In  the  last  installment of  Marital Moments  I  begin a  series  based on  I Samuel chapter  one entitled  the "Qualities  Of  A  Good Husband".  I  pointed  out  that Elkanah,  Hannah's  husband,  was  a  loving husband,  a talking husband,  and  an understanding  husband.  This session will focus on three important  thoughts from the life  of Hannah  and Elkanah:  A good  husband  is a  Leading Husband,  a Dis-cerning Husband,  and a Concerned Husband. In  fact he exemplifies for  everyone exactly what a husband should be and do.  Let's begin by pointing out that Elkanah was  (1) A Leading Husband.   I Samuel 1:3 states that, "this man went up out of his city  yearly to  worship and to  sacrifice  unto  the Lord  of  hosts in Shiloh".  A further  reading will  point  out that  Elkanah  took his  family with  him to worship God.  He lead his  family in  the most  important area:  family  worship.  Sadly, too many  husbands have  totally left off the  spiritual training  of  their family  or  they have  delegated  this  responsibility  to  the wife,  the pastor,  or the  Church.   The greatest mark of leadership in the home is a husband and a father leading his family in devotion and spiritual training.   God has given the husband the leadership of the home.  In Ephesians 5:22 the Bible points out that the husband is  to provide loving servant leadership and  the wife  is  to follow  that leadership.   God  will  hold  the husband responsible for  the leadership of the home,  especially the spiritual leader-ship.  This is difficult  work for the husband.  It is easier to be lazy, to  let the wife lead and  set back and do  nothing  to lead  your home.   Happy  is the  home  and blessed  is  the  wife  and children  where  the  husband  and  father is  involved  in leadership.    Not only  is he a  leading husband  but  he  is  also  (2) A Discerning Husband.  I Samuel 1:6-7 the Bible says that,  "Her adversary  also provoked  her sore,  for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she  went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept,  and did not eat".  Elkanah  is discerning  enough  to  recognize Hannah's enemy.  Hannah's enemy was Peninnah, the second wife in this relation-ship (This was always against God's will and it always created more problems than it solved)  who  made fun of her  because  she  could not  have children.   Elkanah knew  that  Hannah  was  having  a  difficult  time  with  the  inability  to  produce children.  Happy  is  the  wife  and  the  home  where  there  is  a  discerning  hus-band.  Today's  wife  is  confronted  with  many  enemies.  The  glamour  industry depicts the perfect woman in the movies,  TV programs,  and  magazines of today. She is  constantly  bombarded  with the  ideal beauty  and in her  eyes she  seldom measures  up to the  perfection she sees  being portrayed  there.    The work place, daily pressures,  the chores  at home,  and the constant  work load  combine to be-come an  enemy to  her. The problems of life,  the temptations of life, and the pain of life  all  create for her  a  difficult adversary.   Combine  that  with  disrespectful children  and a lazy  husband  and she has a  huge adversary  confronting her.  She needs a discerning husband  who will become involved in her life to assure her that she is beautiful,  that she is number one,  that she is respected and loved,  and  that he will always be there for her in life.  (3) Elkanah is a Concerned Husband.   In I Samuel 1:8  we  read  that,  "Elkanah  her  husband  said  to  her,  Hannah,  why weepest  thou?  and why eatest thou not?  and why is thy heart grieved?  am  not I better to thee than ten sons?"   This verse points out for  us three  important  truths for our consideration. (a)  Elkanah is concerned about her emotional needs.  "Why weepest thou."   The  concerned  husband  recognizes that  his  wife  is  geared  up different  emotionally.  Things  that seldom  if  ever  bother  the  husband  actually do  bother  the  wife.  She  sees things differently than her husband. (b) Elkanah  is concerned about her physical needs. "Why eatest thou not."   The concerned  hus-band  closely watches  his wife  to see if  her  busy  schedule overloads her.  Is she taking care  of herself?   Does  she need help?  A break?  A  night  away  from  the children  and the  hectic  work load  of the home.  (c)  Elkanah  is concerned about solving  the problem if possible.  "Why is thou heart grieved?"  He just doesn't deal with the symptoms (weeping and not eating),  but he seeks out the problem  and if he can, he solves it.   What is  at the core of her problems?   Hannah has  a broken heart.  Elkanah  recognizes this and does everything he possibly can  to remove the problem.  This takes deep love,  commitment,  patience,  and understanding.  He is concerned about  her needs,  pain,  problems,  and  pressures  of  life.  Every  wife needs to  have a wise  and a concerned husband.   Remember,  the "Qualities  Of A  Good  Husband"  include  a  leading  husband,  a  discerning  husband,  and  a concerned  husband.

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