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The David Chronicles 3: The Song of Hannah

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Introduction

God heard the prayer of Hannah, and He gave her a son. She understood what was at stake, and utters a glorious psalm of triumph, a prayer that served as a model for our Lord’s mother, Mary, when she triumphed in much the same way. The horn of Hannah was exalted—and this is a striking image of masculine authority and power. But in order to do this, God would have to bring about a great reversal.

The Text

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. . . .” (1 Sam. 2:1-36).

Summary of the Text

Recall that the first chiasm in this book ends with v. 11 here in chapter 2, when Elkanah and family return to Ramah without Samuel. This chapter also includes another chiasm (vv. 12-26) that is worth noting.

a The sons of Eli are worthless and do not know God (2:12)
b The wickedness of Eli’s sons is described (2:13-17)
c Samuel ministers before YHWH (2:18)
d Hannah is given more children (2:19-21b)
c’ Samuel grows up before YHWH (2:21c)
b’ The wickedness of Eli’s sons described(2:22-25)
a’ Samuel grows in favor with YHWH (2:26)

Hannah prays in exaltation; her horn is exalted (v. 1). No one else is a rock like our God (v. 2). God is a God of knowledge, and so human boasting and arrogance must cease (v. 3). Mighty men are brought low, and the lowly are raised (v. 4). The full are empty, and the empty full. The barren are fruitful, and the fruitful come to nothing (v. 5). The Lord kills and raises to life (v. 6). He makes poor and rich, and brings low and raises up (v. 7). He brings the poor from the dust and the beggar from the dunghill, and sets them among princes, on thrones of glory (v. 8). He keeps His saints, and the wicked are silenced (v. 9). He brings His enemies low, and sustains His king (v. 10).

Elkanah returns home (v. 11). The sons of Eli were sons of Belial, who did not know God (v. 12). Their custom with the sacrificial meat was to take the first for themselves (vv. 13-14). In addition, they took the fat (which was the Lord’s) for themselves by threat of force (vv. 15-16). Their sin was very great, and they brought the worship of God into disrepute (v. 17). But Samuel ministered before the Lord (v. 18). His mother would visit him annually, and bring a coat she had made (v. 19). Eli blessed her, and she had five more children (vv. 20-21). And Samuel grew before the Lord (v. 21b). Eli was old, and heard about all his sons were doing, including their adulteries. He didn’t stop them, but just admonished them (vv. 22-25). Samuel grew in favor with God and man (v. 26).

An unnamed prophet then came to Eli and delivered the word of God to him (v. 27). Didn’t God choose Eli’s line to minister in the first place (vv. 27-28). The prophet charges Eli with honoring his sons above the Lord, and with making himself fat with the offerings (v. 29). But God will honor those who honor Him, and will light esteem those who despise Him (v. 30). Eli’s priestly line will therefore be cut off (vv. 31-33). The sign that this will happen will be the death of his two sons on the same day (v. 34). God will then raise up a faithful priest who will serve forever (v. 35). The house of Eli will then serve this new house (v. 36).

What Reversal Means

Hannah’s song is filled with reversals. This is not a song that exalts a leveling spirit, but rather points to a series of reversals. The poor become rich, and the rich become poor. The mighty fall, and the powerless are raised to life. The lowly are exalted, and the exalted are humbled. Because this happens in time and in history, each group that is raised must remember that God must be honored before, during and after His action of exaltation.

Eli’s house was chosen, and was promised that it would remain forever (v. 30). But because God was dishonored by him, God then selected Samuel, and promised him that he would walk before God “forever” as well (v. 35). But Samuel’s sons took bribes, and a king replaced him. Later in this book Saul rises, then stumbles and falls. Then David does the same. Men love to think that their mojo, once it gets going, is the kind of thing that must last forever. Haman was really excited about getting a dinner invitation from Queen Esther. He thought he was headed for high places, which a gallows is, I suppose. Watching men try to be faithful over generations is like watching the tide go in and out. It will not come in completely until the Christ comes, and the earth is as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. The prophecy given to Eli is typified by Samuel, but is fulfilled in Christ alone.

A Model Psalm

Hannah’s description of “raising and lowering” is enacted immediately afterward. It is not just a model of history, but is also a model for the remainder of this chapter. Eli’s sons are set up for a humiliation, and the humble boy Samuel is set up for exaltation. They are brought low, and Samuel is promoted. At the center of the chiasm, Hannah is given a quiver full of children—she is given a seat of great honor in the Scriptures. She had the privilege of providing a model psalm to our Lord’s mother.

Eli’s Failure, Our Failure, and Gospel Promise

Eli admonishes his sons, but he does not stop them. The prophet who brings the charge against Eli says that he honored his sons over the Lord, even though Eli “agreed with” the Lord and not with his sons. It appears that Eli was in some manner dependent on his sons’ methods of getting the choicest meat—and had gotten fat through their impudence. Eli was in fact fat (1 Sam. 4:18).

Ironically, Eli’s warning to his sons actually applied to him. If a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him? Here is Eli’s failure, and if we are honest, we will see our own problem with sin as well. And here is where we must grasp the gospel promise.

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The David Chronicles 2: Birth and Dedication of Samuel

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Introduction

We begin this story with the birth and dedication of Samuel. As with many of God’s great men, Samuel’s birth was remarkable. God loves the pattern of death and resurrection, and He also loves the pattern of barrenness followed by fruitfulness. We can see the same truth in how He makes the wilderness become a garden. God loves the narrative arc of salvation stories. So should we.

The Text

“Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb . . .” (1 Sam. 1:1-28).

Summary of the Text

As we work through this book, we will go chapter by chapter. But as we have noted, these modern divisions were not in the original text, so we will also notice how their structures and divisions sometimes “slop over” the edges of ours. Here is the first example of that:

a Elkanah and family go up from Ramah to Shiloh yearly in order to worship (1:1-8)
b Hannah’s prayer of misery (1:9-11)
c Sad conversation between Eli and Hannah (1:12-18) d Samuel is born (1:19-23)
d Samuel is born (1:19-23)
c’ Happy conversation between Eli and Hannah (1:24-28)
b’ Hannah’s prayer of rejoicing (2:1-10)
a’ Elkanah and family return from Shiloh to Ramah, without Samuel (2:11) .

A man named Elkanah from Ramah had two wives, one of whom, Hannah, was childless (vv. 1-2). This man was a faithful worshipper of God at Shiloh, but Shiloh is introduced to us as connected to the two corrupt sons of Eli (v. 3). Elkanah provided a portion for both wives, but took special care of Hannah (vv. 4-5). Peninnah was Hannah’s adversary, and provoked her every year (vv. 6-7). Elkanah tried in vain to comfort her (v. 8). After one such episode, after they had eaten and drunk, Hannah went to the temple of the Lord to pray, and Eli was watching her (v. 9). She was in great bitterness of soul, wept grievously, and made a vow to God (vv. 10-11). She promised to dedicate any baby boy as a lifetime Nazarite (v. 11). Because of the way she was praying, Eli thought she was drunk and rebuked her (vv. 12-14). Hannah replies that she is not a daughter of Belial (a worthless covenant member), but rather that she was praying through her great grief (vv. 15-16). Eli responds by blessing her (v. 17), and she goes away contented (v. 18). They then worshipped first thing in the morning (v. 19), and returned to Ramah, where Hannah became pregnant (v. 19). In due time she had a baby boy, and she named him Samuel (v. 20), which means “God heard.” A few months later, Elkanah goes to Shiloh again (v. 21), but Hannah and Samuel stay behind until he is weaned (v. 22). Elkanah agrees with this (v. 23), and so she went up to Shiloh some time after Samuel was weaned (v. 24). They sacrificed a bullock to the Lord, and brought the child to Eli (v. 25). She reminded Eli who she was (v. 26), and tells him of her answered prayer (v. 27). Samuel is lent to the Lord, and he is left to grow up in the worship of the Lord at Shiloh (v. 28).

Biblical Fruitfulness

First, notice three things in this text. The first is that the Lord was the one who had shut Hannah’s womb (v. 6). Our God is the God who opens and shuts all things. The idea that we can control fruitfulness apart from Him is ludicrous. And secondly, note how Hannah thinks of her barrenness. Third, the point is covenant faithfulness, not simply numbers. If numbers were the only consideration, polygamy would be a great idea. But Peninnah is described as Hannah’s adversary (v. 6). There are different ways that quantity can cause quality to fall apart.

Corruption an Purity

At this point is Israel’s history, the corruption had set in deep. The coming monarchy was a sign of apostasy, but that apostasy was set up beforehand by corruption getting into Israel’s bones, and especially at Shiloh. And yet, even though Hophni and Phinehas were there at Shiloh, a true worshipper of God was willing to leave her son there as a dedicated servant of the Lord. And the Lord received him as such. The history of the church has been marked by imbalance at this point. Either we are perfectionists, separating into our own little sectarian bands over every little thing, or we just go with the corrupt flow. There has to be a faithful biblical way to identify with and challenge at the same time. But never forget that Jesus worshipped in a Temple that was every bit as corrupt as Shiloh was, and every bit as much under judgment.

Sons and Daughters of Belial

Eli rebukes Hannah for drunkenness, and Hannah responds by saying that if that were true, she would be a daughter of Belial, meaning worthlessness. But note also 2 Cor. 6:15. One of the reasons why things get this way is not because people are not rebuked. No, they are. But it is usually the wrong ones. Hannah is rebuked by Eli, even though his sons (who were far worse) were not. Elkanah comforts Hannah, but does not restrain his wife Peninnah. Often we rebuke, not the one who needs it, but rather the one who will take it. This is twisted.

But we have already been introduced to the sons of Eli (v. 3), and few verses later we are told what they were like and why. “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD” (1 Sam. 2:12). They were covenant members, but unconverted. They were covenantally worthless. If you are attached to externals, if you wrap yourself up in your office, if you go through the motions, but do not know the Lord, what good is it?

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The David Chronicles 1: Introduction and Background

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Introduction

The book of Samuel is the repository of some truly great Bible stories. But more than this, it represents the tale of three very complex characters—Samuel, Saul, and David. And behind it all, we see the promises and mercies of the steadfast God. One of the central things we will learn is the ways of God with man—and the attempted ways of man with God.

The Text

“Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” (1 Sam. 1:1-2).

Summary of the Text

These are the introductory words to the book of Samuel. We know the book as two books, 1 & 2 Samuel, but originally they were just one. The division was introduced by those who translated the Hebrew version into the Greek. We will therefore find our way around with references to 1 and 2 Samuel, but other than that, we will be treating them as one book. In addition, there are good arguments for treating the first two chapters of 1 Kings as an original part of the book of Samuel.

Who wrote this book? The best answer is probably three-fold—Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (1 Chron. 29:29; cf. 1 Sam. 10:25). Samuel probably died during the period when David was on the run in the wilderness, and so could not have written a significant part of the book.

The story begins, as so many prophetic tales do, with the introduction of a barren woman who is used by God to provide His people a great deliverance. We are introduced first to Elkanah, Samuel’s father, a man who was an Ephrathite (v. 1). In the second verse, we meet his two wives. His barren and well-loved wife is mentioned first, and her name is Hannah. The other wife is named Peninnah (v. 2). And so the stage is set. How does God work?

Some Background

The Philistines were invaders from Crete. They had established a beachhead on the coastal plains on the eastern end of the Mediterranean, and they were almost certainly the reason why the people had begun to clamor for a king. It was necessary, they said, for purposes of national security.

The accession of David to the throne occurred somewhere between the years 1010 and 1000 B.C. The events of this book took place over the course of about a century and a half. We had about 40 years of Philistine oppression, about 30 years as Samuel grew older, and then Saul and David each ruled about 40 years. This gives us the approximate dates of 1115-965 B.C. Because the decentralized system of the judges allowed for more than one judge functioning at a time, Samson and Samuel were probably contemporaries. The rule of Samson likely filled about 20 years between the battles of Aphek (1 Sam. 4) and Ebenezer (1 Sam. 7).

Three Great Plot Points

As we work our way through this book, recognize that the overall theme is one of transition—from the period of the judges to the time of the monarchy. In tracking with this, there are three great sections that mark the historical changes that were underway. We will pay closer attention to them when we get there, but those sections are 1 Sam. 7, 1 Sam. 12, and 2 Sam. 7.

There are seven basic sections in this book. Consider them this way: 1. Birth and Rule of Samuel (1 Sam. 1-7); 2. Saul’s Reign and Failure (1 Sam. 8-15); 3. David the Courtier (1 Sam. 16-20); 4. David the Fugitive (1 Sam. 21-31); 5. David the King (2 Sam. 1-8); 6. David’s Fall (2 Sam. 9-20); and 7. David’s Final Years and Solomon’s Rise (2 Sam. 21-1 Kings 2).

And remember the ancient literary device called the chiasm, which we will have many opportunities to note in this series of messages.

a Samuel succeeds the elderly Eli and rules (1 Sam. 1-7)
b Saul fails (1 Sam. 8-15)
c David’s rise under Saul (1 Sam. 16-20)
d The Hinge: God reverses the fortunes of Saul and David (1 Sam. 21-31)
c’ David’s rise under God (2 Sam. 1-8)
b’ David fails (2 Sam. 9-20)
a’ Solomon succeeds the elderly David and rules (2 Sam. 21-1 Kings 2)

Church and State

In the period of the judges, the people of Israel were governed by magistrates who were also prophets. In the transition to the monarchy that Samuel objected to, the new constitution separated the office of magistrate from the office of prophet. Samuel was willing to go along with this, provided the king heeded the words of the prophets. This is precisely what Saul would not do, and what David, a man after God’s own heart, was willing to do. It is also worth noting that this division was not watertight—David himself (a king) had the prophetic gift (2 Sam. 23:1), and even Saul had it for a time, much to everyone’s astonishment (1 Sam. 10:11).

In the literature on this book, it is common to see commentators describe this as a transition from a theocracy to a monarchy, but this is not what it was supposed to be at all. There was a separation of branches of their civil order, but there was no thought of any of those branches operating in what we would call a “secular” way. All was to continue under the authority of God. Theocracies are inescapable. Every society has an ultimate authority; every society has a god of their system. Christians must therefore want the God of the society they live to be the true and living God. How could we possibly want anything else?

Rising and Falling

This book is rich with instruction—showing us how God in His providence causes human societies to navigate transitions. These transitions are often brought about by sin and failure, and yet God is not stumped by anything. God draws straight with crooked lines.

Is there a word for us here? Of course—all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for instruction. We see that the turmoil that Israel was in is comparable in many ways to the turmoil of our own times, and the lack of faithfulness in the Church. Eli does not restrain his sons, and Hannah laments her barrenness. What does God do in situations like that?

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No Other Gods

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Introduction

The preface of the Ten Commandments is all about freedom, but it is easy to hear the words that we’ve heard so many times and not hear the gospel, the good news that we have only one God (Ex. 20:1-4). But it was and is radically good and wonderful news to hear that there is only one God, and He has revealed Himself in Jesus.

The Text

Paul is dealing with Judaizers and other syncretists who want to add other things to Jesus. But when Christ is received, He is always received as Lord and not merely an assistant, and that is how Christians walk (2:6). If we are rooted in Him, then we grow up in and through faith in Him (2:7). There are always philosophical fads and theological fashions being offered to trick the simple, but this is always to deny the fullness of the divinity of Jesus (2:8-9). For Paul, the Godness of Jesus means that we are complete, not lacking anything in Him (2:10). If Jesus is God and we have been given Jesus, then we have been given everything because He is the head of all principality and power. Paul insists that everything the Judaizers think Gentiles need, they already have in the cross of Christ (2:11-14). This is how and why the principalities and powers have been disarmed and triumphed over (2:15). While we may be tempted to think that Paul has a severe case of ADD, what follows is actually directly related to Paul’s point. When Paul speaks of the fullness of God in Christ, he is thinking about all of the mundane details of life, what we eat and drink and wear and watch and listen to and talk about. Every culture is full of principalities and powers: the influences, the gods and celebrities that lead the masses, politicians and judges, athletes and stars in their courses. These are the powers which either serve King Jesus or not. But we are not under them because they are under Christ, and we are seated with Him in the heavenly places (3:1-3, cf. Eph. 1:20-21, 2:5-6). And this is where we wrestle against them (Eph. 6:12). But this struggle does not primarily occur in another dimension; because we have the Spirit we bring the heavenly places with us wherever we go and this means that we must not allow others to judge us in food or drink or festivals or sabbaths (Col. 2:16). The best of those merely pointed to Christ and the worst are cheats (2:17-18). Submission to the regulations of the gods is always slavery to human regulations, ‘do not touch, do not taste, do not handle…’ (2:20-22) which may seem reasonable or even wise, but they do not really nourish us (2:19, 23). But we were raised with Christ, our lives are hidden with Christ in God, and therefore, we must learn to see our lives and this world, looking through heaven (3:1-3).

No Other Gods

This statement is not condemnation in the first instance; this is the proclamation of liberty. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him.” This is good news. This is good news because the gods of health food fads are under Christ. This is good news because the gods of cool are under Christ. This is good news because the gods of politics and power are under Christ. And we do not live in fear of what any of the gods think. But living under fear is slavery to some pharaoh, whether they are friends or foes. But the servants of Pharaoh will always end up acting like Pharaoh (Ps. 115:4-8). If you live in fear of what others will think about your decisions, you are living in slavery, and sooner or later you will begin to enslave others. But the one true God calls you to freedom.

This means obeying where the Lord has spoken, seeking the Lord and godly counsel, and then living like the world is ours. This doesn’t guarantee a risk-free life, but we walk by faith. And we rejoice in the freedom of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We have no other gods.

Free to Love

In the cross, Paul says that Jesus “disarmed principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” The “it” refers to the cross or Jesus on the cross, but the point is that the powers have no power and they were put to shame at the cross. This is true in at least two ways: First, in the cross the powers of this world did their very best and still failed. The political process, religious authority, violent coercion, popular opinion, even the grasp of money could not undo the cross; they merely played into the plan (1 Cor. 2:8). And second, in the crucifixion the powers were shown to be tyrants and killers, and our God was proven to be a faithful husband and friend, giving His life up for us (1 Jn. 4:10). One way to tell the story of the Exodus is the mission of God to teach Israel how to reveal Him. He comes to His own and to the Egyptians so that they may know that He is Yahweh (Ex. 5:2, 6:7, 7:5, 17, 8:22, etc.), and this revelation culminates in the Passover where blood is displayed and shed, disarming the power of Egypt. From there, God takes Israel into the wilderness to teach them how to live like Him, and at the center of that life is a bloody altar. But if Israel has learned the lesson of Passover, they know that the shed blood means freedom. And in Christ we have seen the revelation of God’s love and power in a far greater way, and this equips us to love like that.

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The Knowledge of Good and Evil

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Introduction

The Lord Jesus was born in this world in order to reestablish mankind. The first mankind in Adam had failed at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and so Jesus was born into this world in order to rebuild the ruin we had created here. Our celebrations at this time of year are dedicated to a remembrance of what He came in order to do. And as we remember, and understand it more fully, that work which He has accomplished is actually advanced in our midst. As you set up a Christmas tree in your living room, remember that in Scripture a tree can be a place of great folly or of great wisdom. Adam disobeyed at a tree, and Jesus obeyed on one.

The Text

“But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17).

“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:14).

Background to the Texts

We all know that there was one prohibited tree in the Garden of Eden, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Note that the tree of life was not prohibited (Gen. 2:16), but once sin had entered the world it went off limits— lest we should eat from it in a rebellious condition and live forever that way, unredeemable (Gen. 3:22, 24). So God in His mercy barred the way to the tree of life, until it was opened up again in and through the gospel (Rev. 2:7). But what about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?

So we need to take a moment to consider what that phrase means, and what it does not mean. The two basic alternatives are that it was bad for us to have knowledge of the difference between good and evil, period, or that the prohibition was temporary, and the sin was in grasping for something prematurely. We should be able to see that it was the latter by how God responds to the situation when our first parents disobeyed.
And it cannot mean experience of sin. The Lord said, “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil” (Gen. 3:22). The serpent earlier had promised that this knowledge would make them “as God” (or gods), “knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). Millennia later, the author of Hebrews does not identify this ability to distinguish sin from righteousness in itself, but rather with maturity, with the capacity to handle “strong meat.”

Too many Christians assume that a pre-fall lack of the knowledge of good and evil was a total blank innocence, no ethical categories at all. But if this were the case then how would Adam have been able to fall into sin? How would he have known it was evil to eat from the prohibited tree? No, the knowledge of good and evil here has to mean something more than a simple knowledge of the difference between right and wrong.

Preparation for Rule

God had created mankind to rule over creation and all creatures (Gen. 1:27-30). In learning how to judge and rule the created order, man really would be like God (Ecc. 12:14). Entering into that rule would have been a transition from immaturity to maturity, and not a transition from moral cluelessness into an ability to tell right from wrong. Kings make judgments. They have to be able to discern right and wrong in the case before them.

Now it is quite true that the Bible often speaks of “good” and “evil” in the simple moral categories of individuals learning to love good and hate evil. But when we talk about this kind of discernment, we are talking about the ability to tell good from almost good, to discern the difference between white and off-white. Because God created us for rule, He created us for this. And when our first parents ate this forbidden fruit, they were grabbing for rule prematurely, before God gave it to them as a gift.

What Children Don’t Do, What Kings Do

Consider the language of Scripture. “Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither . . .” (Dt. 1:39; cf. Jer. 4:22). This was true of a type of the Messiah, the child born in fulfillment of the promise to Isaiah. “Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel . . . for before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings” (Is. 7:14-16). Extreme old age prevents a man from being able to serve as a judge between good and evil, as Barzillai observed: “I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil . . .?” (2 Sam. 19:35).

And how did Solomon please the Lord when a vision was given to him at Gibeon? Even though he sacrificed in the high places, he did love the Lord (1 Kings 3:3). When the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he would have, Solomon’s answer pleased the Lord (1 Kings 3:10). So what did Solomon ask for? He said first that he was “but a little child” (1 Kings 3:7), and so what deficiency did he think needed to be corrected? “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people” (1 Kings 3:10)?

Growing Up in Jesus

We are called to understand the world so that we might grow up into a maturity that is capable of ruling the world. The author of Hebrews knows and understands the creation mandate. He quotes Ps. 8, and says that we do not yet see everything subject to mankind—but we do see Jesus (Heb, 2:9). The world to come is not subject to angels, but to mankind (Heb. 2:5ff). Mankind in Christ is therefore being fitted for godly rule (Heb. 5:14). Because we grabbed the forbidden fruit out of order, we have needed to be retro-fitted for it, but this is what is happening.

In the child Jesus, given to us at Christmas, our response should be the same as that of the wise men. We look at a little child and we see a king. And all around you, you should see princes.

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