time of sacrifice, Elkanah had sacrificed double portions each year. This has to be seen as the value of prayer for loved ones. All we can do is love one another and pray for the best for those we love, leaving everything in God’s hands and trusting He knows best.

The aspect of Eli sitting on a seat of honor outside the doorway to the tent of meeting makes him seem to be guarding the doorway, as only approved priests were allowed inside. That exclusion of common Israelites from the holy place, while positioned to watch anyone who entered the outer walls of canvas, into the outer courtyard, projects Eli as the Christian Church of today. He reflects all priests (ministers, pastors, or preachers), including bishops and others of hierarchical ranking, as he was the high priest of Israel.

The Church welcomes visitors (as Hannah was to Eli), but there is a line drawn that separates how far a priest can venture beyond the rules and bylaws of the Church, and how close the laity can get to a priest. Eli was an Aaronite, which means he was directly descended from Aaron and dedicated as a priest (even high priest) by birth. Such family connection to the institution of the tabernacle (the same with the Church) makes a high priest seem to be too high to associate with the commoners. As such, neither the tabernacle nor the Church [both holy buildings that attract God’s children to Him] can offer those institutions as substitutes to God. They are not allowed to be anything more than a place to offer sacrifices and prayers to the Lord.  A building cannot replace each heart’s need to connect to God directly.

It should be understood that the Israelites officially offered prayers three times a day: Morning; Afternoon; and Evening. Because Hannah showed up later than the evening prayer time, Eli thought a strange woman was not following normal visiting hours. Again, if drinking wine was a ritual practice during the ritual recognition of the Passover, as I have already stated, then Eli was led to think that a devoted Israelite had consumed her limit of wine, so he advised her: “Put away your wine.”  Wine acted as a false link to spirituality, which would have been the motivation Eli saw in a strange woman coming at a strange time to pray at the alter of burnt offerings.

That is how a Church that is not linked directly to God, through the Holy Spirit, makes poor decisions. It cannot know every woman’s heart that comes in crying and moving her lips. Instead, an institution becomes protective of its procedures, rules, and behaviors … because the public does not fully understand all that its own has to learn  and comply thereof.

Without the ability to cross the line that trusts only God and sees common humanity in more of a negative light (for self-preservation reasons), Eli was probably worried that a drunk woman might do some damage to herself or the altar of burnt offerings. That failure of a Church to hold every one of its members equally, as all being priests with full access to an order of brothers and sisters, will always (invariably) reject well-meaning people.  Some of the people are written off as the casualties of doing business for God.

That was the high priest Eli. However, Eli was also a judge. He had replaced Samson. The role of a judge of Israel was different than a high priest. It was not a position determined by birth or heredity. A judge was one within Israel who was anointed by God.

Samson, for example, was from the Tribe of Dan, close to where Israel bordered Philistia. Samson was also a nazirite, such that when Hannah promised God, “He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head,” Samson’s downfall was due to losing his strength from Delilah cutting his hair. Still, a judge was told by an angel of the Lord, “You’re it!” and they all had an ability to speak to God and know they were heard.

When the judge Eli spoke to Hannah it was not the same as the high priest Eli. He spoke to her as God having heard her vow, he was Eli the judge. Eli the high priest could only see her lips moving.

This has to be seen in terms of Elkanah double portion sacrificed. The reward sent by God was a double portion of Eli. If there had only been one portion set aside for Hannah’s need for fulfillment, Eli would have run her off as just another drunk woman that wandered into the tabernacle’s outer courtyard.  A single portion Eli would sacrifice one lamb to God and give an edible portion to Elkanah.  No more would be expected in return.  A double portion of Eli would be to call upon him as the judge.  The double portion was returned by the voice of the Lord being heard.

This reading should be seen by the reader as a test of one’s character. One does not get to choose only one of the characters that is closest to how one ordinarily acts or wants to be though of by others. Instead, one should see how all of the characters fit oneself. Do we set aside double portions of sacrifices for the special people in our lives? Do we cause anger in those who are less fortunate than us? Do we have anguish because we fail to serve God as much as we wish, feeling we are not giving as much as we should? Do we see strangers and think they are having a breakdown, when they are merely praying to God for help?

The most important characteristic we all should pray for is to speak the truth of the Lord as a judge. When that happens, we get a double portion of a priest and a judge. Jesus is the high priest that guards the tabernacle in our hearts. Jesus Christ is the voice of God that speaks through our lips.  Jesus Christ is the firstborn son we want born into us, so we can dedicate ourselves into God’s service forevermore.

That is when the Church and the people become equal and love flows eternal.

#1Samuel1420 #2Kings2322 #Exodus132 #Jeremiah3134

1 Samuel 2:1-10 – Hannah’s Psalm of thanksgiving

[1] Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in Yahweh;

my strength horn is exalted in Yahweh.

My mouth derides my enemies,

because I rejoice in my victory.

[2] “There is no holy one like Yahweh,

no one besides you;

there is no rock like kelohenu.

[3] Talk no more so very proudly,

let not arrogance come from your mouth;

for Yahweh is el of knowledge,

[Yahweh] by him actions are weighed.

[4] The bows of the mighty are broken,

but the feeble gird on strength.

[5] Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,

but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.

The barren has borne seven,

but she who has many children is forlorn.

[6] Yahweh kills and brings to life;

he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

[7] Yahweh makes poor and makes rich;

he brings low, he also exalts.

[8] He raises up the poor from the dust;

he lifts the needy from the ash heap,

to make them sit with princes

and inherit a seat of honor.

For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh‘s,

and on them he has set the world.

[9] “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,

but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;

for not by might does one prevail.

[10] Yahweh! His adversaries shall be shattered;

the most high will thunder in heaven.

Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth;

he will give strength to his king,

and exalt the power of his anointed.” [פ]

——————–

This is the accompany reading that falls in the category of a “Psalm” because it is a song of Hannah. It therefore will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 28], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow the story of Hannah in First Samuel, which says, “Her rival [‘sister wife’ Peninnah] used to provoke [Hannah] severely, to irritate her, because Yahweh had closed [Hannah’s] womb.” This set will be read loudly in churches following the Track 1 path and precede the Epistle reading from Hebrews, where Paul wrote, “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together.” All will accompany the Gospel selection from Mark, where it is written: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”

The above translation, which the Episcopal Church says comes from the NRSV, is presented without verse numbers supplied [for whatever reason, since the NRSV supplies verse numbers]. I have placed the appropriate verse numbers in bold type, within brackets. In addition, there are nine times the proper name “Yahweh” was translated by the NRSV as “the Lord.” That is not the meaning; so, I have restored “Yahweh” in bold type. In verse three, Hannah wrote “Yahweh” twice, but the second time is changed by the NRSV to say “and by him.” This is a lie. So, I have restored the name “Yahweh” in bold type, within brackets. Next, a Hebrew word is translated as “strength,” when the word written means “horn.” I have stricken out the bad translation and replaced it with “horn.” Finally, in verses two and three are uses of “kelohenu” and “el,” both of which were translated by the NRSV as a capitalized form of “God.” That too is wrong; so, I have restored the Hebrew text as written. All will be explained in the verse-by-verse breakdown I will now add.

In verse one, I have stricken out the translation that says “strength.” I have done this because the Hebrew word written is “qeren,” transliterated in the text as “qar·nî,” with the meaning being “my horn.” While the use is acceptable as a figurative word denoting “strength,” such as a ram’s horn reflects that, one cannot think Hannah all of a sudden got big muscles because Yahweh answered her prayer and allowed her to get pregnant and deliver a son named Samuel. Thus, the word is used to denote a “horn” that is used as “an oil flask.” This means Hannah praises the fact that her soul had been anointed by Yahweh, so she became “raised up, on high, or exalted” because “Yahweh” became the possessor [“my”] of her soul, through an outpouring of His Spirit. The “strength” she needed to become pregnant was from “Yahweh.”

In the same first verse, the use of “leb,” transliterated as “lib-bi” (adding the possessive as “my” to “heart”), states the reality that this word reflects on the “inner being, mind, and will.” The “inner being” is the soul. This means Hannah pronounced: “my being rejoices Yahweh.”
[Nothing is written that adds a preposition to “Yahweh,” such as “in”]. This says the presence of Yahweh with Hannah’s soul immediately became an elevation of spirit that led to singing songs of praise and thanksgiving. This explains why this song is written. The words flow forth from the “horn” of Yahweh then within her being.

When this view of “horn” is realized, then the continuation of verse one says the rejoicing of words that flow from Yahweh through Hannah come out her “mouth.” Without expressing words, Hannah’s “mouth” made a “smile.” This smile becomes an expression of happiness that cannot be removed, even when in the presence of “enemies.” It is a constant elation that is caused by the outpouring of Spirit from Yahweh, which made Hannah smile with rejoicing because she had her prayer answered by Yahweh.

The conclusion to verse one is poorly stated as “because I rejoice in my victory.” While Hannah was happy being a mother, the Hebrew states, “because I rejoice in your salvation,” where the “your” is a designation of Yahweh. The root Hebrew word for “salvation” is “yeshuah,” which should be seen as the root of Jesus’ name, with the name “Jesus” meaning “Yah[weh] Saves.” Rather than read this as Hannah flaunting her “victory” in the face of others, as “my salvation,” nah nah nah nah nah; it should be sung as her not only having conceived a male son (Samuel), but her soul had been promised salvation by the possession of Yahweh’s Son merged with her soul. This proclaims she was reborn herself, as Jesus within her soul.

Verse two is then misleading to show Hannah singing, “There is no holy one like Yahweh.” While that is a truth that can certainly be assumed, it is not what is written. The literal translation of the Hebrew says, “nothing is sacred Yahweh.” There is no comparison to be made [such as “like”]. The clear statement is “nothing is sacred” or “nothing is holy.” The name “Yahweh” is then a statement by itself of holiness. Thus, the intent and meaning is Hannah avowing that “no one is sacred” unless his or her souls have married “Yahweh.” Only by divine marriage of a soul to Yahweh’s Spirit can the holiness of Yahweh be expressed in the material realm. It says all flesh is “nothing;” and, without Yahweh married to a soul (a natural state of being from birth), this says “no one is holy.” Only a divinely led soul can emanate holiness through dead matter; and, such a soul must have come into union with Yahweh.

That is the meaning of the following words that sing, “none besides you,” which must be known that the word translated as “besides” also means “except.” Anyone who is without Yahweh is unholy and not sacred (a natural state of being from birth). This means people can dress up like priests all they want; but if their souls are not married to Yahweh, then they are “except” or “not” holy or sacred. Thus, verse two then concludes by singing that a truly sacred one becomes “a rock” of stability and certainty, when that soul has been transformed into one of Yahweh’s elohim – His angels in the flesh, or His “gods” given His powers on earth.

When verse three is shown to translate as saying, “Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth,” this hints at what Hannah actually said. The literal translation repeats the word “gə·ḇō·hāh” [root “gaboah”], which translates as “high, exalted.” This repetition is omitted by translating it as “very proudly.” The words written literally sing, “not many speak high exalted , let come no arrogance from your mouth ; for el of knowledge Yahweh , no not are measured deeds .” This says first that the vast majority of Israelites were designated as high priests, who could speak the word of Yahweh truly. Next, it says no true high priest – a Saint – will ever speak as if their egos proudly say, “I speak for God, when I say!” That arrogance is a sign of a liar. No true Saint speaks as if he or she is Yahweh, as they are all mere servants who have no “I” to be arrogant about.

This is where the use of “el” must be read in the lower case, as a “god,” not as Yahweh. If Hannah was referring to Yahweh, she would have written that proper name. The “god of knowledge” is a Saint who is one of Yahweh’s elohim, who speaks the truth that flows through his or her mouth, as a servant to Yahweh. This makes them appear to be “gods,” but they are not; and, they will not make that claim. This is why Hannah wrote a double negative – the first in brackets and the second in parentheses – saying “no not” as to this assumption that an “el” is “God.” The only measure of Yahweh is found in humans whose souls have married Yahweh, so His Spirit has them perform “deeds” that are impossible without Yahweh in their beings.

Verse four then fairly accurately sings, “The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength,” as this relates to the “no not” statement prior. It says those who pretend to be the “archers” of Yahweh, as His priests in tabernacles, they will not know the truth of Scripture. They will bend the truth to suit their feeble knowledge of divine Word, which is the only height possible to achieve, by the most advanced human brains. Those “bows” bend to the point of breaking, which is proved by their history of having said something means one thing, which then comes back as an arrow landing up their butts, proving to mean something completely different. The second half of this verse sings happily that all Scripture puts a “gird on strength,” by purposefully being written by souls married to Yahweh, so only other souls married to Yahweh will know the meaning, as “an el of knowledge.”

Verse five is misleading when shown to sing, “Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.” The literal translation sings, “satiated with bread have hired themselves out , and the hungry have ceased ; even the barren has brought forth seven , and she who has many children has become weak .” Because the story of Hannah portrays her sister wife, Peninnah, as a woman who had seven children with Elkanah, the meaning of seven goes beyond that microcosmic analysis. This verse is singing about the failure of all within the Tribes of Israel who pretend to be priests of Yahweh, when their souls refuse to marry and submit themselves to His Will.

The “full of bread” must be seen as brains that have been filled with the bread from heaven, which is the teachings of Moses. They have filled their brains with memorizations of words, while being spiritually barren of the meaning that comes from those words. Those Big Brains then make a profit from their intellectualism. Because they then teach emptiness to the children of Israel, they are no longer “hungry.” They lack hunger because of that weak sense of understanding that is taught.

Because Yahweh’s Creation was finished on the sixth day, He rested on the seventh day. This means the number seven symbolically states a time of rest has come to the Israelites, due to the weakness of the elders, unable to properly teach their children. This makes the feminine gender in “wə·rab·baṯ” – “she who has many” – reflects the wives of Yahweh [ALL souls in bodies of flesh claiming to be His children]. Those children she has given birth to in the Promised Land have become “weak” and “feeble,” completely due to them not having married their souls to Yahweh. This makes the modern lingo applied to “they who were full have hired themselves out for bread” be a perfect prophecy of the “selling of religion,” which is prevalent today; with today’s children likewise “feeble” in their faith.

Verse six is then shown to sing, “Yahweh kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.” This needs to be seen not as Yahweh “killing,” so He can raise the dead, because all human flesh is death to begin with. Yahweh breathes in spirit [“rauch”] that animates that dead flesh, bringing life to dead matter. This that Hannah sings needs to be seen as Yahweh offering souls the choice to die of self-will and self-ego, in order to be married to His Spirit [become His wife]. Such self-sacrifice then assures a soul of eternal life, beyond the term limits of a body of flesh. All flesh is death in waiting, with death a certainty that comes when the eternal soul will be released. That release is for judgment, which is what happens in “Sheol.”

It is most important to realize that an eternal soul has three options after it has been released from a body of flesh that has died and is no longer able to sustain a place for a soul to reside. All options are based on Yahweh’s judgment. The first option is reincarnation, which is a soul being recycled into a new body of flesh. This says the soul did not marry Yahweh, therefore it had too many sins to allow it to become one with Yahweh for eternity. Reincarnation implies some sense of good works done will allow the soul a ‘second chance.’ The second option is banishment into the outer darkness and into the eternal fire of punishment. This implies the soul sold itself to Satan, doing sins that harmed other souls. This becomes an eternity of unavoidable torment. The third option is then salvation, when the soul had married Yahweh prior to death AND had served Yahweh as a Saint, leading other souls to find marriage to Yahweh as their path to eternal life. That option is the reward of one’s death of self, in submission to Yahweh. In that process, the death and resurrection is mirrored in one’s transformed life in the same flesh. Hannah was one so transformed, as before she had been barren, but then she was a mother whose soul knew Yahweh.

Verse seven is then shown to sing, “Yahweh makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts.” This is a reflection of the death and rebirth that was stated in verse six. Yahweh lets one know how spiritually “poor” one’s soul is, with reincarnation being the best it can look forward to, without a spiritual transformation. A soul becomes “rich” by marriage to Yahweh and the added value His Spirit brings to a soul. One must reach the depths of human existence, which is where Hannah was when she prayed to Yahweh to listen to her plea and bargain to offer her son up as a priest of Yahweh. This song of thanksgiving says Hannah was “exalted” with her rejoicing, from having come to know Yahweh as His wife.

Verse eight is then shown to sing at first, “He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.” Here, the first segment says a soul is breathed into “dust,” which gives life to dead matter and allows it “to stand up.” The “poor” is a body of flesh with only a soul. The “ash” is then a symbolic statement about transformation, where the body of flesh has died of self [been burned to ash], so it has sought salvation through “need.” In the days when judges maintained the direction of Israel, to be “set among princes” means for Saints to be seen as the voice of Yahweh to lead the people. This makes a Saint be one “inclined” as the hand of Yahweh on the earth, such that such prophets would be recognized as being themselves the “seat of honor,” with Yahweh reigning within them as their King.

This then led Hannah to write, “For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s, and on them he has set the world.” This says those who serve Yahweh are his “pillars,” which means they are freestanding supports that connect heaven to the earth. In the story of Boaz and Ruth, the name “Boaz” means “Strength,” such that one of the two “pillars” outside the Temple of Jerusalem was named “Boaz.” Neither of those two pillars supported any physical structure above; but the pillar to the left was named “Boaz.” This is how the words of Hannah should be read. A Saint or Prophet is that support on earth that upholds the Word of Yahweh for all to see. Each should aspire to become one of Yahweh’s “pillars.”

Verse nine is then shown to sing, “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail.” In this is found a similarity to verse three’s presentation of “no not,” with the use of brackets and parentheses. Here, that translated as “faithful ones” is written “[ḥă·sî·ḏōw] (ḥă·sî·ḏāw),” with the repetition being of Yahweh’s “saints,” of his “pious, or kind” ones. The brackets and parentheses are marking unseen proof to these states of being. This becomes how a “Saint” cannot be determined by looks or appearances. Everything is unseen, as the brackets and parentheses indicate as asides or unspoken words.

These become “the feet” of Yahweh, as His pillars set upon the ground. They are placed on the earth as His guards of His Will. They do not need to be “guarded,” but the “wicked” do. The pillars of Yahweh on earth are sent to guard the children of Yahweh from being tricked by Satan to do evil deeds. Those are the deeds that come from “darkness,” which leads souls to eternal banishment from Yahweh. This leads to the final segment of this verse, which literally sings, “for no strength shall prevail man.” This says no “man” is capable alone to resist the influenced of Satan, thus not be tricked into wicked ways. Only when one’s soul has married Yahweh, so oneself has the strength of being a pillar of Yahweh on earth, can one resist the temptation of Satan and make his whispers become silent.

Verse ten is then shown to sing, “Yahweh! His adversaries shall be shattered; the most high will thunder in heaven. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed.” In this verse are more words presented in repetition, again placed within brackets and parentheses. The words repeated are “[mə·rî·ḇōw] (mə·rî·ḇāw)” and “[‘ā·lōw] (‘ā·lāw),” which draw from “rib” and “al” respectively. Those two words mean: “to strive, contend” and “upon, over, above.” This reflects a silent statement, which has been shown to be “His adversaries shall be shattered:’ but a better way of understanding this is as “those who shall contend against that from above.” These silent words follow the beginning words that loudly sing, “Yahweh shall descend.” The result will be the sound of thunder.

This verse of Hannah should be seen as similar to the words of John, who spoke of the voice of Yahweh that were heard by some, but not all. Those who could not hear the voice of Yahweh clearly said they heard thunder in the distance. That says they were not souls married to Yahweh, based on what Hannah wrote here. The meaning should be seen as a statement that when Yahweh descends to the worldly plane, His servants will clearly hear His voice of direction. Those directions will be to avoid or overcome those who contend against the truth of Yahweh, disbelieving in His presence over the people. This ability to hear and respond to that heard will then be how souls will be judged.

When Hannah wrote, “he will give strength to his king,” it should be remembered that Israel was not led by royalty at that time. We need to recall the name Elimelech means “An elohim whose King is Yahweh” [“God Is My King”]. This makes Hannah be saying the “king” of all who submit in marriage to Yahweh are those soul in submission to Yahweh as King. This is why Yahweh would tell Samuel, when he said the elders want a king to be like other nations, “I am their King.” One is not Israel [one “Who Retains Yahweh as one of His elohim”] if Yahweh is not one’s King. The strength of Yahweh is how one resists all temptations to sin and thus gains eternal life through salvation.

When Hannah’s song ends with the segment of words that have been translated as singing, “exalt the power of his anointed,” this is why I have stricken out “strength” in verse one and replaced it with “horn.” In these words is repeated the word “horn” – as “and exalt the horn of his anointed.” Again, the Hebrew word “qeren” is repeated and again it means a horn that is “used as an oil flask.” Here, it is most important to realized that one “anointed” by the “horn” of Yahweh becomes like David, and like all Saints who are souls married to Yahweh. It means His Spirit has been poured out upon those souls forever, which makes them be “Messiahs” or “Christs.” This song is a statement that Hannah was likewise a Christ of Yahweh, as Yahweh is the one who determines who His wives will be. Yahweh is able to Anoint the whole world, if the whole world were to submit to His Will.

As the accompanying song of praise to the First Samuel story of Hannah giving birth to Samuel, after having been barren, will be sung on the twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost. That is when one’s own personal ministry for Yahweh should already be well underway and easily understood as one’s own song of praise to Yahweh. The lesson that must be clear here is to be one of Yahweh’s Anointed, as a Christ, who is Jesus reborn. The warning is the world is led by those full of intelligence, which goes in one ear and out the other of the children listening to adult praise themselves and not Yahweh. This lack demands those like Hannah step forward and pray to things to change. The world is barren of spiritual food; and, it can only be revitalized by the presence of Yahweh in His wives on earth.