Jane Youtz Riecke

Trustful Waiting

I Samuel 4, 5, 6

How do we maintain our faith when the glory of the Lord has departed?   What becomes of our trust in God when God appears to be absent or impotent? Those are the essential questions for the Israelites as they lose the ark during their battle with the Philistines. They are the same questions Christians struggle with on Good Friday, the moment when human hope seems lost forever in the suffering of the cross and Jesus, himself, cries out, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1)

First, like the Israelites, we must be careful not to trust in symbols alone. It is a form of idolatry.  For the Israelites, the ark had become a symbol.  The tragedy for the Israelites and for us is that idols must sometimes fail for us to see how we have turned away from God. One pastor, having lost his church building to fire, realized what a blessing it was.  He said, "We discovered that the building may have been distracting us form some of the things God had in mind for us."  Cherished programs and beautiful buildings must sometimes be lost in order for us to see that the presence of God is not defined by such things.  We are called to trustful waiting in those darkest of times, knowing by faith, God will answer.

Our hope is in the living God, the Lord of all creation.  It is not in a building or a program or a people...all these will fail us. Only the Eternal Lord can give us life, redeem us and sustain us. In our darkest moments, when all seems hopeless, God transforms hopelessness to hope, death to life, tragedy to celebration. Although it seems as if death will once again define the people of Israel, the end of chapter four of I Samuel ends with the necessity of trustful waiting. And for the Christian John wrote..."The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."  

Hope Won the Day

I Samuel 1,2,3

My mother and father wanted nothing more than to have children.  They both came from very large families. My father was 6^th out of 9 children and my mother 8^th out of 9. They both loved the clamor of a big family around them and kept in close contact with their siblings. But it was a family of their own that they desired most.  For 16 years, my parents tried to conceive.  My mother had 5 miscarriages. And then I was born.  Hope had won the day.

They story of Hannah is one of the more overlooked stories in the Old Testament. When we read First Samuel, it’s the drama between Samuel, Saul and David that we tend to concentrate on and that’s a shame because Hannah’s story has much to tell us.

Hannah was one of Elkanah’s two wives. Yes, I said two wives. Polygamy was common throughout the ancient Near East. That scarcely makes it any easier for us to accept, but it’s true. Women could not easily provide for or protect themselves in a patriarchal society, and warfare often  decimated the population of available men. 

Hannah was one such woman. And her life was not made any easier by Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah. One verse says it all, “Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” (I Sam 1: 2).

Bearing children was considered a blessing for women, while barrenness was a curse. You might remember Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and much later, Elizabeth.  Like them, Hannah waited in hope that her prayers would be answered and she would bear a child. In the meantime, fertile Peninnah continually mocked Hannah’s infertility (I Sam 1:6). The barrenness, the competition was a perceived absence of God— the whole thing left Hannah despondent (I Sam 1:8), bitter (I Sam 1:10) and desperate (I Sam 1:11).

Hannah was at her wits’ end. If God would just give her a son, she could hold her head high. If God would just give her a son, she would have security in Elkanah’s family.  If God would just give her a son, life would become tolerable.  If God would just give her a son, she would gladly give him back to God as a sign of her thankfulness.

Finally, hope wins the day.  God is faithful, and Hannah gives birth to Samuel — a name meaning “asked of God” or “heard by God.” Hannah's heart rejoices, not in Samuel, but in the Lord. She looks beyond the gift, and praises the Giver. She rejoices in the salvation of the Lord, and in expectation of His coming, who is the whole salvation of his people. True to her word, Hannah presents Samuel as God’s servant at the temple (I Sam 1:28).

There are several thoughts we might take away from Hannah’s story: 

One, when hope wins the day, it is God we must celebrate. God ultimately provides all that we have. God is sovereign over all and is often gracious in giving us what we desire.  As James wrote, “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).

Two, we need to remember that answered prayer is rarely instantaneous. Like the persistent widow who kept knocking on the judge’s door, Hannah went up to Shiloh to worship God “year by year” (I Sam 1:7). She never gave up hope. How often did she ask God for a child, and how many years did she wait? 

Hannah is a reminder of the adage, “The best things in life are worth waiting for.” So would we rather wait for those things we’re asking God for and receive them, or would we prefer never to have them but not have to wait? That could be a great measure of whether it is a “best thing” or not. The point is to never give up hope in the waiting.

Finally, for hope to win the day we ought to be at our most honest when we pray. We often forget that God is omniscient; Jesus stunned people by knowing in his spirit what people were thinking in their hearts (Mark 2:8). This means we can tell God in prayer exactly what we’re thinking and feeling. 
How many times have we prayed “nice words” while doubting them? Have we ever been furious and felt overlooked while saying “your will be done”? God is actually hearing the words while reading the truth of our heart. So we might as well be honest when we talk to him.

If you read Hannah’s words carefully, you read not only of her praise, but her anger and her sense of vengeance. Her bitterness and her frustration are revealed in her words.  When we pray…our true heart is exposed. Remember there is nothing we can say to God that God has not already heard.  Being honest before God shows our faith in God’s ability to listen and to respond anyway. Complete honesty before God marks a hopeful life.

I was angry with God when my mother-in-law and my father both died within a month of one another. I was angry because they both had such strong faith. How could God take them away? How could God not answer their prayers? How could God not answer my prayers?  Was my faith misplaced?  It took years of honest anger until one day I realized the truth.

“Faith is not trusting God to get something; faith is trusting God when there seems to be nothing left. When everything is gone with no hope of restoration and when there is nothing on which to base your faith; then can you still trust God?”(Buell Kazee, 
Faith Is the Victory 
(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1983), 149.) The lesson I had learned in losing two great mentors in faith was to believe even when belief seemed beyond hope. That is the faith I strive for every day.

Hannah had faith.  Hannah had hope.  Hannah believed. She prayed when others scoffed at her. She prayed even when the priest Eli thought her drunk. She prayed to celebrate God.  She prayed with persistence.  She prayed with honesty.  And hope won the day. 

Whither Thou Goest

Although the "bad girls" of the BIble get more press (Eve, Delilah, Bathsheba, Jezebel), many of the "good girls" were far more significant in Israelite history.  The story of Ruth is such a story.  She is a part of a group of women who each in their own way take matters into their own hands to survive:  Deborah of Judges, Rachel who saves her husband, Isaac; Miriam, who rescues the infant Moses and goes on to help lead the Exodus; Rahab, the prostitute who helps the Israelites capture Jericho; and Tamar (Like Ruth, also a relative of King David.) who plays the prostitute to win her just due from Judah. Set aside because they were women, they made sure they would survive.

Far removed from the savagery and violence of Judges, Ruth's story has been interpreted in various ways. She is a foreigner, the wife of an Israelite who dies during one of the many famines in the land.  She is a Moabite who decides not to stay with her own people but to return to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi. 

Ruth's statement of "whither thou goest" has been used in many marriage ceremonies. I always found it interesting that Ruth was actually saying those words to her mother-in-law. Ruth's motivation is survival. She is like hundreds of women across the ages, left for dead after their husbands are gone, only Ruth is different....she seeks survival not only for herself but also for her mother-in-law. She is  seen as a loyal and virtuous woman because she will not leave the older woman behind.

Many will disagree with her actions. Remember she does jump into bed with Boaz and seduce him...but she is like so many that have gone before her and after her...she is only doing what she had to survive.

Note:  Many interpreters believe the emphasis on the fact that Ruth is a foreigner, her acceptance by Boaz despite this, and her place in the genealogy of King David all seem to underscore the acceptance of foreign wives in the post-exlic period. While others see Ruth as a much simpler "virtue" tale that proves God is open to those outside Israel.  

Mob Rule

Judges 17, 18, 19, 20, 21  Psalm 60

These last chapters contain some of the basest actions of humanity against humanity.  Certainly they give plenty of reason for the last words of Judges, "In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes."  People without strong leadership will follow their own selfish hearts. They only think of themselves and their own needs. It is the rule of the mob. The mob ruled the the tribe of Dan.  It ruled the people of Gibeah. It ruled the tribe of Benjamin.   There is no reasoning with a mob. There is no logic. And usually tragedy results.  These last chapters prove that.

Brawn Over Brain

Judges 12 - 16, Psalms 58,59

The most famous of the judges was not even a "judge." He wasn't even a very good boy. He was a one man wrecking crew. Yet he was probably what Israel needed at the time to defend the hill country from the Philistines.  

As you read these chapters know that the biblical Samson and the Sunday School Samson are two very different people. The story of Samson begins with a miraculous birth and a Nazarite vow. Samson, it is thought, is meant for great things but what transpires is basically a string of grudges and fights over women escalating into warfare.  

Samson falls for a Philistine girl and marries her.  At the wedding feast, Samson tells a riddle and bets the guests that they can't solve it.  When the bride tricks Samson into telling her the secret, the guests win the bet, and Samson has to kill 30 people to pay off the bet. Samson abandons his wife, who is then given to Samson's best man! In retaliation Samson sets the Philistine wheat fields, olive groves and vineyards on fire.   Then the Philistines retaliate by burning Samson's wife and father-in-law.  Samson ends up slaughtering a thousand Philistines with the "jawbone of an ass."  

All this before he even meets Delilah.

Samson clearly had a taste for foreign girls. And Delilah certainly knew how to bring him to her.  Delilah--whose name may be related to the Arabic word for "flirt"--is not identified in the biblical account as either Philistine or Israelite but she is bribed by Philistine leaders to find out the secret of Samson's strength. She then has his hair cut (the secret of his strength) and Samson is enslaved by the Philistines.  Unfortunately for the Philistines they forget to keep cutting his hair and it grows back!  Samson repents of his foolishness and asks God for his strength to return. During a crowded festival, his strength returns and Samson pulls down the temple, killing himself and thousands of Philistines at the same time.

Was Delilah at fault for Samson's problems or did Samson bring his troubles on himself?  I tend to believe that Samson wasn't an angel...he was a human being with a weakness for pretty women. He also wasn't too bright. He always seemed to find himself in the middle of situations where only his physical strength could help.  It was always a case of brawn over brain. In the end, his weaknesses led to his downfall and death. Samson's story is not exactly heroic...more like a morality tale.

NOTE:  History hasn't been kind to the Philistines.  They are on the losing end of one of western civilization's "shortest sticks."  For a long time, when someone was called a "Philistine," it was an insult, meaning boorish, classless and ill-educated. The opposite is true.  These were sophisticated sea peoples of the Mediterranean who entered the ancient Near East in the last years of the 13th century BCE (300 hundred years before King David) .  From their coastal base, the Philistines pressed inland, becoming a threat to the loosely organized Israelites. 

Sacrificing our Future

Judges 9, 10, 11

Have you ever wanted something so much that you would sacrifice anything to get it?  

Jephthah wanted victory enough to sacrifice  whatever came through the home of his door to greet him on his return.  Like most of us, he thought it a safe vow.  "Lord, if you'll just let me get a parking space near the door, I'll be polite to the next five people I meet." We all do it.  It's called  bargaining.   

Our desires control us so completely that we will bargain away the future to get immediate results. Buy now. Pay later. No Interest. Advertisers understand us better than we do. We want to win, to succeed at whatever cost. We eat more food than we need and are surprised that we have such poor health.  We use more electricity and emit more carbon dioxide than any other nation but we refuse to drive more efficient cars or do without our air conditioning or turn down the heat in winter. 

It's a Santa Claus view of God.  We make a wish list and send it off expecting God to fulfill our requests. We never expect to have to make any payment of time or service or sacrifice in return. Neither did Jephthah.  He never expected his daughter to come through that door.  He thought it would be a goat or a lamb, anything, but his daughter. 

We may look at Jephthah and say, "I would never do that."  But we do.  We do it everyday.  Every time we trade an hour with our family for one more hour at work.  Every time we miss a grandson's ballgame to finish a project.  Every time we tell ourselves we'll eat just one more bite and we'll walk an extra 20 minutes. We sacrifice our love, our family, ourselves.  We sacrifice our future. If Jephthah could teach us one thing that is to never trade immediate success for unexpected future sacrifice.

NOTE:  It's thought by some that this story was included in Judges as a lesson against child sacrifice, which was so prominent in the Canaanite culture.

Gideon and the Midianites

Judges 6,7, 8

You can run, but you can't hide. At least that is Gideon's story.  

Gideon was called to save his people from raiding Midianites, the people of the East.  They were nomadic raiders, not too unlike the Hebrews from an earlier day and the Arab bedouins of a later day. What is fascinating about Gideon's story is how reluctant he is to lead his people. He responds to God by saying that of the all the tribes, his is the least and of his tribe, his clan is the least and in his clan he is the least.  In other words, according to Gideon, he is the worst person for the job!  Boy, he really doesn't want to do this, does he?

What is interesting is that in the mingling of texts from different sources Gideon is also know as  "Jerubbaal." In other words, Gideon was not completely a worshipper of Yahweh.  He also worshipped Baal.  His doubting God then makes sense in this context.  Isn't also interesting that Gideon (Jerubbaal)once he committed to leading his people was made to tear down the Asherah (idol) and use its wood to make a sacrifice to Yahweh?

With the blowing of a trumpet, Gideon begins his march.  He chases the Midianites  until he is able to take them prisoner.  He takes their gold as tribute.  His fierce pursuit proves "you can run, but you can't hide." Gideon, despite his doubts, is successful.    

Deborah Is Remembered

Judges 4, 5 Psalm 56, 57

I like Deborah.  She lets Barak know just who is in charge.  She is decisive.  She is holy.  She is a strong leader. Through her leadership the enemy is routed and victory is close at hand.  But the final blow comes from an unexpected quarter. The final blow is delivered by a woman who was not even an Israelite.  Jael is the one who truly wins the day by killing Sisera. She uses her feminine wiles to lure Sisera away from others and then unceremoniously kills him. Israel is once again the victor.

Deborah's victory song is a retelling of the battle. It is the oldest remaining fragment of Hebrew literature contained in the Bible. Isn't it fascinating that this one fragment remained while so much was lost? Deborah's place in Israel's history was significant.  For Deborah to be remembered, she was truly unique and beloved as one of Israel's judges.

Ehud's Deception

Judges 1, 2, 3

We only thought the fighting was done!  The book of Judges proves to us that Israel still had many campaigns against the Canaanites in their future.  It will take many generations before the land is securely in Israel's hands.  The stories of Judges are some of the most colorful in the whole of the Bible. The stories are various traditions preserved by the tribes about the exploits of their particular heroes - their "judges" or leaders who rise up to defeat a variety of enemies.

These "judges" used interesting tactics to deliver the people from their enemies.  Take Ehud, for example. The people have been enslaved by the Moabites. KIng Eglon demands a tribute which Ehud and others go before Eglon to deliver.  Eglon formally receives the tribute. Everyone appears to leave, but Ehud turns back.  He says he has a secret message.  Ehud "comes to him, as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber."  Eglon stands to receive Ehud and Ehud delivers the death blow. Ehud uses deception to win the day. The people are redeemed.

How shall we read Judges? Well, while the final editor of this book was concerned to keep the colorful stories in tact he was even more concerned with the moral lesson which with single-minded diligence, he pursues....loyalty to God is the first requisite for national success. Disloyalty will only guarantee disaster.  Each story then is an illustration on this theme.  So...be aware of the formula and enjoy the stories!

It's All or Nothing

Joshua 23, 24, 25

My first day in seminary I remember sitting in one of the large lectures halls on Perkins' campus with other first year M.Div students listening to John Deschner and others talk about the commitment we had just made. They reminded us of how the disciples had left their boats, their families, their lives to follow Jesus. They told us we had made the same commitment.  I realized then and there...it was all or nothing. I was twenty five years old and my life changed forever.

Joshua stood before the people and said, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). Joshua had come to his defining moment. The land was won. The battles over.  The spoils divided.  Now it was time to reaffirm who they were.  Joshua stands before them reminding the people that the land and the life they enjoy came from God.  It was time to re-establish their covenant with God.  (Some scholars feel this may have been an annual ceremony.) It was all or nothing.

The story of Joshua ends with the bones of Joseph being buried at Shechem, a holy place.  The saga has ended.  The long sojourn is over. The people of Israel have come home.  The question now is whether they will continue their commitment. For God, it's all or nothing.