Exception to the Rule
“There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2 NASB
Besides – Our Western world is light years away from the world of Israel in the 10th century BCE. As a result of two millennia of Christian influence, we rarely consider the influence of polytheism. But journey to India or Africa, to China or Southeast Asia and you might get a glimpse of Hannah’s world. To proclaim that YHVH is the only God in a world filled with competing deities is a bold statement. And it’s not a theological one. Hannah does not provide us with the first article of a creed. She gives us something far more human—her personal experience of God’s grace.
The Bible is a story. Like all good stories, it involves the personal struggles, defeats and triumphs of real people. It’s not a nursery rhyme, a fable or a theological dictionary. It is simply the record of men and women who encountered God. That means it is filled with emotion. It is filled with pain. It is filled with hope, and sorrow, and joy, and tenacity. And God. Over and over we find men and women who experienced God. Sometimes this experience radically altered the course of their lives. Sometimes it threatened everything they held dear. Sometimes it ushered them into new freedom. Sometimes it brought unimaginable punishment. But no one in the Bible walked away untouched. To encounter YHVH is to confront the only God of creation. Life and death hang in the balance.
Imagine your world today from Hannah’s point of view. Would she see the many gods vying for our attention as easily as she saw the idols of the cultures surrounding Israel? Would she look at your behavior and recognize pagan rituals, perhaps ones that you didn’t even notice? If Hannah examined your life, would she find joy as a result of your encounter with the one true God? Or would she see the scars of battle, the wounds of chastisement, the marks of resistance? Would she find a man or woman thrilled with the experience of God’s goodness? Or would she discover that double-minded tension concurrent with divided loyalties? When Hannah declared YHVH to be her Rock, would she hear you say, “Amen”? Or would she notice that you hesitated a moment before affirming your allegiance because you knew that you relied on other protections?
Hannah was a woman who put everything before the Lord. She came to the end and stepped off the cliff, falling into His grace or being dashed on the rocks below. That kind of risk, that ruthless trust, that absolute abandonment, allowed her to exult in the Lord and proclaim His utter reliability. It’s hard to imagine how else Hannah can make this statement. We, on the other hand, mouth the words without the witness. We have become repeaters rather than receivers. But Hannah’s story will not be ours until we step into savage conviction.
Topical Index: besides, belet, Hannah, trust, 1 Samuel 2:2
NOTE: A lot of you know my son, Michael. Today is his birthday. If you want to send him a greeting, you can do so at moenm33@yahoo.com
Skip: Hannah was a woman who put everything before the Lord. She came to the end and stepped off the cliff…
I am trying to reconcile this statement with the temptation of Yeshua. He, too, was at the edge and declared, “You shall not tempt YHVH.” (Mt 4:5-7; Lk 4:9-12; both quoting Dt 6:16).
Yes, I understand Hannah’s experience was an inner turmoil, and the temptation of Yeshua was a literal throw yourself (physical body) off the temple. But if we are going to be “all in” with YHVH, where do we draw the line? And isn’t that the point?
I look at my life and am amazed at where I am now, but compared to the patriarchs of the Tanakh, I am no where near their experience. I have not left the security of my job, home, family to go where YHVH has asked me to go — to totally rely on Him. Sure, I cut out meager bits of time to study and read, but is that total devotion to Him? I dare say not. I am still needing to get to the edge of my cliff…
If you read Crossing you discovered that the patriarchs were probably just as messed up and human as the rest of us. God used them anyway. I think that might be the real message. We do what we can as God asks, and what He asks of each of us is a bit different depending on who we are and what He wants. Then we go forward and He works with what we do. Your cliff isn’t the same as mine, or Hannah’s. And Yeshua faced very different issues than I do. The journey is similar but not the same. Where you are now is a statement of your faithfulness, not a comparison to someone else’s.
I really appreciate this answer Skip…. <3
So agree with what you write Skip…it is about obedience to our individual callings by The Father. Without violating His Word, my calling to Him daily will be different from another. I am reminded once again of when Peter asked Jesus about John and Jesus replied “what does it matter if I leave him here till I return, follow me Peter”
Rick did bring up a good question, though, and that is how do we know the difference between conviction and presumption? Yeshua did not step off the edge of that temple because it would have benefited only Him. It was, in fact, a temptation to put self first: a cheapout, and the world would have recognized Him as their ruler for it, too, but what a price! He would have had to give up saving us to get our acclaim.
What is the difference between presumption and conviction, then? I am still teasing this one out, and please help me, those who are farther along, here, but conviction in my life seems to have usually come with some sort of price asked of self; some denial of self. Presumption, however, has always been some version of self gain that I have been able to see up front. I have realized, however, that walking by sight, as we say, is to really walk blind, for what I can ‘see’, or think I do, in my flesh, obscures, or occludes, the choices of love in that place. I don’t even see them when I am operating out of What’s In It For Me. It has always been presumption in that place, and love isn’t even a possibility, because I can’t see what the choices of love are there – they are hidden, or, occluded. But putting self first results in distancing me from reality; it ends up making it harder to move in that reality. Love’s choices may cost self up front, but the result of them has always been to make for peace between myself and reality, even though it usually does get rougher for a while first!
This is a peripheral question, but today’s scripture reminded me – has anyone read Michael Heiser’s “The Unseen Realm”? It’s fascinating and sheds much light on many “strange” passages throughout scripture, and I’m curious to hear opinions on the work and Heiser’s main premise.
I just ordered it.
No need to go overseas to find polytheism. Come visit me in Nevada City CA and we will go for a walk down Broad St.
Closing the Gap
The Living God Who is [Now] Near
“Her personal experience of God’s grace.” And hers. And hers. And his. And his. Each has his or her story of God’s [amazing] grace. We are in this [grace] also, this grace in which we stand. We also are in the process of our own [custom] story, the story of His deliverance, faithfulness, mercy and yes, grace.
The Law came by Moses, but [both] grace and truth by Yeshua HaMashiach, our LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ. And because of the finished work of Calvary – what grace is now ours! For Jesus not only saves, but save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him. And? Our risen LORD now “ever lives to make intercession for us.” But we must learn to lean. To lean hard on Him. Casting all our care upon Him for He cares for us. Friend, we pray to the God “who now is,” – and every more will be —always faithful! The One of whom is may be said, “Blessed IS the Name of the LORD!” His [very] Name is “Salvation,” and just as it is written, “Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the LORD, shall be saved.”
What an invitation has been issued to us who are alive today! “Draw near unto God and He will draw near unto you!” There is oniy one thing that prevents this.