Started a study of 1 Samuel and spent a few hours doing a week's worth of homework. Had to read chapters 1-3. Good chapters. Restored my faith in the Old Testament as a "good word".

Frustrated that the textual parallel between Hannah's song (1 Sam. 2:1-10 and Mary's canticle (the Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55) was mentioned only in passing. Just because Mary wasn't barren? The homework had us read the birth announcement of John the Baptist but not the birth announcement of Jesus. The two stories are practically indistinguishable, except for the barrenness, as I said. Just an anti-Mary bias in this Protestant study guide? I should be used to it by now.

An interesting thing to ponder on 1 Sam. 3:18. The question was whether Eli could have done anything to affect the deity's intention to judge his household, especially since it was revealed beforehand.

I thought of Abraham (Genesis 18:16-33): God reveals to Abraham that he intends to destroy Sodom & Gomorrah, and Abraham convinces God to agree to rescue the righteous people out first.

The note in my Jewish Study Bible on this Genesis story was tasty:

Notice that Abraham's demand is not that the guilty be punished and the innocent spared, but rather that the LORD forgive [the entire city] for the sake of the innocent ... who are in it. The point is made more explicit in v. 26. The underlying theology maintains that the righteous effect deliverance for the entire community.

Thrilling! But then, read more:

Other biblical texts such as Ezek. 14:12-23; ch 18, however, insist upon individual responsibility and retribution.

I understand that this is an aspect of theology that develops through the OT, and in a crude way, Christianity makes the same development at the Reformation, but rather than seeing the later form as supplanting the earlier, both perspectives ought to be upheld because both are biblical.

Returning, then, to the question of whether Eli could have done anything to change God's plan on the surface it would seem "yes". So, why didn't he? Why did he accept it as the best thing? (As Mary accepts Gabriel's message, "fiat")

Two possibilities come to mind ... I am open to other suggestions from my readers ... Eli was not familiar enough with God's character to know that his prayers could influence events. In short, Eli didn't know God very well.

Secondly, Eli was not a prophet like Abraham (Genesis 20:7). Eli was a priest. Prophets seem to be the ones who intercede with God through prayer for the people (Genesis 20:17). Priests must use sacrifice for intercession, and God said that no sacrifice would atone for the sin of Eli's household (1 Sam. 3:14), a curiously absolute statement in light of the New Testament.

But, what I also don't get, is why didn't Samuel intercede for Eli? He obviously loved Eli like a father. And he was a budding prophet, judge (deliverer) and priest. He didn't seem to know God very well either, since he didn't recognize His calling (1 Sam. 3:7). Dark days, indeed.