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Elkanah’s love

1 Samuel 1:1-8 (JDV)

1 Samuel 1:1 There was a man from Ramathaim-tsofim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
1 Samuel 1:2 He had two wives, one named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
1 Samuel 1:3 This man would go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahveh of Armies at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were Yahveh’s priests.
1 Samuel 1:4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters.
1 Samuel 1:5 But he gave a double portion to Hannah because he cared for her even though Yahveh had kept her from conceiving.
1 Samuel 1:6 Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her because Yahveh had kept Hannah from conceiving.
1 Samuel 1:7 Year after year, when she went up to Yahveh’s house, her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat.
1 Samuel 1:8 “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah would ask. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

Elkanah’s love

Elkanah was fair to both of his wives, but he was compassionate to Hannah because of her distress. As believers, we should be fair to all, but we should show Elkanah’s love to the less fortunate. There are many around us who will give us an opportunity to show that kind of love. We should thank the LORD for that gift.