The Double Portion

I have read the book of I Samuel many times.  I have preached a lot of messages from 1&2 Samuel but like the old saying goes, “You can read the same passage 100 times and see something new each time.”  This morning my devotional material took me to I Samuel 1.1-7.  The part that caught my attention was verses 4-5.  You can read the account for yourself.  What struck me was verse 4 thru 6 which read,

“When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; but to Hannah (his other wife) he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb.  Her rival, (Peninnah) however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.”

Can you read between the lines?  Will you allow the illuminating work of the Spirit to shed His light on this passage?  Elkanah loved Hannah and felt sorry for her because she couldn’t have children and she was constantly tormented by Peninnah who had many children.  You see, in ancient Jewish thought, a motherless child was considered a failure and worthless.  Being barren was grounds for divorce.  However, we see a very compassionate man in Elkanah who loves Hannah, feels sorry for her, and does a great act of kindness to her-he gives her a “double-portion” at the festive meals following the sacrifices.  This was an act of great honor and respect.  Here’s what struck me.  According to the traditions of that time, Elkanah had every right to discard Hannah, treat her badly, and ignore her as a human being.  But he didn’t.  If fact, he treated her like a princess, he doted over her, and in a very public way lavished affection and praise on her, even when others shunned her and considered her subhuman. 

            What a moral lesson for us today!  We are surrounded by poor, suffering and abused Hannah’s every day. 

            Fatherless and motherless children

            The Homeless

            Those that just don’t fit in, the nerds, the outcasts, the ones who dress funny

            Special needs kids and adults

            The poor

            The mentally ill

These are all people that need the double portion.  They need a double portion of your compassion and they also need to know that God loves them in spite of their flaws or situations.  Let me challenge you to have a heart like Elkanah- show honor, extravagant love, honor and validation to those who never receive it.  It will glorify God, bless them and make your heart soar! 

Some has written, “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving”. 

            Who is someone that needs a “double-portion” from you today?