Professor Birch comments: “Her request is straightforward. There must be another like Hannah in a story petitioning that “the Lord establish His Word (I Sam.1:23) like Hannah, who “presented herself before the Lord” (1:9), that is, turned in trust to God, one like her, or like her son Samuel, is needed now. That is our one, true hope for resolution of the substantial crises we face today.
Divinely chosen and appointed leadership must present America’s requests before God, I submit, for the “establishment of His Word.” God’s Providence, only, can effect a “reversal of circumstances,” such as is needed, now. Connecting to the final words of the Book of Judges in chapter 21:25b, which are “All the people did what was right in their own eyes,” this study seeks to beam biblical light on whatever announcements today’s media, progressive or conservative, name as “breaking news.” Let us pray that God’s concern to raise up faithful and decisive leadership for America today, as for Israel then, ignites our devoted attention and prayer. Birch’s Commentary on the First and Second Books of Samuel offer important insight relevant for America today, congruent with God’s concern at the beginning of First Samuel, interpreted as being the raising up of faithful and decisive leadership for Israel “to meet the moral crisis created by the corruption of Eli’s sons” (I Sam.2:11-36).
