Hey there friend and welcome to Tuesday! Today on Tuesday's Musical Notes we visit our Country cousin...He's got a place in the southern-most part of Notesland where the tea is sweet and cold and the pecan pie is so good you'll be smilin' 'til the cows come home. Our cousin only listens to both types of music that (he thinks) exists...Country AND Western! So let's put on some Ariat's and Stetson's and get ready to two-step with the Papaw's of Country Music (affectionately and respectfully, speaking)...ladies and gentlemen give a ring-tailed tooter for the Oak Ridge Boys!!!
While only spending 1 week at #1, "Trying to Love Two Women" spent 12 weeks in the Billboard Us Hot Country Songs charts. It's a modern-day song about the juggling act a man has while trying to keep two women happy in respective relationships. Ultimately he determines his results are a tired mind and wonders if it really is worth all the trouble.
"Trying to Love Two Women" was the third #1 single (out of 17 total #1s) from the band whose roots go all the way back to 1943 when they were formed as Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers and began performing in the Oak Ridge area of Tennessee. The 1943 incarnation was formed as a Southern Gospel quartet and eventually changed their name as well as a few band members, to the Oak Ridge Quartet. Their manager at the time determined that "Quartet" was a bit out of date for their newer sound and transitioned them to their final moniker, The Oak Ridge Boys. Counting the current lineup the Oak Ridge Boys have had 32 vocalists over the course of their 78 years.
The lineup that recorded today's featured song has been singing together since 1973. William Lee Golden (joined in 1964), Duane Allen (joined in 1966), Richard Sterban (joined in 1972), and Joe Bonsall (joined in 1973) have been the formula for the band's road to success, including crossover hits "Elvira"(1981), "American Made"(1982), and "Bobbie Sue"(1983). They also were a huge part of the resurgence of country music in the 80s that featured bands like Alabama, Sawyer Brown (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Thank God for You" (Sawyer Brown)), and Restless Heart.
Popular modern culture seems to applaud the kind of behavior perpetrated by our song today even though polygamy is illegal in the United States. "As long as everyone's happy and feelin' good vibes, what's wrong with it?" Despite modern culture's permissive attitude, we find that even though God allowed such relationships to exist in the Bible and He even sometimes allowed good things to happen because of such relations. But having multiple partners, lovers, wives, spouses, etc. was the plan that usually brought about disastrous results.
Let's take a look at an example of such a relationship. While the overall outcome was good, sometimes the relationships were a bit sketchy between Elkanah, Hannah, and Peninnah the focus of another great story from the Bible.
Our story begins with a man who is trying his best to love two women. Remember, the culture of this time encouraged men to take more than one wife. This afforded the man a better opportunity to have a son, thus keeping the family genealogical line going. I don't know about you, but as a father of all girls, I can't for a moment think of how having a son could have possibly made my life better or more complete. While some nations continue this practice, we live in a time where this prevalent male-dominant attitude is diminishing.
If I may for a moment have an editorial comment. From creation, men and women were always intended to have differing roles in the makeup of a family. These differing roles complement each other and afford balance to the relationship thus making it strong.
Our current Western mindset has brainwashed young couples into thinking that they cannot make ends meet with only 1 income. This is a lie from the pit of hell. Believers especially should rely on the security that comes from God's providence to meet their needs, not the false sense of security that having 2 jobs will provide everything a couple may desire. The difficulty is that we have to remember what the difference between a want/desire and a true necessity may be and allow that to drive the financial decisions for our families. Not to mention the impact on children within the family. They need THEIR mom or dad to raise them, not someone else. This completes Tuesday's Musical Note's editorial commentary...And now back to our story...
Elkanah is described as a good guy. He goes to worship regularly and takes care of his wives. But there is a difficulty in his life. His wife, Peninnah, has provided children for him. His wife Hannah, whom he loves more, has not. This causes tension between the two women Elkanah is trying to love. I don't know about you, but I get the impression that Elkanah decided to stay out of the conflict between the two women. "Trying to please two women, you can't please yourself..." He does, however, express his inclination towards Hannah by giving her double portions when going to sacrifice at Shiloh which is where the tent of meeting and ark of the covenant was located. Ultimately, Elkanah's favoritism towards Hannah causes her childlessness to fuel Peninnah's ridicule. Seems like I've heard something like this occurring before...(Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Jealousy" (Natalie Merchant))
The problem becomes so dramatic that on one of the trips to Shiloh, Hannah pours her heart out to God in the presence of the priest Eli. She begs for a son to bless her family and makes the commitment to dedicate the boy to God. Culturally, women were to be absolutely quiet while attending church at this time. Hannah was so distraught her lips moved...horror of all horrors!!! Eli noticed her outpouring of grief and thought her drunk because she abandoned the cultural norm. Hannah assured Eli that she was not drunk, just broken-hearted. Her sincerity and respect for the aging priest caused a change of heart in Eli so much so that he gave her a blessing that the subject of her prayers would come to pass.
You guessed it! Hannah becomes pregnant and has a boy that she names Samuel. After Samuel is born, Elkanah prepares to go on his annual trip to Shiloh. Hannah determines that she will not make this trip, but will fulfill her commitments when Samuel is weaned. When Hannah and Elkanah present the boy to Eli, what was the result? The Bible says that the worship of God occurred. Imagine God being worshiped over the birth of a child who would be dedicated to Him.
The first part of chapter 2 begins with Hannah's song of rejoicing. It is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible and is very reminiscent of another passage that celebrates a newborn Son, a Son who would also dedicate His life to God's work and purpose. Perhaps Mary drew inspiration from Hannah's song when she sang her Magnificat...(The Gospel of Jesus according to Dr. Luke, chapter 1, verses 46-55 NASB/AMP/KJV)
After Samuel is born and given to Eli, we don't hear much more about Hannah, Elkanah, and especially Peninnah. Samuel does indeed become dedicated to God for the entirety of his life. More on that in future Musical Notes.
By looking at Elkanah's attempt to love two women there are some conclusions to which we can arrive. 1) When you're trying to love two women there will be tension even if the two women aren't aware of each other. "...sometimes the pleasure ain't worth the strain..." 2) Trying to love two women comes with a cost that is far more precious than any resource. "...One's got my money, the other's got my heart..." It cost Elkanah his son. While there isn't any illumination in the narrative about how Elkanah was feeling at this loss, one would think that giving up the son from the woman he loved had an impact on him. 3) When you're trying to love two women, one of them will always be the favorite. "...at best it's only half-good, a man can't stock two shelves..." . 4) Regardless of what God allows, ultimately His plan will always be the plan that is successful so why not listen and do what He has to say? The alternative? "...it's a long old grind, and it tires your mind..."
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by loving You,
randy
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