A Verse, A Comment, A Prayer, A Blessing

A VerseRomans 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.A CommentSince July 4th, our family has had near-constant conversation about the tragic flooding in the Hill Country, which, to date, has claimed the lives of over 100 people. As a father of five children, I cannot fathom the pain that so many parents and family members are going through right now. Trite comments and platitudes have no place in moments of tragedy. The better way forward is to obey the command of Romans 12:15, which tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” As tears have streamed down so many faces over the last several days, the appropriate response is to weep alongside those who weep. We must resist the urge to be like Job’s friends, who, after several days of silent weeping (the thing they got right!), amid Job’s sorrow, sought an explanation that would satisfy their ill-conceived theology of blessing and suffering. While questions regarding protocols and flood detection should surely be explored in the near future, and the heroic efforts of first responders should be lauded as we hear stories of rescue, we must not forget to weep and grieve as those with hope in Christ. Let us mourn with those who mourn.A PrayerWould you pray with me?A Blessing“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)Thanks for reading Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough! This post is public so feel free to share it.Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A VerseMatthew 12:9-14He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.A CommentToday’s passage appears in the context of Jesus’ dispute with the Pharisees over the Sabbath command. You can get a fuller idea of the context by reading the preceding verses in Matthew 12:1-8, but for today’s devotional, I want to take a look at the man with the withered hand.From a narrative perspective, the man with the withered hand is not really the point of the story. The main point of the story is the lordship of Christ over the Sabbath, His authority to interpret and apply God’s law accurately, and the response of the Pharisees to Jesus. The man with the withered hand plays a role in the story, but he’s not really the point. With that said, however, I cannot help but think about this unnamed man. Here’s what we know:First, the man with the withered hand was at the synagogue on the Sabbath. We have no indication from this passage that the man showed up at the synagogue expecting to find Jesus there on that Sabbath so that he could be healed. In fact, given the language of verse 10, where we see the Pharisees question Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”, it is entirely possible that the Pharisees requested that the man be there so that they “might accuse” Jesus of healing on the Sabbath. Of course, the man with the withered hand might have just been at the synagogue out of habit as a faithful Jew, and the Pharisees tried to take advantage of the situation to catch Jesus.In terms of the question in the passage, healing on the Sabbath, at least given what we know about the Pharisees, would have been permissible in situations of life-or-death, but not in cases where the man could have been healed on another day of the week; such healing would not have been permitted. For the man with the withered hand, while his situation was challenging, it did not rise to the level of “life-or-death” according to the traditional interpretation of the Sabbath by the Pharisees. It was likely that his hand had been withered, literally “dried,” for some time.Thanks for reading Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough! This post is public so feel free to share it.Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ question with a question of his own, regarding how they would handle a situation involving one of their sheep on the Sabbath. Jesus’ question aims to expose the hypocrisy of these particular Pharisees who had specific rules for everyone else but found loopholes to help them navigate their rigorous interpretations and application of the Mosaic law. From here, Jesus employs an argument known as a “lesser-to-greater” argument to show that the inclination of the Pharisees to save their own sheep but allow this man with the withered hand to continue to suffer is wrong. In other words, men are more important than sheep, therefore, it is “lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”Now that we have a context, we come back to the man with the withered hand. The Pharisees are basically using him. He likely didn’t come seeking Jesus, and probably dealt with some shame in his local synagogue. After exposing the error of the Pharisees in his midst, Jesus turns to the man with the withered hand and issues a command: Stretch out your hand. That’s quite a command for a man with a withered hand to hear, don’t you think? How can a man with a withered hand respond to Jesus’ command to “stretch your hand?” Is that not the very problem that the man had in the first place? He is incapable of stretching out his hand. His hand is withered. It is paralyzed. He does not possess the ability to do what Jesus has just commanded him to do. What kind of man commands someone to do what they cannot do?While the man is incapable of obeying Jesus’ command on his own, nonetheless, he believes in Jesus enough to attempt to obey Him, and as he does, the withered hand is restored. The man with the withered hand becomes the man with a formerly withered hand on account of the power of Jesus. The command of Jesus supplies what is required of the man. And, as a result, the man is healed.In many ways, this story of the healing of the man with the withered hand parallels the Christian’s new birth in Christ. We are commanded to repent of our sins and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, as we are told in Scripture, we are, by nature and by choice, dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-10). Dead men cannot choose to repent and believe unless the One who is calling them gives them, by His own sovereign power and prerogative, the ability to repent and believe.Our own healing is not the result of our combined effort with Jesus. Much like the man with the formerly withered hand, we need Jesus to give us the power to do what He commands us to do. Only Jesus gives life to the dead. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Stretch out your hand to the Lord, who alone gives life.Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.A PrayerWould you pray with me?A BlessingNow may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)WHMI UpdateFrom now until 8/22/2025, new gifts to our budget at WHMI are doubled due to a generous matching gift. To learn more about WHMI, click the image below to take you to our website. Any support would be greatly appreciated!Prayer NeedsFor those who have followed my work at WHMI, I assumed a new role at the beginning of this year, in addition to my previous responsibilities as Director of Partnership and Curriculum. I am now also the Director of Europe. So far this year, I have traveled for work in Latvia, France, Romania, and Slovenia (2x). Later this month, I will travel to the UK for meetings with a church planting network, and then, in September, I will likely return to Belarus. As you have a chance, please pray not only for the broader work of WHMI but also for my work in Europe. While Europe may seem like a region of the world that does not need theological education, as a whole, Europe is one of the least-reached areas of the world due to rapid secularization. Many evangelical churches in Europe struggle to find a pastor, and as a result, many godly young men are forgoing pastoral ministry in favor of other vocations. WHMI aims to provide such men with the theological training that they need to serve the churches in Europe well. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s “A Verse, A Comment, A Prayer, A Blessing” is Audio Only, so be sure to listen to the audio file linked at the top of this message for the Comment, Prayer, and Blessings sections of the newsletter. Also, don’t miss the Keith Green bonus at the bottom ;)Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.A VersePsalm 127Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.A Little BonusThanks for reading Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A VersePsalm 51:10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.A CommentIn commenting on Psalm 51, Dr. Jim Hamilton wrote, “If God’s standard cannot be changed, the man who would enjoy God’s holiness must be. This is why David prays as he does in the following verses. David desires more than forgiveness in this psalm. He prays to be transformed into a man who loves holiness and acts on that love.”As I reflect on this Psalm specifically and the Christian life more generally, I believe this is an important observation. When God mercifully reveals our sinfulness, we, as Christians, should not only pray for forgiveness (as Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:12) but also for an inward renewal —a transformation of the heart that results in holy living and the restoration of the “joy of our salvation” (Psalm 51:12).Thanks for reading Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough! This post is public so feel free to share it.A PrayerWould you join me in praying the truths of this passage today?A BlessingNow to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A VersePsalm 67To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.1 May God be gracious to us and bless usand make his face to shine upon us, Selah2 that your way may be known on earth,your saving power among all nations.3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you!4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,for you judge the peoples with equityand guide the nations upon earth. Selah5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you!6 The earth has yielded its increase;God, our God, shall bless us.7 God shall bless us;let all the ends of the earth fear him!A CommentLately, I’ve been spending a lot of time on planes. I don’t tend to sleep well on them, so I typically spend my time listening to audiobooks. Yesterday, I finished listening to an audiobook I read years ago. The book is entitled Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper. This is a wonderful book on the heart of God for the nations. I highly recommend it! The title comes from this morning’s passage, specifically verse 4, which says, “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.”But why does the psalmist appeal to the nations to “be glad and rejoice?” The reason is found in verses 1-2, which state, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations,” and the end of verse 4, which states, “For you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth.” Thus, the appeal to “be glad and rejoice” is rooted in the nations knowing God’s saving power and seeing His sovereign rule over the earth. The psalmist continues, noting that as the Lord blesses His people, the nations will fear Him.As I have reflected on this passage over the last few days, I have felt its gravitational pull, causing me to think about how desperate we are for God’s salvation to be known throughout the earth. The call of the nations to be glad in God demands that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And nothing short of the supernatural power of God’s grace working through the gospel of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit can lead to all the nations of the earth being glad in God.So, as we reflect on this psalm and the call to the nations to be glad, let us also recognize that this work depends on the Lord’s blessing. It is not a task that we can accomplish in our own strength. It is a work that requires Jesus’ presence with us (Matthew 28:18-20). We can trust Him to fulfill His purposes in us for His glory and the good of the peoples of earth!A PrayerWould you pray with me?A BlessingMay God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.A Song Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

Hey everyone,I’m in Indonesia this week! Check out the video and consider joining me in prayer this week.CBH Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 6:10-7:2The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. And they put the ark of the LORD on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the LORD. And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the LORD. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great blow. Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to you.”And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the LORD. From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.A CommentPlease listen to the audio above for today’s comments…A PrayerPlease listen to the audio above for today’s comments…A BlessingPlease listen to the audio above for today’s comments… Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 6:1-9The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. And take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”A CommentIn today’s passages, we see the Philistines concede that the LORD, the God of Israel, is too great for them. As one OT scholar describes the scene, “To send the ark of Yahweh back would be to acknowledge a religio-political defeat, and such a decision would not be made lightly, especially since there were apparently some who did not believe the link between the ark and the plague was proven beyond a reasonable doubt (vv. 3, 9). But now they admit defeat and ask the priests how to go about sending the ark back.” While the Philistines had defeated the Israelites, they could not defeat the LORD. His presence was too great. So, the Philistine religious authorities made plans to send the Ark away from their presence.In choosing to send the Ark of the LORD away from their presence, the religious leaders believed that people should make some sort of recompense for their error. Having come to realize that it was likely the LORD God of Israel who had afflicted the people with tumors for the past seven months, they made the decision to fashion and send five golden tumors and five golden mice with the Ark. The significance of the number “five” in this passage is related to the five regions of the Philistines: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. Why golden tumors and golden mice? Because the LORD had afflicted the Philistine people with tumors and ravaged their fields with mice (See verse 5). By sending these golden items, the Philistines were attempting to make a sort of peace offering with the LORD God of Israel. After deciding what to send with the Ark of the LORD, the Philistines had to figure out how to send the Ark of the LORD. They wanted it out of their region. So, the decision was made to take two milk cows that still had nursing calves but who had never borne a yoke and see if they would carry the Ark of the LORD to Beth-shemesh. There are a few things worth noting here. First, two milk cows that were still nursing their calves would not be inclined to leave the region where their calves were located. It would be against their motherly instinct to leave their nursing calves. Furthermore, given that they had never worn a yoke or pulled a cart, if these milk cows not only left their nursing calves but also carried the Ark of the LORD to Beth-shemesh, then it would demonstrate to the Philistines that it was the hand of the Lord that brought about the plague. So, not only are the Philistines trying to figure out what to do with the Ark of the LORD, but they are also trying to test whether or not the LORD is the One responsible for their misery.And what do we see in the closing verses? The milk cows who have never been yoked to a cart not only leave their nursing calves but also travel to Beth-shemesh, demonstrating that it was, in fact, the LORD who was bringing calamity on the Philistines. This demonstrates that the LORD not only defeated the Philistines with the plague but also that He was sovereign over nature, causing the milk cows to act contrary to their instinct, leaving their nursing calves behind in service to the LORD. Even the cows obey the sovereign Lord.Before we pray, I want us to marvel at our sovereign God who rules over His enemies and His creation. The Philistines could not defeat Him. Nor could nature fail to obey Him. He rules with absolute sovereignty over the world to restore His presence among His people, even when His people have gone astray. There is a divine mercy embedded in this story that we must not fail to see. The LORD is free in His actions, and His actions are oriented to His glory and the good of His people.A PrayerWould you pray with me?A BlessingNow may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. the Lord be with all of you. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 5:1-12When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.A CommentIn this morning’s passage, we get a glimpse into how the Philistines were interpreting their victory over the Israelites. After capturing the Ark of the LORD, the Philistines brought it into the temple of their god, Dagon. One OT scholar noted, “The comparatively small ark is brought as a trophy of victory, point to Dagin’s victory.” In other words, the Philistines believed that they triumphed over Israel because of the superiority of Dagon, their god. But, as the story continues, we learn that what seemed like victory over the God of Israel was actually defeat.Once the Ark of the LORD was in Dagon’s temple, the people would come to the temple to worship in the morning. On the first morning, the Philistine people go into the temple and find Dagon lying on the ground, facedown before the Ark of the Lord. Initially, it would appear that the people didn’t really understand the significance of finding their deity face down in his own temple before the Ark of the Lord. So, they set their god back up and go on about their day. However, the next morning, they come into their temple and find Dagon’s head and hands cut off, fallen down again.Dagon’s fallen and dismembered state can only signal one thing: the LORD has killed him. Thus, the point of the story is not the victory of the Philistines or Dagon over the Israelites, but rather the victory of the LORD over the Israelites and the Philistines! Hence, we remember the question that the Israelites asked back in 1 Samuel 4:3, which essentially said, “Why has the LORD allowed us to be defeated?” The answer: the Israelites had not regarded Him rightly. They sought to use the LORD’s presence for their own ends but soon learned that the LORD would not be manipulated.Furthermore, the Philistines learn a partial lesson here. They learned that the LORD is greater than Dagon. Yet, tragically, instead of turning away from their idol worship to the LORD, they persist in their idolatry and send the Ark of the LORD away. And herein lies one of the saddest realities about idolatry: it blinds us to reality. We might think to ourselves, “If I had been a priest of Dagon and walked into our temple to find our diety dismembered at the threshold before the Ark of the LORD, then I would have abandoned my idolatry!” Yet, that is not what the Philistines did. Instead of repenting, they sent the presence of the Lord away.As I think about this story, it reminds me of Jesus’ deliverance of the demon-possessed men in Matthew 8:28-34. According to Matthew, when Jesus came into the region of Gadarenes, he was confronted with two demon-possessed men. Jesus delivered the men from their possession and cast the demons into a herd of pigs in the region. You would think that the people of Gadarenes, themselves likely tormented at times by the demon-possessed men, would rejoice in their deliverance and proclaim their faith in Jesus. Yet, this is now what happens. Instead, even after witnessing Jesus’ defeat of the evil spirits in their midst, they “beg him to leave their regions.” In a sense, we see something similar in the Philistine’s response to the Ark of the Lord. This should teach us that the Lord's presence and power can be perceived in different ways by different people at different times. For some, the presence and power of the Lord might be viewed as a blessing, as a welcomed reality that brings salvation and deliverance in the victory of the forces of evil. Yet, for others, that very same presence brings great destruction. This was surely the case among the Philistines and the Gadarenes. So, I want to ask us this morning to consider both the blessing and the danger of the presence and power of the Lord. The Lord will not be manipulated. He will not be used as we see fit. Those who regard Him rightly, with humility and honor, will understand His presence and power as a blessing to His people. But those who arrogantly seek to use or commandeer Him will face destruction. How are you approaching the Lord? Do you approach Him as someone to be used for your own will? Or do you approach Him as the Lord who rules over your life? How you approach Him will impact not only your perception of his presence and power but also the function of His presence and power in your life. If you approach the Lord as a means to an end instead of the End in itself, do not be surprised when what you perceive to be a blessing actually brings great pain and destruction in your life. You approach God as the great God over all, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, or you don’t approach Him at all. The story of the Ark of the Lord among the Philistines should remind us of this reality. Furthermore, it should remind us of our need to approach the LORD in Jesus Christ, who grants us to boldly approach the throne of grace with the right perspective about who He is and what He does in this world.A PrayerWould you pray with me?A BlessingGrace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the rulers of the kings of the earth. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 4:12-22A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”A CommentI know everyone is upset that I was not able to share this uplifting passage on Valentine’s Day yesterday, but I’ve been down with a pretty bad headache for the last two days, so hopefully you will forgive me ;)Obviously, this is a tragic passage. Eli receives the awful news that his two sons have been killed and that the Ark of the Lord has been captured by the Philistines. Based on the way that this message reads, there appears to be an intentional order to the awful news. First, the messenger from the tribe of Benjamin reports that the Israelites had been defeated. The winners of war do not have to flee from it. Second, the news of the death of Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phineas, is reported. Regardless of the fact that Eli had already heard the prophecy from Samuel regarding their just destruction for their behavior as priests, we should expect Eli to be heartbroken over the loss of boys. Yet, it is the final piece of the news of the capture of the Ark of the Lord that metaphorically and literally kills Eli. The symbol of the Lord’s presence in the midst of His people had been taken away. The glory of the Lord, as manifested by the presence of the Ark, had literally departed from among the people of Israel. Upon hearing the news, Eli falls to his death. The author includes a detail about Eli’s weight at the time of his death, which hints to the fact that it was not only Eli’s sons who were enriching themselves from the people’s offerings.In the final scene of this story, Eli’s daughter-in-law, due to the grief of the news of the death of her husband, goes into labor, and due to difficulties in the labor, she dies as well. However, before she dies, the midwives inform her that she has borne a son. She, however, would not be comforted by this news. For, she names the son, “Ichabod,” which means, “No glory,” or “the glory has departed.”The birth of Eli’s grandson, Ichabod, points to the departure of the glory of God among the people of Israel. One commentator notes, “Banishment from the presence of God was a penalty threatened in the covenant (Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64), but here it is God who has departed the land. “Glory” (from the same root as “heavy” or “honored” in 1 Sam. 4:18) probably goes beyond a reference to the ark as such, obliquely pointing to the Lord himself (15:29), or at any rate to his glory-presence (Lev. 16:2; Num. 7:89; Ps. 106:19–22). The concluding words are the narrator’s commentary emphasizing what has brought this about: God-abandonment is the tragic outcome for a people who have abandoned their God. Moreover, being abandoned by God, they are deprived of the symbol of his presence as well.”How should we respond to this passage? While there is a lot that could be said here, I think it is important for us to recognize that we cannot put our hope or our trust in our own religious performance. It is possible to do external things without having an inward affection for God. This was the case for Eli and his sons. While they conducted their priestly service outwardly, their hearts were far from the Lord.We, thus, ought to examine not only our actions but also our motives. As one commentator mentions, “In all spiritual matters there remains an absolute obligation for self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).” To state this principle in the form of a question, “What motives you to do the things that you do?” Are you motivated by the glory of God or the glory of self? If you are motivated by the glory of self, there will be no room for the glory of God. And when this is case, 1 Samuel 4:12-22 should serve as a warning to all of us. May we keep our eyes on Christ, living for His glory alone, and not our own.A PrayerWould you pray with me?A BlessingThe grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. 3 And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.5 As soon as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.A CommentThe beginning of verse 1 transitions from Samuel’s call as a prophet to the Ark of the Covenant story. In a sense, we are moving away from Samuel’s story for a few chapters to consider the situation of the Israelites and their priesthood under Eli and his sons, which is tied to Samuel’s prophecy from 1 Samuel 3. In terms of what we will encounter in 1 Samuel 4:1-11, we will witness the terrible consequences of assuming God can be controlled.With the first words of the second part of verse 1, we see the Israelites going to war with the Philistines. Some scholars believe these words should be tied to the first sentence of verse 1 regarding the “word of Samuel coming to all of Israel.” Other scholars think that we should read the beginning of verse 1 as a conclusion to 1 Samuel 3:21.At this point, it is helpful to remember that chapter and verse divisions were not a part of the original text of Scripture. They were added hundreds of years after the canonization of Scripture. So, there is a genuine sense in which it is a judgment call on the reader's part to determine whether we should interpret the second half of verse 1 as related to the first half of verse 1 or as an independent introduction to a new section. If you read the second half of verse 1 as tied to the first half of verse 1, then you could interpret what follows in 1 Samuel 4:2-11 as a response to Samuel’s words, which lead the Israelites to engage the Philistines in battle. In light of the rest of 1 Samuel 4:2-11,I believe it is best to read the first section of verse 1 as a conclusion to the end of chapter 3 and the second half of verse 1 as introducing a new section about the Ark of the Covenant. I believe this understanding of the structure of the passage makes the most sense of what we find in 1 Samuel 4:2-11. What do I mean by this? I mean that what we see is the Israelites making assumptions about the presence and blessing of God in their battle with the Philistines, which leads to their defeat.If we read that Samuel’s words to the Israelites told them to go to war with the Philistines, then we have a few things that we have to deal with. First, if Samuel told them to go to battle with the Philistines, we must explain why the Israelites lost the battle. One explanation could be that Samuel was sending them into battle so that God’s prophecy regarding Hophni and Phineas would be fulfilled, which we see at the end of verse 11 after the capture of the Ark of the Covenant. The other way to read this passage is to see the first part of verse 1 as a conclusion to chapter , and then the second part of verse 1 as a new section, wherein the Israelites presume upon the Lord’s presence and blessing in their military action against the Philistines. Based on the text itself, we do not see any indication that the Lord had called the Israelites to go to war with the Philistines at this point in their history. Furthermore, we see the Israelites using the Ark of the Covenant as a means to an end instead of the symbol of the Lord’s presence in their midst.Given how pathetic the priesthood was in those days, we should not be surprised to see the Israelites taking the gift of the Lord’s presence in the form of the Ark of the Covenant in Shiloh and attempting to use it however they saw fit. Initially, when they lost the battle, they wondered why the Lord had allowed them to be defeated. The Israelites blamed the Lord for their loss without ever considering that maybe it was their sin or presumption that caused their defeat. So, they responded by bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield, assuming that God could be controlled, but this was a tragic error.God is not a thing to be manipulated for the satisfaction of the desires of our flesh. We cannot simply carry His presence into the midst of our endeavors and expect Him to bless the things He has not authorized. As later passages like Psalm 78:56-58 describe, when we take the LORD and attempt to fashion Him into our own likeness and conform Him to our own wills, we are guilty of sinful idolatry. He might be present in the midst of our endeavors, just as the Ark was present when the Israelites went into battle with the Philistines, but He won’t be there to bless us. It will be to discipline us. There are so many things that I could mention here, but this devotional is already longer than normal. However, I need to mention a few things we must understand as we prepare to approach God in prayer. This passage teaches us that God will not be controlled by us. He is the Potter; we are the clay. We don’t get to bring Him into whatever we want to accomplish and expect Him to do it. God will not be controlled. If He could be controlled, then He would cease to be God. I see this so often with people who misinterpret and misapply the Bible in ways that claim that God always wants to bless us with material prosperity. It may be health, wealth, or other forms of prosperity. They will quote passages like Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope,” assuming that this passage means that God never intends for us to go through hardship, difficulty, or discipline. Of course, most people who quote this passage are either ignorant or willfully disregarding its context, which situates the passage in the context of Babylonian exile for Judah. Most people don’t want to be reminded that this “cute” Bible verse we put on our bags and t-shirts appears in the context of 70 years of God’s discipline on His rebellious people. We just read or hear this passage and assume that God will do what I want Him to do when I want Him to do it, which is the same sin that we see the Israelites committing in 1 Samuel 4:1-11.As we reflect on this passage, we must be humbled by it. We need to not only read the passage but let this passage read us as well. We need it to expose the places in our lives where we have carelessly sought to carry the presence of the LORD, thinking that we could control Him while His Word clearly shows He will not be controlled. Even as we prepare to pray, we must recognize that our prayers do not make God do anything. Our God is in the heavens, He does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3). Thus, prayer is not about manipulating God or making Him do whatever we want Him to do, but rather making our requests to Him to do in and through us whatever pleases Him according to His will.May the Lord deliver us from the kind of presumption that we see in the Israelites in 1 Samuel 4:1-11, and grant us to approach Him with humility, making our request known without assuming that we always know what’s best in our lives.A PrayerWould you pray with me this morning?A BlessingTherefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 3:1-21Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.” And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.A CommentIn this morning’s passage, we encounter what one scholar describes as the tragic and transformative Word of God. The LORD calls and speaks to Samuel regarding the thing that He is about to do in Israel. Yet, the thing He is about to do is tragic. For, the word to Samuel is a message of sure judgment to Eli and his sons for their disobedience. Herein lies the tragedy. Eli, a man who should have known better, had ignored the Word of the Lord to previous generations. Like the people in the book of Judges, Eli and his sons “did what was right in their own eyes.” And the results were devastating.Yet, there is more than mere tragedy in these verses. There is also transformation, particular for Samuel, the one who would hear and heed that Word of the Lord. Whereas God will bring judgment on Eli’s household, the Word of the Lord would transform Samuel into God’s prophet among the people of Israel. The LORD would ensure the faithfulness of Samuel’s words as His prophet. None of Samuel’s words would fall to the ground, meaning, as one OT scholar put it, “The Lord authenticates his prophet by bringing about all that he tells him to announce, and so Samuel passes the test of Deuteronomy 18:21–22.”Word of the LORD is faithful and true, bringing tragedy to those who disregard it but transformation to those who hear and heed it. May we hear and heed the Word of the LORD this morning as we prepare our hearts to respond in prayer.A PrayerWould you pray with me?A BlessingGrace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 3:1Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.A CommentThis morning’s passage describes the sad situation that the people of Israel found themselves in during the days of Eli’s priesthood. While Samuel was faithful to minister “to the LORD” during his days in the temple, it was a ministry so unfamiliar with the voice of the LORD that once the LORD did reveal Himself to Samuel (as seen in the following verses), Eli initially did not even know what to do.Can you imagine a sadder indictment on Israel’s priesthood? The high priest, Eli, had grown so apathetic to the problems in his own household with his sons, Hophni and Phineas, that when the LORD did reveal Himself to Samuel in the temple in Shiloh that he didn’t know how to respond.When I read this passage, I cannot help but think of the familiar though often misunderstood and misapplied passage from Proverbs 29:18, which says, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” This passage is sometimes translated (or at least known) as saying, “Without a vision, the people perish.” How often have I heard church leaders use this passage to justify their visions for God’s people? But this passage is not about your church’s vision statement! It’s about the dreadful situation that God’s people find themselves in when they do not hear or receive the Word of God!Our greatest need as God’s people is not some cute or memorable saying that we have devised to help us build another building or start a new ministry. Rather, what the people of God need is the Word of God! The prophetic vision that Proverbs 29:18 refers to and the word that was the “rare” in the days of Eli’s ministry is the life-giving Word of God, which often confronts us and calls us to repentance and faith in Him.The vision we need this morning is the vision of God’s Word. Let us therefore not be so unfamiliar with God speaking through His Word that when we hear it we cannot discern it. Let us open our Bible and reflect and mediate on what God has said, lest we perish for lack of such a vision.A PrayerWould you pray with me?A BlessingTherefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A NotePlease share these devotionals with anyone and everyone who would be blessed by them!A Verse1 Samuel 2:27-36And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests’ places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”’A CommentToday, we are going to revisit 1 Samuel 2:27-36. Yesterday, we considered the words the prophet delivered to Eli regarding his household. But, as I mentioned at the beginning of that episode, this passage has too much to cover in one devotional. So, today, I want to look back at the prophetic significance of the prophet’s words regarding the priest that God would appoint in Eli's place.In its historical context, the priest who replaced Eli was Samuel. And Samuel’s pivotal role in the book of 1 Samuel is how he will anoint David as king in place of Saul. So, if you are wondering what the book of 1 Samuel is all about, it’s primarily focused on the legitimacy of David as God’s anointed and appointed King. However, some aspects about Samuel clue us in more here than initially meets the eye. I covered some of this earlier this week when I mentioned the use of language about Samuel growing in stature and in favor with God and man (1 Samuel 2:26). As noted previously, this language is similar to the language used to refer to Jesus in Luke 2:52, which says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”In 1 Samuel 2:27-36, we find language that highlights the nature of Samuel’s priesthood, which contrasts the priesthood of Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phineas. Yet, as we read Scripture as a collective whole, as a canon, we can also see this language in other places. For instance, as one scholar notes, we likely see an allusion to 1 Samuel 2:35 in passages like Hebrews 3:1-5, which states, “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later.In Hebrews 3:1-5, the author addresses the superiority of Jesus to Moses, yet Samuel falls within this Mosaic trajectory as a priest who would not be like his contemporaries. Thus, when we read 1 Samuel 2:27-36, we should be mindful of how later fulfillment of the man of God’s prophecy are fulfilled not only through the kingship of Jesus, but also through the priesthood of Jesus.In his excellent book, Typology: Understanding the Bible’s Promised-Shaped Patterns, James Hamilton notes this connection between the earlier promise of Samuel’s priesthood and Jesus’ later fulfillment (see pages 73-77). In this way, Samuel is a type of Christ, which means that there is both a historical significance to Samuel’s fulfillment of the promises made to Eli in 1 Samuel 2:27-36 but also an escalation of the fulfillment found in Jesus, the only true Priest who is faithful over all of God’s household.Why does this matter to us? If yesterday’s devotional was a little unsettling or challenging to receive because of our failure, we must recognize that we have a faithful priest who represents us before the Lord, Christ Jesus himself. Our failures to honor the Lord do not define our relationship with the Lord because Jesus is our mediator. Jesus is the one who fulfills what Eli, his sons, and even Samuel are unable to fulfill due to their own sinfulness and failure. This should fill us with hope and peace. To know that Jesus is our high priest who mediates our relationship to God should assuage our fear and guilt before God. The Lord knows that we fail and will continue to fail in and of ourselves. Yet, He has made provision in Christ. Thus, while the message of 1 Samuel 2:27-36 certainly implies expectations of our honoring of the Lord, it also reminds us that we, like others, will fail and need a better priest. Christ is the priest we need, and Christ is the priest provided. May we run to him for the forgiveness we need!A PrayerWould you pray with me?A Blessing Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 2:27-36And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests’ places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”A CommentWe are going to look at this passage today and tomorrow. I cannot pass over the significance of the prophet’s words regarding a faithful priest, but I also do not want to miss the importance of the warning all parents should receive from the prophet’s rebuke to Eli.Admittedly, this passage is sad. Eli is confronted by the man of God, a prophet sent by the Lord to rebuke him for his failure as a priest and a parent. While Hophni and Phinehas will be held accountable by the Lord for their evil deeds, Eli is also responsible. Eli should have dealt with his sons’ evil. Instead, he was apathetic to their evil. While it may have grieved him personally, it did not grieve him enough to act. And, as a result, his sons did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes.Every believing parent that reads this passage ought to slow down and reflect on the words of this passage. Eli is accused (rightly) of “honoring” his sons above the Lord by disregarding the Lord’s commands. Maybe Eli felt that he should address the problems that he saw in his sons. Maybe Eli felt that if he honored the Lord above his sons that he would drive them away. But Eli was wrong. It is never right to honor anyone, even your children, more highly than the Lord.Obviously, this applies to more than just one’s relationship to their children. It could apply to one’s spouse or to one’s profession or a host of other things. But we need to see here that the Lord is jealous for His glory. He will not share it with another. If Eli wanted to show regard for his sons, then he should have shown ultimate regard for God. But he didn’t. And his decision will be devastating for his family. May we heed the warning to regard the glory of the Lord above all.A PrayerWould you pray with me?A BlessingMay the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 2:11-26Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest.Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD. The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt.Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the LORD give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the LORD.” So then they would return to their home.Indeed the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the LORD.Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death.Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and also with man.A CommentIn 1 Samuel 2:11-26, we witness a contrast between Samuel and Eli’s sons. But more than just the contrast between the faithful servant Samuel and the fallen priests, Eli's sons, we can discern a prophetic vision, pointing us to the ultimate truth: Christ, our Great High Priest, surpasses all others in His perfect service to God and His people.As we observe Samuel, a young boy serving with wholehearted devotion, we are compelled to see a faint reflection of the greater reality in Christ. Samuel's dedication in the temple shadows the complete and perfect dedication of Jesus Christ, who entered not a temple made with hands but the very heavens themselves, offering up His life as a once-for-all sacrifice for our sins. In Samuel’s faithfulness, we glimpse the unwavering faithfulness of our Savior, who, in His life, death, and resurrection, fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf. We even see that the language that was used to describe Samuel in verse 26 is used again in Luke 2:52 to describe Jesus.Now, contrast this with the stark warning embodied in Eli’s sons, who, though priests by lineage, utterly fail in their priestly duties, succumbing to corruption and sin. Their downfall reminds us of the inadequacy of any mere human mediator and our desperate need for a perfect priest. And in this need, the gospel shines gloriously: Christ stands as the fulfillment of what every priest pointed to but could never achieve. Unlike Eli's sons, Christ never sinned; unlike any earthly priest, He offers us a perfect, unbreakable relationship with God.Herein lies our profound comfort and unshakeable hope: in Christ, we have a High Priest who is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He never fails! He doesn't just serve in the temple; He is the temple, the meeting place of God and man. In Him, we find not only an example of faithful service but our very means of salvation.A PrayerWould you join me in prayer?A BlessingNow may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 2:8-10He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world. He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.A CommentI invite you to marvel at the grand narrative of redemption woven through these verses, where God's sovereignty and grace intersect in a glorious display. In His majestic wisdom, the Lord exalts the humble, a beautiful reflection of His boundless mercy revealed supremely in Jesus Christ. This passage paints a picture of the Gospel itself: just as God lifts the needy from the dust, so has Christ lifted us from the depths of sin to the heights of His grace.Let this profound truth stir your hearts. Our God, who holds the earth's foundations, has demonstrated His ultimate compassion and power in Christ. In our trials and weaknesses, we are profoundly reminded of the Savior's humble journey to the cross. Our weaknesses and lowliness only magnify Christ's strength and majesty.Rejoice in this: our salvation, our hope, and our exaltation are not grounded in our might but in Christ's finished work. Let us find our deepest satisfaction and our greatest joy not in the fleeting pleasures of this world but in the enduring, unchanging love of Christ. In Him, our weary souls find rest, our broken spirits find healing, and our lives find their truest meaning and purpose. Christ is our strength, our righteousness, and our exalted King.And, if we know this story, we know that Hannah’s prayer for the king at the end of these verses, while certainly applicable to David, will ultimately be fulfilled through Christ, great David’s greater Son.A PrayerWould you join me in prayer?A BlessingMay the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. In the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be lifted from your lowliness to the heights of His love and mercy. Amen. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 2:6-7The LORD kills and brings to life;he brings down to Sheol and raises up.The LORD makes poor and makes rich:he brings low and exalts.A CommentIn verses 6-7, Hannah’s prayer of praise is somewhat startling. She praises the Lord as the One who both kills and resurrects. The One who makes poor and rich. The One who humbles and exalts. Our tendency, at least here in the West, is only to want to focus on the Lord who resurrects, makes rich, and exalts. But if we focus on one aspect of the Lord’s work to the neglect of another, we will not see the fullness of His majesty.Our God is the One who has complete sovereignty over life and death. Complete sovereignty over poverty and riches. Complete sovereignty over humbling and exalting. And these realities are not in tension with one another. Both life and death, poverty and riches are in His hands. And He is worthy of our praise for His marvelous works.When Hannah uses the language of “death” and “life,” of “poverty and riches,” we need to see that the point here is God’s sovereign rule over all. We call this type of language a “merismus,” which refers to a rhetorical device (a figure of speech) that “describes the whole of something by specifying its two extremes, such as contrasting or complementary parts.” By considering these two extremes, death and life or poverty and riches, we see that nothing is outside of God’s power.As uncomfortable as this thought might be to some of us this morning, we need to see that if we are a praying people, we already believe this to one degree. If you have ever prayed that God would preserve or save someone’s life, then you already believe what our passage is saying. If you have ever prayed for God’s justice to be carried out on the wicked, then you already believe these truths. God is God over all. If He is not, then He is no god at all. And while aspects of this prayer of praise might make us skirm a little, we need to see that God’s sovereignty is actually for our good. In fact, it is a belief in His sovereignty over all that enables us to pray and entrust ourselves and others to Him. It is this kind of sovereignty that helps us to read passages like Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”There is nothing outside of God’s control that He is not working for the good of His people in Jesus Christ. We can rest in His power this morning, and pray accordingly, because He truly is the God who rules over all aspects of our life!A PrayerWould you pray with me?A BlessingMay the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 2:4-5The bows of the mighty are broken,but the feeble bind on strength.Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.The barren has borne seven,but she who has many children is forlorn.A CommentIn these verses, we see that what was impossible with man was made reality with God. I love how one OT scholar describes what is going on in 1 Samuel 2:4-5. He writes, “One of the Lord’s immeasurable deeds is the reversal of life situations. He is the one who acts according to his sovereign will, often beyond human understanding and common sense.”O’ how we need to have this perspective about the situations that we face in life! The circumstances of shame and hardship that we find ourselves in are never beyond God’s sovereign control or plan for our lives. And, if we pay attention to God’s Word, we will see this over and over again. We see it in the lives of others in Scripture. We see it in Joseph’s life, who was sold into slavery by his brothers but, through God’s power, ascends to the height of power in Egypt. We see it in the life of David, who all but overlooked but eventually became the king of Israel. We see it in the life of Esther, who was a humble Jewish woman who became queen over a nation and preserved the life of her people. At each point, the mighty fall but the weak rise. Why? Because God was at work!What circumstances are you facing this morning that seem completely out of your hands? Do not judge the Lord’s kindness or ability by what you are able to perceive! Instead, look to the One who brings down the mighty but exalts the lowly! Look to the God who casts down the mighty but raises up the weak and be comforted and strengthened this morning. Put your hope in this great God!A PrayerWould you join me in prayer?A BlessingMay the Lord give strength to His people and bless you with His peace. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse1 Samuel 2:1-3And Hannah prayed and said,“My heart exults in the LORD;my horn is exalted in the LORD.My mouth derides my enemies,because I rejoice in your salvation.There is none holy like the LORD:for there is none besides you;there is no rock like our God.Talk no more so very proudly,let not arrogance come from your mouth;for the LORD is a God of knowledge,and by him actions are weighed.”A CommentToday’s passage covers the beginning of Hannah’s prayer of praise to the LORD for providing her with a son. If you recall from the beginning of chapter 1, Hannah was barren and the object of ridicule from her rival, Penninah. The LORD, however, hears and answers her prayer. Hannah promised to dedicate her son to the LORD, which we see occurring at the end of chapter 1. Chapter 2 serves as a break in the story about Hannah and Samuel, highlighting her trust in the LORD.In this morning’s passage, there are so many things that I would love to point out, but we just don’t have the time to dig in in such a brief devotional. I do, however, want to encourage you to send some time meditating on Hannah’s response of prayerful praise to the LORD. So, here are a few things that you should look at:* Hannah’s emotional response to the LORD - Note how she describes her response to the LORD. It is with her “heart” that she “exults” in the Lord. As one scholar put it, “My heart refers to all the faculties of Hannah’s inner being, while “exults” is a strong term for the triumphant celebration of a victory.” Yet, as the scholar goes on to say, “The repeated ‘in the LORD’ makes clear that Hannah’s joy derives from what he has done for her in overcoming her childlessness.”* Hannah’s strength in the LORD - The idea of strength is found in the symbolic language of Hannah’s reference to “my horn.” Again, many scholars note that “the horn of an animal was considered the source of its strength.” For Hannah to declare that the source of her strength, her glory is in the LORD is important. Her exultation of the LORD is not found in her own abilities or strength, but in God who supplies all of her needs.* Hannah’s theological reflections on the LORD - Whereas other ancient Near Eastern communities praised the strength and power of their deities, Hannah’s declaration about the holiness, justice, and power of God serve as a contrast to all other “gods.” Hannah’s God is utterly unique. He is not like the other so-called “gods.”What significance do these reflections have for us this morning? Again, much could be said here, but for now, I want us to see how important it is for us to have a true understanding of the God we praise. In fact, I would say that the more we grow in our understanding of God, the more we will praise Him for who He is.Take time this morning to reflect on who God is and what He has accomplished, especially the salvation that He has brought about in your life through Jesus Christ. As you do this, my hope is that you will respond like Hannah with praise in your prayers, honoring Him for His great work of grace in your life.A PrayerWould you join me in prayer?A BlessingMay the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe