The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-19
LESSON STORY.

Samuel is one of the great names OF
Israel. AS Judge and prophet, as teach
er and reformer, he left his impress on
the Hebrew nation.
Nevertheless there are some things
which concern his birth and childhood
disagreeable to contemplate. We feel
moral revulsion as we read that he came
from a polygamous home. His father
Elkanah lived in the hill-country OF
Ephraim, and he had taco aoiUes; the
name of one acos Hannah, and the name
of the other Peninnah. For Elkanah
to have a second wife while his first
wife was living was, according to Orien-
tai presidents, no blemish to his social
responsibility; but because it was trans
pression of the nature of things, it was
the dissertation and ruin of his home.
No home ever reached the ideal, or ap
preached it, except it was the dwelling
place of one man consecrated to one
woman, and one woman consecrated to
one man, each being the honored coun-
terpart of the other.
For some years, we are told, Hannah
had no children. while the rival wife,
Peninnah, had children. Every year
Elkanah took his entire family from his
home among the hills to Shiloh, to a
national feast,-probably the passover.
He would, according to the legal require
ment, there offer beasts for sacrifice, as
peace offerings. The blood of these
beasts would be poured at the foot OF
the altar before the tabernacle; the fat
would be given to the fire; the breasts
and right shoulders we're perquisites OF
the priests; the remainder of the animal
was returned to the one who made the
offering. On this portion there was
family feasting. to which the Levites,
the poor, the widows and orphans were
invited. Elkanah showed Partially for
Hannah by giving her double portion of
this feast meat. That of course stirred
the jealousy of Peninnah; her children,
as she claimed, entitled her to the larg-
or share.
This, repeated every year, made the
feasts to Hannah occasions for weeping
rather than rejoicing. Elkanah did
what was in his power to pacify her;
but her position could not be made a
comfortable one.
After one of the feasts Hannah, 10
bitterness of soul, stood by the gate OF
the tabernacle, near where Eli the high
priest had his seat, and she prayed: @
Lord of hosts. If thou a0iH indeed look
on the affection of thine handmade, and
remember me, and not forget thine
handmade, but aoiH giUe unto thine
handmade a mdit-chiLd, then aciH / giUt
him unto the Lord all the days of his
life, and there shall no razor come upon
has head. Her son, il given to her, be-
ing Of the family Of Levi, would be re-
quired to render service at the taberna
Gle from twenty.fiv to fifty years of age
but she now promises to give him to the
divine service all his life as Nazarite
on whose head no razor could pass. She
remained long praying, moving her lips
but uttering no words, and the aged Ell
supposed she was intoxicated with wine
But Hannah replied to his reprimand
No, nay Lord. 1 am a toonaan of sorrolo
ful spirit: Ihave drunk neither i0iRe non
strong drink, but I poured out my sou
before the Lord. Count not thine hand
maid a daughter of BeIial Ia wicked
daughter of the Worthless): for out o.
the abundance of mig complaint ana
mig provocation hath I spoken hitherto
When Eli preceived her real trouble he
said, Go IN peace: and the God of Israe