“He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other P’ninah. P’ninah had children, but Hannah had no children.”-1 Samuel 1:2
In verse 2 we’re told Elkanah had two wives.
One named P’ninah and one named Hannah.
This means Elkanah was a fairly wealthy man.
Now here’s the thing…
In those days, a man having more than one wife was a way to flaunt one’s status in society.
Kind of like why a man buys a Jaguar when from a purely utilitarian perspective a Toyota would suffice.
Having said that, there was one practical reason why a man would also take a second wife.
It was to ensure he could produce a son who would become his heir…
Because in the ancient Middle East, nothing was more important.
And sure enough, we’re told that P’ninah was able to give Elkanah children but Hannah wasn’t.
We’re also told that by all outward appearances, Elkanah’s family was quite religiously devout.
Every year they traveled up to Shiloh to sacrifice at some kind of yearly festival.
Which festival was it?
Was it one of the seven God-ordained feasts such as PESACH (Passover), SHAVUOT (Pentecost) or SUKKOT (Feast of Tabernacles)?
Actually this may come as a surprise but the answer is NONE.
Elkanah and his family were attending one of the traditional clan festivals held at Shiloh that had nothing to do with any of the Biblical feasts.
It was more of a social occasion than anything…
A way to do the socially approved thing and keep up with appearances…
Which leads me to my takeaway for today.
There is a difference between OUTWARDLY being a socially approved religiously devout person versus one whose sincere desire is to please God INWARDLY.
The socially approved “believer” just loves to tick off all the boxes in order to show the world and the society he moves in just how righteous and worthy of praise and admiration he is.
He’ll marry that trophy wife or in Elkanah’s case, marry two wives.
He’ll worship the chance to land that nice corporate job with a high salary and fancy sounding title…
Something like “Head of Finance” or “Head of Sales” or something like that…
He’ll get that big house surrounded by a ridiculous white picket fence.
He’ll have 2 or 3 children…
Not out of any sincere desire to start a family mind you…
But simply because he knows having kids will make him look good in society when he’s out attending social events or whatever.
Folks like this also love going to church or synagogue…
I mean they’re especially pious and in many cases hold leadership positions in their congregations.
Why?
Again it has NOTHING to do with any sincere desire to please and worship God.
They’re driven by fleshly ego.
Attending their places of worship is just another chance to flaunt their societal success in front of others and drop these sleazy hints at how they’re successfully keeping up with Jones’s better than anyone else during the superficial schmoozing that takes place during the coffee and snacks fellowship after the worship service.
During these times, such men especially take a perverse pleasure in comparing themselves to men who they perceive are inferior to them…
Those who due to circumstance are poorer, still single (never mind the fact that maybe they’re happy being single or were called to be single), those who don’t have as many children as him or work at a prestigious a company as him, don’t live in as big a house or whatever little nugget of fact their narcissistic selves can latch onto in order to increase their self-importance.
I HATE men like that!!!
Men who pretty much from birth live their entire lives in pure inauthenticity guided by the world rather than the Word…
Men who are robotons who have never had one original thought their entire lives who only do what they’ve been programmed to do by their parents (also mindless robotons) and society.
Their praise comes from men rather than from God.
Again, I HATE hypocrites like that.
Over and out.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Yet at the same time many even
among the leaders believed in him.
But because of the Pharisees they
would not openly acknowledge
their faith for fear they would
be put out of the synagogue;
for they loved human praise
more than praise from God.”
-John 12:42-43
“And everyone who has left houses
or brothers or sisters or father
or mother or wife or children
or fields for my sake will receive
a hundred times as much and
will inherit eternal life.”
-Matthew 19:29
“Do not love the world
or anything in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
love for the Father is not in them.”
-1 John 2:15
“I count everything as loss
because of the surpassing
worth of knowing Messiah
Yeshua my Lord”
-Philippians 3:8
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