Rev. Don Campbell

1 Samuel 1:3

THOUGHT FOR TODAY, April 8, 2019

“BULLYING IS JUVENILE, BUT IT’S NOT A KIDS’ GAME”

Hardly a day goes by that some news outlet is not reporting about some young person being bullied. Bullying is juvenile, but it is often committed by adults. Nor is it a 21st-century problem. In today’s reading, we find one woman—and probably her friends—bullying another woman. Hannah was the favorite—and perhaps the first—wife of Elkanah, but she was childless (1:5). Her rival had sons and daughters, but we are not told how many. “And her rival used to provoke her grievously 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” (Samuel 1:6-7).

Elkanah seems to have done little if anything to control the situation. He did try to comfort her: “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” (1:8). As Job would say, “What a miserable comforter you are.” The hole in her heart was not because she did not have a loving husband, but because she did not enjoy the blessing of motherhood, something so dear to those who believe “children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3).

Each year when Elkanah and his entire family went to Shiloh to worship Hannah would weep bitterly and pray to the Lord: “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head” (1:11). The priest, Eli, saw her lips moving but heard nothing, so he accused her of being drunk (1:13). After she explained to Eli, he told her to go in peace and God would grant her petition. She did not go back again to Shiloh until Samuel was weaned, which, according to rabbinical tradition could be anywhere between 18 months and 5 years. His first trip to Shiloh would be his last, for Hannah kept her word and dedicated him to the Lord. He would grow up in the house of the Lord under the supervision of Eli.

Upon his dedication, Hannah prayed, but this time she prayed for all to hear. In addition to praising God, she seems to have her antagonist in mind when she said, “Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed” (2:3).

The word “pride” is found 65 times in the KJV, but never in the good sense in which it is often used today. Guy Winch, Ph.D. sums up the difference between good pride and bad pride as used today: “Psychologists distinguish between two kinds of pride. Authentic pride arises when we feel good about ourselves, confident, and productive, and is related to socially-desirable personality traits such as being agreeable, conscientious, and emotionally stable. Hubristic pride tends to involve egotism and arrogance, and is related to socially undesirable traits such as being disagreeable, aggressive, having low or brittle self-esteem—and being prone to shame” (Psychology Today, July 29, 2014).

God speaks through Jeremiah: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

CONNECTIONS

1. Can we really claim to know God if we do not practice, love, justice, and righteousness?

2. In the Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, the senior tempter advises his understudy: “Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is specially true of humility. Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, “By jove! I’m being humble”, and almost immediately pride—pride at his own humility—will appear.” Do you know anyone who is proud of their humility?