* The child Samuel is born; The priest Eli is judged by God.

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

In the Old Testament men often had multiple wives.  In the New Testament this was changed and men had one wife.

Women did not have multiple husbands in either Old or New Testament unless their first husband had died.

God makes a difference between men and women, although the world we currently live in tries to change this.


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A man named Elkanah, had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.

...  and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

I Samuel 1:4-6  And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.

Hannah was deeply grieved.  Yearly they went to Shiloh to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord. 

v. 10-11   And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

The priest saw Hannah as she prayed.  Her lips were moving but no sound came from her and Eli, the priest, thought Hannah was drunk.

I Samuel 1:14-17    And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.   Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial (a daughter of the devil): for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him.

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After that, Hannah conceived and bare a son and his name was Samuel.

Hannah honored her vow and "lent" him to the Lord and he lived with the priest Eli at Shiloh from the time he was a young child.  Yearly Hannah made a coat for him and brought it to him.  And God gave Hannah 3 more sons and 2 daughters.

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Eli, the priest, had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.  They were sons of "Belial", sons of the devil. (I Samuel 2:12)

And the sons said, "If you will not give me of the offering, I will take it by force."  (Paraphrase: II Samuel 2:16)

II Samuel 2:17   the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord:

v. 22-25     Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.  Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress.  

If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? 

Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.

(God hardens the heart of those whom HE will slay.  Remember these examples?)

Exodus 4:21   And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. 

Proverbs 22:1   The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: HE turneth it whithersoever HE will.

Deuteronomy 2:30   But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that HE might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.

Romans 9:11-16    (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of HIM that calleth;)  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

For HE saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 

So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

(There are many concepts shown us in Bible that men try to explain away but it is better just to accept that which the Bible says and to recognize we are not God.)

Isaiah 55:8-11    For MY thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways MY ways, saith the Lord.   For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are MY ways higher than your ways, and MY thoughts than your thoughts.  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall MY word be that goeth forth out of MY mouth: it shall not return unto ME void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The Word to one person is salvation while the Word to another person is damnation.

God brings the Word as HE wills to do HIS own purpose.

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I Samuel 4:27-36   And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be MY priest, to offer upon Mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before ME? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

Wherefore kick ye at MY sacrifice and at Mine offering, which I have commanded in MY habitation; and honourest thy sons above ME, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel MY people?

Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before ME for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from ME; for them that honour ME I will honour, and they that despise ME shall be lightly esteemed.

Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

And thou shalt see an enemy in MY habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from Mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 

And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

And I will raise ME up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in Mine heart and in MY mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before Mine anointed for ever.

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.


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With sin, there is often a penalty upon this earth.

Paul said the following concerning sin being committed in the church.

I Corinthians 5:4-7   In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, 

(I think they might be turned over to Satan by separation from us.)

There is no place for unrepentant sin inside the church.

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