Like A Ming Vase

# 8 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 1:8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?" As a guy, I'm almost embarrassed by the words of Elkanah. Mostly because it sounds like something I would say. First of, he infers that Hannah is ruining their dinner. Then he asks a question that tells us, he knows what her problem is. 'Why is your heart grieved”? The word “grieved” here means to spoil something by breaking it into pieces! 'Why is your heart broken over your lack of children?” Oh if he only would've stopped there and said something like, “Help me understand sweetheart!” But nope, He says, “ Am I not better than ten sons? The number ten is significant in that it signifies completion. So Elkanah is saying, “Am I not better than a complete family?” In modern terminology, Elkanah is telling Hanna to “man up.” Hello Elkanah, ....Hanna is not a man! Her God-given emotional make-up is more fragile than a man's It's why the Holy Spirit reminds us in 1Pe 3:7, “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel,” In a nutshell guys, seek to treat your wife according to the Scriptures and, always seek to bring tenderness into every situation. Telling your wife to “man up,” is not tender. I think it is helpful for a man to think of his wife as a vase (vahss) as opposed to a vase (vayss) The latter is something you buy for cheap at Wal-Mart and don't really care if it breaks, but the former is a priceless vessel of the Ming variety. It is handled with all gentleness and respect.