1 Samuel Chapters 1 - 3

The group decided to start at Chapter 1 of 1 Samuel, instead of Chapter 16 with the birth of David.  Chapter 1 starts with The parents of Samuel, and Hannah's prayer.  Elkannah Samuel's father had two wives Peninnah and Hannah.  Peninnah bore children, but Hannah was barren.  Elkannah would give Hannah a double portion as a sign of his love for her.  Peninnah would taunt Hannah, because she had no children.  Even though Elkannah loved Hannah very much, the fact that she had not borne him any children caused her much pain. 

Hannah went to the Tabernacle located in the city of Shiloh, to ask the Lord to open her womb.  It was during her prayer in the Tabernacle that Eli the High Priest, came to her and asked if she was ok?  Eli took her to be drunk, because she was deep in prayer and praying in silence, but moving her lips.  Hannah told Eli, she was not drunk but deep in prayer.  Hannah was asking the Lord to bless her with a son and if He did so, she would give her child back to the Lord to work in the Tabernacle.  The Lord heard Hannah's prayer and gave her a son; after he was weaned (about 3 years of age), Hannah brought Samuel to the Tabernacle and put him in Eli's charge.

Eli was the High Priest and he had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who helped him in his duties in the Tabernacle.  These sons were worthless men.  They did not know the Lord.  And did not fear God, while a man was offering his sacrifice, they would come with a three pronged fork while the meat was boiling , and thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot.  All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself.  This account is in 1 Samuel 2: 12 - 16, it has been over 2,000 years since any type of sacrifice of this type has been done.  For this reason, if you just read the account in 1 Samuel 2; you won't get the whole understanding of this passage.  The book of Leviticus Chapter 1, gives the direction of how the High Priest is to attend to his duty.  The part the High Priest was to take from the Burnt Offering prepared on the Altar, not the sacrifice being prepared in liquid in the pots listed above.  The sacrifice prepared in liquid is for the Lord only, and is not to be shared by the Priests.  These men were stealing not only from the worshippers, but also God.   This is a very serious offense to cheat God.  Since we are all fallen, we commit this type of sin without even thinking about it.  God demands perfection, we are not perfect, this is why we need a Savior!  We need Jesus Christ.  The end of Chapter 2 of 1 Samuel lists more proof of how worthless these two men were.  Eli, their father is also going to receive God's wrath, for not bringing up his son's better, or not disciplining them as adults when they were out of line.  Being a parent does not stop when a child becomes one and twenty.