Are you in or out?

Every year when I get to the opening of First Samuel I'm reminded of the familiar "Mother's Day" story of Hannah, the mother of Samuel. You all know the story; she is barren, childless, and every year when the family goes to the Tabernacle to offer it's annual sacrifice, she implores God for a child. This year while reading I noticed the Message says she was IN the sanctuary praying.

IN the sanctuary praying. Something about this does not compute. Nobody went IN the sanctuary or Tabernacle to pray or otherwise. Moses had taught in Numbers that the operation of the Tabernacle was up to the Levites and (Num.18:5 Msg) "anyone else who invades the Sanctuary will be executed."

Eli was High Priest for 40 years but the opening of Samuel explains that he was less than forthright in his leadership. Perhaps his lackadaisical ministry had come to allow people into the Sanctuary. Whatever the case, these unusual things happened; Hannah went into the Sanctuary to pray and from a place she was not supposed to be her prayer was heard. Then, Eli the less than dedicated High Priest who should not have let her be there, thinks she is drunk, rebukes her for her "drunkenness" (not for being where she shouldn't be) THEN prophesies over her about her pending pregnancy. Okay, what do we learn from this?

The bottom line is this; The Lord God knows what He is doing and is the expert at making lemonade out of lemons. Being where we shouldn't be doesn't prevent Him from accomplishing His will. It also shows that Balaam's wasn't the only "donkey" He ever used.