Covenant Presbyterian Church

The books of Samuel are bookended by two poetic passages. The first is Hannah’s prayer (2:1-10). At the other end is David’s psalm which comes at the end of 2 Samuel. Both Hannah’s prayer and David’s psalm encompass the themes of God’s holiness, power, and faithfulness. Hannah prays for the Lord to bring down the proud and mighty, and raise up the weak who trust in him. Her prayer will find a limited and temporary fulfillment in the reign of the shepherd David who replaces mighty Saul.

Hannah prays that God “will give strength to his king” even though there was not yet a king in Israel. But as early as Deuteronomy 17, there was an expectation that the Lord would choose a king for Israel, and certainly during the era of the Judges there was a longing for a king in Israel (8:22). In this sense, Hannah’s prayer is prophetic. Her words anticipate the dawning of a new era in Israel, the era her own son will introduce. The greater fulfillment of Hannah’s prayer will come in the arrival of the Lord Jesus. Little wonder then why Mary’s prayer sounds similar themes (Luke 1:46-55).

In the days of her grief, Hannah could not see what God was doing and what he would do. The truth would be far greater than she likely could have imagined. Her years of sorrowful waiting would work into Hannah’s heart the knowledge of God as a Savior, a Redeemer. And her son would help usher in an era which would represent a decisive turn in Israel’s history toward the longed-for Messiah, the King whose kingdom will never end.

Hannah’s story would not be complete without the record of her obedience in fulfilling her vow to the Lord. Some time has passed since the birth of Samuel (vs. 20). And now it is time for Elkanah and his family to return to Shiloh to worship the Lord and make sacrifices. Little Samuel had not yet been weaned (which typically happened at about 3 years) so Hannah, with her husband’s blessing, elected to remain home with the baby. She will return to Shiloh once she is able to fulfill her vow.

The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that “it is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it” (5:5). And what a vow Hannah had made! With little Samuel in tow and a substantial thank offering, Hannah heads off for Shiloh to keep her promise to the Lord (vs. 24). Hannah serves as a model for us in this. We should be very careful in the promises we make to the Lord. Wedding vows and church membership vows come to mind but what about our promises to the Lord to mortify our sin, walk in holiness, and love our neighbors? Do we understand the responsibilities such promises place upon us?

The passage ends with mention that, after having been given over to Eli the priest, Samuel “worshipped the Lord there.” As Samuel grew under the guidance of Eli, he became a man dedicated to service to the Lord. Such a sacrifice from a mother can hardly be understood by modern westerners. But in the end, Hannah’s story is not about Hannah. Her story is about God and his sovereign purposes. It is about his care for his people. The way that the Lord intervenes for Hannah is unusual but that he cared and acted in particular ways is not unusual. “If we really understand God’s goodness and really appreciate God’s gifts, then there bubbles up inside an almost uncontrollable urge to respond in the fullest way we can imagine” (Evans, 29).

The books of Samuel open with an account of abounding sorrow. Specifically, we are introduced to Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, who for years suffered the loss and shame of being childless. The Scriptures do not sentimentalize sorrow. Hannah’s misery is on full display. Her pain was especially acute in the tabernacle as she bore the mockery of Peninnah and yet we are inspired by her faithful perseverance. Indeed, Hannah sets an example for us as she seeks the Lord in prayer out of the depths of her sorrow. This she does because, however bitter have been her experiences, she still knows that the Lord of Hosts is a God who hears the cries of his people.

Eventually, for his own purposes and in kindness to Hannah, God granted her years-long prayer for a son. We are told that she conceived a son “in due time,” a reminder that this child came along at just the time the Lord had ordained, and the child was given the name Samuel which means “the Lord hears,” or “heard by the Lord.” What an appropriate name for a child prayed for, for so long.

God’s nature as the One who both hears the prayers and acts on behalf of his people should be the great motivating factor in persevering prayer. Hannah’s years of praying without receiving an answer were no doubt used by the Lord to prepare her to receive an answer that would, in the end, be a far greater blessing than even she could have imagined. God hears you, Christian. He cares for you in such a way that not a single one of your sorrows will be wasted as you cast your cares upon him (1 Peter 5:7).

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel are remarkable among ancient writing not least of all for the absence of monsters and demigods that populate ancient myths. The books of Samuel are profoundly human. Indeed the account begins not with kings or battles or royal intrigue but with the heartbreak of barren Hannah.

The books of Samuel belong to the category of Old Testament historical narrative. They are not epic poetry like the Odyssey. Nor do they bear any of the hallmarks of mythological writing. We will find no cyclops or sirens here. In these books we will read genealogies, records of military personnel, government records, and the accounts of battles won and lost. But the vast majority of the books of Samuel are given to the accounts of particular individuals as they traverse family drama, fear, jealousy, marriages, births, violence, friendship, betrayal, and loyalty. Most significantly we will trace the handiwork of God as he preserves the righteous line promised in Genesis 3:15.

The books of Samuel, therefore, tell the story of God’s dealings with his people. The primary figures are Samuel (prophet/judge), Saul (Israel’s first king), and David (forerunner of the royal Messiah). Certainly we will learn powerful lessons about integrity, loyalty, failure, and the madness of sin. But we will also learn about the enduring grace of God in preserving the line that will bring the Savior King into the world. And that brings us back to Hannah and what appeared for years to be her hopeless barrenness. As he does so often for his people, God turns despair into hope and hope into fulfillment.

As we read on from Peter’s condemnation of the false teachers and their heresies, it is clear that he is interested not only in defending the truth but demonstrating its practical impact on the lives of his readers. “Since everything will be destroyed in this way,” he asks, “what kind of people ought you to be?” (3:11). His answer is that they ought to be living lives of “godliness and holiness” (3:11). The connection Peter makes is that since the new creation will be a place of righteousness then in this life Christians ought to strive toward righteousness.

Beginning in verse 14 he calls his readers to “be diligent to be found in him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” Just as we see throughout the New Testament, the full assurance of our salvation does not call for passivity but diligence. That Christ’s righteousness has been graciously imputed to us is not to produce apathy but diligence to live according to that grace.

Knowing that the Lord is indeed returning and that there will be a final judgment we ought not be “carried away by the error of lawless people and lose your own stability” (vs. 17). Instead, we are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (vs. 18). The depths and goodness and perfections of Christ are such that we will never exhaust the knowledge and grace of him. The deeper our knowledge of Christ and growth in his grace, the more our hunger for him will increase.

Having denounced the false teachers for their immorality and greed Peter now demolishes their false teaching. These men had a deeply personal interest in denying the return of Jesus and the final judgment. The false teachers lived such recklessly sinful lives that they preferred a world which had no hope of final redemption through the righteous justice of God. We see the same thing in our own day as those raised in believing homes abandon various Christian doctrines (sometimes abandoning the faith altogether) because they prefer lives that are in conflict with those truths.

Peter assures his readers that God is not slow. He is not dragging his feet to fulfill the promise of the Son’s return. He appeals to Psalm 90 to make his case. That Psalm is all about God and his relationship with time: “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). God is eternal and therefore exits over and outside time. The Lord’s patience has a gracious purpose. Unwilling to lose a single one of his people, he delays the final judgment until the elect from every nation will be gathered in to “the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells” (vs. 13).

Most of us have experiences that demonstrate our forgetfulness in the routine tasks of daily living. This forgetfulness also carries over into our relationship with the Lord. And this is nothing new for God’s people. Throughout Scripture we see a theme of God reminding his people to remember his faithfulness. Old Testament religious life centered on rituals, festivals, and public demonstrations that reminded God’s people of his love and mercy toward them. The New Testament church continues this habitual rhythm of remembrance through weekly gathering around the Word of God so we can know him and be reminded of his kindness to us in the gospel.

When we forget, we lose sight of what is revealed to us in his Word, and we lose our orientation to truth, which has devastating consequences. Life and death hang in the balance and it is only through the clarity of the Scriptures that we can know how to be saved from the wrath of God.

In the first chapter of 2 Peter, the church is encouraged to remember the blessings of being united to Christ. He urges them to remember lest they forget and fall into error. Here in chapter 3, Peter returns to this theme.

As we finish Second Peter 2, Peter directs our attention to the real threat of the false teachers. They are not abstract concepts, but actually lead people astray even as they race toward their own destruction. Their false teaching is enticing due to their loud, incessant speech, their justification of sins like lust and greed, and their promise of freedom. But when was the last time you met someone that pursued sin who was free? Greed begets greed and lust begets lust. Sin begets sin. It’s a vicious cycle.

The false teachers deny the return of Christ and his judgment so that they can revel in their sin and lead others into sin. We should not be so proud to think that we are impervious to false teaching. It is enticing. We can be drawn in when the false teachers’ message lines up with the false teachings we privately believe. When we preach to ourselves the false narrative of “I’m a failure,” we will readily believe someone who says, you aren’t a failure, you just need to try harder. When we believe that we’re actually pretty good and that God should take that into consideration when he hands out wealth and health and the good life, we’re susceptible to false teaching. When we say to ourselves, “This isn’t really sin. It’s not that big of deal,” we will find ourselves attracted to false teachers who don’t talk about sin and repentance. When we wander so far into sin that we call sin good, we are headed for heresy and there are plenty of false teachers who will lead us further into sin. When we find ourselves in the same sin again and again and our half repentance doesn’t produce righteousness and holiness, we are prone to look for a false teaching that will justify our sin instead of heeding the Biblical warning to flee from sin.

Peter identifies these false teachers and their teaching as “waterless springs and mists driven by a storm” (2 Peter 2:17). They promise life, but give death. We would do well to heed the warning Peter gives us. We must look out for false teachers. We must “look in” at the false narratives we regularly preach to ourselves. And we must look to our Savior who is the “spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

The Old Testament prophets and later the apostles were given the responsibility to teach God’s people about the seriousness of those who would introduce heresies into the covenant community. Peter dedicates a large portion of his letter warning the church that, just like false prophets in Judah, false teachers have arisen within the church (2:1-3). He has announced the current and final judgment of the false teachers (2:3-9). Beginning in the second half of verse ten Peter describes these men in greater detail. In the first half of verse 10 Peter reveals what is at the heart of these false teachers. They are driven by “the lust of defiling passion” and they “despise authority” (vs. 10a). He then calls them “bold and willful” (vs. 10b). There is nothing timid about these men as they seek to lead the church into their own degrading sins.

“This is precisely why such a large part of the Bible is devoted to exposing the subtleties of false prophets and teachers – their power lies in their appeal. So, a vital element in Christian maturity is the ability to see beyond outward appearances and recognize the difference between what is true and what is false” (Mark Johnson, p. 43). Though Peter’s criticism of the false teachers is harsh, he is not being gratuitous or angrily self-indulgent. Rather, the apostle is demonstrating proper indignation over those who lead God’s people astray. Like Balam of old, these men seek to satisfy their greed by peddling falsehoods.

Throughout her history the church has been burdened by those who seek to harm her. As the great hymn acknowledges, the world watches the church with “scornful wonder,” as they observe that she is “by heresies distressed.” But we do not despair for we also sing with full biblical warrant:

The Church shall never perish!

Her dear Lord, to defend,

To guide, sustain, and cherish,

Is with her to the end.

Though there be those that hate her

And false sons in her pale,

Against both foe and traitor

She ever shall prevail.

What are we to make of Peter’s relentless attack on false teachers? His words are full of invective as he describes their sinful motives and the judgment that awaits them. Peter holds nothing back. The vomit and the mud with which the chapter concludes (vs. 22) is fitting with the rest of what the apostle has to say about the false teachers. He describes them as being driven by greed and enticing those under their sway into sexual licentiousness. Later he expresses his indignation by comparing them to “irrational animals” and “creatures of instinct,” having no shame, looking only to satisfy their lusts in broad daylight (vv. 12-13). Summarizing Peter’s account of the lives and teaching of these men, one commentator writes: “Their teaching was flattery; their ambitions were financial; their lives were dissolute; their conscience was dulled, and their aim was deception” (Green, 105).

Peter’s approach conflicts sharply with Paul’s treatment of the pagan philosophers in Athens with whom he spoke to respectfully, seeking to persuade them. Writing to Timothy, Paul wrote that “the Lord’s servant” should go about “correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:22-26). So what are we to do with Peter’s unabashedly aggressive approach? The key is found in his opening salvo in verse one “There will be false teachers among you…” Peter was not addressing pagan philosophers in Athens. He was dealing with those within the church; teachers who claimed to be Christians – in some cases apostles! – who taught such twisted doctrine and led such ungodly lives that they were leading undiscerning Christians into their own falsehood and debauchery.

It was the proximity and influence of these false teachers within the church that explains the difference we see between Paul in Athens and Peter writing to the churches. Remember Paul’s words concerning those who teach a false gospel to the church? He said that they are damned (Galatians 1:6-9). That’s not exactly subtle. Nor should there be much subtlety or nuance when the shepherds of God’s flock encounter wolves who would lead the church down the path of destruction. “Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (vs. 3).