May 21, 2007 - Love and repect
May 21, 2007
1Sa 1:6-8 GW
(6) Because the LORD had made her unable to have children, her rival Peninnah tormented her endlessly in order to make her miserable.
(7) This happened year after year. Whenever Hannah went to the LORD'S house, Peninnah would make her miserable, and Hannah would cry and not eat.
(8) Her husband Elkanah would ask her, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why haven't you eaten? Why are you so downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"
It would be so easy here to talk about not having two wives, or any number of several other things. I will focus on the husbands reaction here. In his response to Hannah, Elkanah did not take it to consideration the one thing that his wife needed. She did not need him to fix the problem and tell her that he was better than 10 sons. No, she needed him to love her. Instead he did what men all over the world do, he tried to solve her problem. In doing so, her need for love went unmet.
In his excellent book, Love and Respect
Woman, you do not get off so easy here. Hannah did not read the book either. She goes on and makes vows to the Lord about her child and does not consult her husband. The other side of a man giving you unconditional is that you have to give him unconditional respect. She did not respect him when she did as she did with her vows. Just like in talking to them men, it would be easy to say that you would never do that and consult your husband first. Time for you to do a check up also.
What a man needs is not what a woman needs and we need to see what the other needs and meet it in order to get our needs met. In the end it is God that both of you should be coming to.
Translation Information
GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by GOD'S WORD to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.
