HAPPY ARE YOU, O ISRAEL!
All worship is centered on the sacrifice of Christ which He ministers to us from the heavenly sanctuary. Worship that falls short of being cross-centered is counterfeit worship. The sacrifice of Christ effected an atonement for the world as He “taste[d] death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). Now the race stands as it were neutral before the law of God since Christ received the penalty on eternal death of their behalf. Thus Christ has given a “blessing” of temporal life, unmerited grace, forgiveness of sin, and all that good things that follow. All of this was taught by sacrificial tabernacle services of ancient Israel.
Lev. 9:22: “And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.”
It was the priest who made atonement by sacrifice for the people. The purpose of all these sacrifices was that they might find fellowship with God, which is the final goal of the foundations of worship. The “blessing” resulted from the “offerings” made by the priest. The result of the sacrificial system within the tabernacle was the blessing of the people.
Lev. 9:23: “And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.”
The blessing consisted of “the glory of the Lord”. The glory of the Lord was revealed in the offerings. By virtue of God’s love and mercy shown toward sinners, they were drawn to Him. It is at infinite cost to Himself that God gives His forgiveness of sins to His adopted congregation. The sacrifices reveal the character of God effecting a real-time at-one-ment in formerly alienated hearts.
Lev. 9:24: “And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.”
It is by the sacred fire that the offering was consumed. The sacrifice that is consumed by divine fire is acceptable to God. The victim was obliterated. Nothing remained.
The sacrificial victim represented the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). God “made Him to be sin for us” (1 Cor. 5:21). The fire does not consume the congregants. It falls upon their substitute who has identified with them by being “made . . . to be sin for us”.
The “fire” represents the agape of God as manifest in His law. “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Where sin appears there agape consumes it, for “our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29).
God did not hate His Son and thus consume Him with fire. He identified with His beloved Son on the cross while yet hiding His face from the sin-bearer. It was the Son’s faith which broke through the darkness and the consuming fire thus building a bridge of atonement between an estranged world and the Heavenly family. God’s intensity of hate toward sin is just as intense in His love of sinners. God’s forever-love of His Son was just as intense as His forever-hatred of sin which the Son bore.
Jesus died the death which the sinner who refuses God’s forgiveness will die at the close of the millennium. “He hath poured out His soul unto death” (Isa. 53:10). It was a comprehension of His death as revealed in the sacrifices which evoked worship in the hearts of the ancient Israelites.
“Assisted by his sons, Aaron offered the sacrifices that God required, and he lifted up his hands and blessed the people. All had been done as God commanded, and He accepted the sacrifice, and revealed His glory in a remarkable manner; fire came from the Lord and consumed the offering upon the altar. The people looked upon this wonderful manifestation of divine power with awe and intense interest. They saw in it a token of God’s glory and favor, and they raised a universal shout of praise and adoration and fell on their faces as if in the immediate presence of Jehovah.” {PP 359.1}
“It was intemperance that led to the awful results recorded in our lesson. The minds of Nadab and Abihu were clouded by the spirit of wine, instead of enlightened by the Spirit of God, and they could not discern the difference between the sacred and profane. And thus, strictly speaking, intemperance was the sin for which they were destroyed. By intemperance they clouded the glory of God in the true temple of God,—their bodies,—and that led to the error in relation to the figurative sanctuary. They defiled the living temple, and that naturally resulted in debased service in the temporary structure.” E. J. Waggoner, “The Glory to Be Revealed. Lev. 10:1-11,” The Present Truth 18, 30 (July 24, 1902), p. 466.
“The next day Korah and his friends were to burn incense before the Lord. God had said that only his fire was to be used for burning incense. Any other was called “Strange fire,” so that if Korah’s company really loved God, they would have said “We cannot burn incense unless God gives us fire.”
But they thought their fire was as good as God’s, and they came with their censers and the incense burning upon them.” E. J. Waggoner, “Gospel Primer,” The Present Truth 19, 37 (September 10, 1903), p. 587.
“A good illustration of how strict God is in his requirements is found in the case of Nadab and Abihu recorded in Lev. 10:1, 2. God had specified the fire that should be used in the services of the Sanctuary. Certain fire was set apart for this use and called holy. None other was to be used. Nadab and Abihu could not perceive the difference between the fire that was holy and that that was unsanctified, and came before the Lord with strange fire. For this rash act they were instantly slain. They might have reasoned thus: “The spirit of the Lord’s requirement is that fire should be used. It makes no difference what fire we use if we only do it in the right manner. There is no difference in the fire.’” E. J. Waggoner, “Which Day?” The Signs of the Times 7, 35 (September 15, 1881), p. 416.
“The first and most important is that God is very particular, and will not countenance any deviation from directions which he has given. He had specified the kind of fire and incense that should be used in the sanctuary. Ex. 30:9. He himself had kindled a fire on the altar when the first offering was made upon it, and no other was to be used. It might have seemed to Nadab and Abihu that there was no difference between the sacred fire and ordinary fire; but God had made them different, and it was their duty to recognize that difference.
“It may seem to many that death was a severe penalty for so slight a deviation from the commandment of the Lord; such must remember that the fact that the death penalty was inflicted by the Lord himself, is sufficient evidence that the offense was not small. The Judge of all the earth will do right. It must also be borne in mind that the heinousness of a sin is not determined so much by the actual quality of the deed itself, as by the spirit in which the deed is committed. Contempt for the Lord may be shown in the willful disobedience of a supposed minor precept, as well as by some act which would be generally recognized as a sin. But the sin of Nadab and Abihu was not a small one. It was the result of lightly regarding the service of the Lord. They engaged in his service as carelessly as they would in some business of their own; and this showed that they had no real reverence for God.” E. J. Waggoner, “The Commentary. God Requires Strict Obedience,” The Signs of the Times 13, 22 (June 9, 1887), pp. 346, 347.
“The incense on the golden altar was only to be lighted from the fire on the altar of burnt offering, and no strange fire was to be used. The altar of burnt offering represented the sacrifice of Christ, and no prayer or praise is acceptable to God except it be kindled in the heart Jesus.” E. J. Waggoner, “Back Page,” The Present Truth 15, 7 (February 16, 1899), p. 112.
Lev. 10:1: “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.”
The fire of the Lord is His agape revealed in His holy law. His unselfish love is so unique it is indigenous only to Himself. All other fire is common and derived from humans motivated by self-love. All the worship of the people centered upon the tabernacle. It was to be saturated with the blood-life of Christ consumed by sacred fire. If the fire in the censure was ordinary there was no appreciation on the part of the priest for the sacrifice of Christ. It left an empty impression upon the worshipers and thus was a counterfeit. No atonement was effected in hearts.
Lev. 10:2: “And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”
“Nadab and Abihu were two youths who allowed their arrogance to blossom into blasphemy before God and offered “strange fire” on the Lord’s altar, as it were in His very presence. It was too much for Him to “take” and “they died before the Lord,” not because He hated them, but as a much needed lesson to their nation (Lev. 10:1, 2).” DDB
Lev. 10:3: “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.”
Lev. 10:4: “And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”
Lev. 10:5: “So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.”
Lev. 10:6: “And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.”
Lev. 10:7: “And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.”
Lev. 10:8: “And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,”
Lev. 10:9: “Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:”
Lev. 10:10: “And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;”
Lev. 10:11: “And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.”
Deut. 33:26: “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in His excellency on the sky.”
“1. Who was Jeshurun, in Deut. 32:15? J. E. G.
The word is a poetical title of the people of Israel. It means “the upright,” or “the chosen,” from the verb yashar, “to be righteous.” The Septuagint has in this passage, Iakob, and the Vulgate has ditectus. In Deut. 33:5, 26, and Isa. 44:2, the only other places where the word occurs, the Vulgate renders it rectissimus.”
“Fear not, O Jacob, My servant; and thou Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.” The word “Jeshurun” occurs only four times in the Bible, the three other times besides this one being in Deut. 32 and 33. It is a diminutive, such as people use as pet names, and is equivalent to “the good little people,” or, “the dear little people.” It is applied to the whole people, just as a mother uses a term of endearment to her child. It reveals the tender affection of God for His people. It corresponds to the “little children,” so frequently used by the Saviour.”
“God has chosen Israel. But who are Israel? Israel is the prince of God, the one who overcomes. Does the Lord then choose as His favorites only those who have made a conspicuous success in life? Oh, no: the choice must necessarily be made before the struggle is ended. As we well know, Jacob was chosen before he was born. We are chosen in order that we may overcome. God has blessed us in Christ, “according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Eph. 1:3. All are chosen; we have only by submission to His will to make our calling and election sure.
It is evident that Israel means more than one man. The man Jacob, who was by the Lord named Israel, was dead hundreds of years before the prophet Isaiah wrote these words; they apply to all the children of Israel. And here appears some more of the comfort of God. God has taken away every ground for discouragement, in this promise to Israel. Notice that He uses both names, Jacob and Israel. Jacob is the supplanter, the deceitful schemer, the one whose character is anything but attractive. The Lord indicates that He has chosen Jacob from his birth. That means that He has chosen us from our birth. But we have a bad record. No matter, so had the original Jacob. He has chosen us, that He may make us better. So we need not mourn over our early life; God makes all that pass away in Christ. Every inspired prayer is a promise of what God will do; and in Ps. 25:7 we read: “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions.” That this is what God promises to do, we have already learned from the preceding chapter, where He says, “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgression for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy “sins.” He has chosen us, “that we might be holy and without blame before him.” Eph. 1:4. E. J. Waggoner, “The Gospel of Isaiah. The Gift of the Spirit. Isa. 44:1-8,” The Present Truth 15, 48 (November 30, 1899), p. 774.
Deut. 33:27: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.”
Deut. 33:28: “Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also His heavens shall drop down dew.”
Deut. 33:29: “Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.”
For all who believe “the most precious message” is the beginning of the Elijah message, Hannah’s story is a great encouragement of how God will gloriously display His character to the world. It’s a quiet little secret in the Bible, but women play a pivotal role in the vindication of God in the great controversy. When Satan is accusing God and His people most vigorously saying that there is no one on earth who reflects back to God His self-sacrificing agape; they are all into God for the goodies He dishes out; God points to some poor soul who is a witness for Him.
Hannah is just such a woman. The state of the church in her day was pathetic. The priests Eli and his sons were corrupt. It was so bad that women were molested at the temple.
The books of Samuel depict a time of transition between the judges and the monarchy. Samuel was the last divinely-ordained prophet-priest-judge leader of Israel before the succession of kings ruled. Just how Samuel came to prominence during a time of vacuum in leadership among God’s people is the story of Hannah.
Elkanah was a priest-in-waiting who resided in Ramah about fifteen miles from Shiloh. Bigamy is a departure from God’s original plan for marriage. It is the source of conflict in Elkanah’s family (1 Sam. 1:2). Hannah is barren. Elkanah wants children. He takes Peninnah for the express purpose of continuing the family name.
The annual holy seasons were similar to campmeetings. They provided times of family unity in the worship of God. They were to be expressly times of refreshment and joy. There was feasting and drinking (vs. 4).
A high quality portion of meat was apportioned to Hannah, demonstrating his favoritism toward her (vs. 5). Hannah is faced with “the other woman” and her children. She shares a feast with a God who has persistently denied her children of her own.
Here is a barren woman who is loved and a fertile woman who is not (vs. 6). Penninah “taunts” (“provoked”, “fret”, vs. 7 “provoked”) Hannah with the reproach that God has caused her barrenness.
Hagar similarly treated Sarah in her barrenness. She persecuted the free woman who was promised the seed (Gal. 4:22-31). The old covenant generates a spirit of persecution within family systems and, yes, even in the church. Since faith has an egocentric motivation in the old covenant, it tends to ridicule, marginalize, and satirize new covenant faith which is motivated by God’s self-sacrificing agape.
Instead of venting her feelings on Penniah, Hannah turns inward and becomes silent. She hides herself in grief (vs. 8). Hannah experiences the pain of persistent childlessness. Elkanah knows the cause of her pain. Yet his crass insensitivity comes across as a reproach to her for not recognizing that he can fulfill Hannah’s void tenfold. Elkanah may love her but his arrogance reveals he thinks he is the center of her world.
Unable to get any help or sympathy from her husband she turns to the only one who can surely understand, and who can give her children (vs. 10). Hannah turns to God. She is the only woman, in the entire Bible to utter a formal prayer and have it recorded in the sacred text.
Hannah’s vow breaks her silence. She will now be given a “voice” throughout the rest of her story. Her prayer request is very specific in requesting a son; yet it is an extremely self-sacrificing vow. It reveals that she understands the very heart of God who “gave His only begotten Son” for the world. She most desires a son, not for herself but for the vindication of God. She will give the son to God forever (vs. 11).
Hannah’s prayer forever defines the genuine nature of a new covenant vow. She appreciates what it takes for God’s promise-covenant of salvation to be given forever to the world. It cost the life of God’s own darling Son. She offers her son to God as a mirror image of God giving His Son for her. She may or may not realize it, but she is a singular witness in a time of apostasy, when Satan is accusing God that there is no one among His people who serves God because they appreciate His character of agape.
God is silent. He was silent when His Son cried out, “Why hast thou forsaken me? The rules of the great controversy do not permit God to jump right in and give lavish assurances to His faithful ones in the midst of trials (vs. 12). But Eli “answers” her vow in a manner far removed from the answer she wants.
Eli is seated on his chair at the entrance to the temple. He sees her lips moving as she prays silently. He thinks she is drunk (vs. 13). Pilgrims to ancient Israel’s feasts often drank to excess.
Eli observes this woman’s distress, but displays no kindness at all (vs. 14). Eli takes more seriously the apparent drunkenness of a woman than the heinous crimes of his own sons.
Her protest is that she is not “a worthless woman” like Eli’s “scoundrels” (1 Sam. 2:12, “worthless men”) (vs. 16). This is a stinging rebuke to Eli, yet done most politely, in dissociating herself from the behavior of his sons. His moral authority is completely undermined.
Eli is so obtuse he doesn’t pick up on it. He doesn’t even know what she has prayed (vs. 17). But he blesses her in the blind. She will eventually place her little cuckoo in Eli’s nest, who will receive an epiphany in the night pronouncing the end of Eli’s family. This fool mistakes her distress for inebriation, fails to spot her veiled accusation, and unwittingly contributes to the blessing of her vow which will contribute to his downfall.
Eli has demonstrated no genuine compassion. However, his blessing has broken her isolation setting in motion her going back to family, assuaging her grief, restoring her appetite, setting up her restoration (vs. 18). With the brush of a wisp of hair, she departs saying, “May I find favor in your sight.” Hannah’s lowest ebb will now curve upward from this point on.
The deeper appreciation of God’s love has now paved the way for both Elkanah and Hannah to understand what it means to be “one flesh”. Something was missing in their love before. Now the Inspired writer portrays them as “one” worshipping the Lord and returning home (vs. 19). Because of “Elkanah’s choice” of Penninah his marriage is wounded. God comes in to bring healing. Now Hannah enjoys a greater intimacy with her husband. Her womb is healed with the words “the Lord remembered her”—the curing of Hannah’s barrenness. Genuine faith in God’s everlasting covenant does that. Here is God’s response to her vow in two words—“remembered her”. The course of church history could not be changed with a description of fewer words than that.
It’s entirely appropriate then that Hannah should name her son because she knows that he is God’s answer to her prayer. Samuel means “asked of God”.
After weaning Samuel she comes to Shiloh with a bull that is sacrificed representing God’s own Son “who should taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). And now she offers her son to God forever.
This is Hannah’s pilgrimage to Shiloh. It is unprecedented in all the Bible for a woman to make such an offering. It is comparable to Abraham offering up Isaac to God. It’s hard to respond adequately to Hannah’s sacrifice.
Hannah is a type of all those poor, weak, ridiculed voices calling for revival and reformation in the midst of an ease loving people who are steadily growing in favor with worldlings (vs. 27). God apparently is silent to the prayers of His people who are longing for the return of the Elijah’ message. However, prayers that are tuned into what God wants never fall on deaf ears. God may need you to stand “alone” in order to win His great controversy with Satan.
Did God “lend” His Son to the world or did He “give” His Son to the world? If God only “lent” His Son for a few short years, then we have no Saviour now. Rather, God has given His Son as a permanent gift, the divine-human High Priest who administers the benefits of the ever-present cross to us from the heavenly sanctuary. The ultimate meaning of the cross is the atonement. He is illuminating the cross in order to draw alienated hearts by His love revealed there so we might experience being at-one-with God’s heart.
Hannah’s word “lent” indicates that Samuel was a living sacrifice for her all the days of her life (vs. 28). She felt keenly the separation from her darling son; albeit, she could go up and visit him anytime she wished being only fifteen miles away. But this should not diminish the value of “Hannah’s sacrifice”. She and Samuel are a type of the sacrifice given by the Father and the Son. In this her message speaks eloquently as no other woman in the Old Testament to the self-denial of God.
