The Bible says in 1st Samuel 2:1-3 after Samuel the Prophet was born to Hannah, "And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed." She was, of course, giving God the glory for answering her prayer. She had been vexed by Elkaneh's other wife to the point of distraction. There are a couple of lessons here;
1) It is not good to have more than one wife!
2) No, Elkaneh was not better to Hannah than ten sons. (See 1st Samuel 1:5-8)
The main focus of this post is the last part of 1st Samuel 2:3, "the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed," thus the question why? Why do we do what we do? The Bible says in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 16:25 says virtually the same thing. So why do folks do what they do? Perhaps because it seems right to them.
No one in their right mind would purposely put their hand into an open flame. And no one in their right mind would purpose in their heart to go to hell. We had an evangelist come to the church in Newberg several years ago who tried to witness to whoever he saw. He would engage someone in conversation and determine if they believed in heaven. During the course of the conversation he would ask them, "if you thought that repentance was necessary to go to heaven, would you repent?" The evangelist would then show them in the Bible where repentance is required to go to heaven and ask if they would be willing to repent. No one in their right mind would say no to a question like that. He would then ask if they would be baptized if they thought that it was a requirement to go to heaven. If they said yes, the evangelist would then show them in the Bible where it was necessary to be baptized to make heaven their home. No one in their right mind would argue with the need to be baptized. Finally he would entice them to come to church and preach the need to be filled with the Holy Ghost to be ready for heaven. No one in their right mind would refuse such a request. (By the way about 16 or 17 people were baptized in Jesus name that week from that revival)
Are you in your right mind today? The Apostle Paul said in Acts 20:18 -21, "...Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." If you knew that repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus was a requirement to get to heaven, would you not obey the gospel? Would you not repent of your sins, be baptized in Jesus name and be filled the the baptism of the Holy Ghost? (See Acts 2:38) If you would not consent to this the question then is, why?
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