Presenter: Rev. Dr. JoAnne P. King
Date: June 9, 2024
Our study today starts in chapter 1 verse 1 of the book of Samuel. This story is a repeat of Leah and Rachel all over again.
In this case, the husband’s name is Elkanah who was an Ephrathite. Elkanah had two wives whose names were Hannah and Peninnah. The Scripture doesn’t say which one he married first. But it does say that he loved Hannah who was barren and Peninnah was the wife who was able to give him children.
Every year Elkanah offered peace offerings to Jehovah, pouring out the blood at the foot of the altar, burning the fat with fire, leaving the breast and right shoulder for the priest, and taking the rest for himself and family to eat during the feast. Of the family part each one received a portion, but Hannah a double portion for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb. [It was customary in those days to attribute all such conditions to God, but in reality, they could have been caused by a number of things, as in cases today.] The Levite, the poor, the widow; and orphan were permitted to eat of this kind of offering, if invited. (Dt. 16:11)
Hannah considered Peninnah her adversary because she provoked Hannah by being able to have sons and daughters while she, could have none. Perhaps, there were many taunting remarks from the adversary, gloating over her many children. This, went on from year to year and caused Hannah to weep, fast, and pray when they went up to the house of Shiloh. (1 Sam. 1:6-7)
Then Elkenah asked Hannah why she wept, wouldn’t eat and why was her heart grieved? He asked her, “if he wasn’t better to her than ten sons?” (1 Sam. 1:8) After Hannah had eaten and drank in Shiloh, she rose up with the rest of the family.
Eli the priest was seated by a post in the Temple of the Lord. This meant that Eli had a seat of judgment where Israel could come for advice and justice.
Year after year, Hannah had come to Shiloh with praying, weeping, fasting to the Lord for a child without success. This time, she became desperate and prayed through to an answer by bitterness of soul, weeping and making a vow unto the Lord. She vowed a vow, and said: “O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head” (1 Sam. 1:11). Never has there been any more earnestness in prayer than what is recorded here (v. 10-11).
“It came to pass, as she continued to pray before the Lord that Eli noticed that her lips were moving but not a sound was coming out of her mouth. So, he thought that she was drunk. Hannah was praying in her heart; only her lips moved; but no sound came out of her mouth. Eli said to her, how long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee” (1 Sam. 1:12-14).
“… Hannah answered and said, no, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hither to” (1 Sam. 15-16). “Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. [Here the high priest was speaking as a representative of God—speaking comfort, faith and assurance to a burdened soul. In a sense, this was a promise and a prophecy to Hannah.]
Hannah said, “Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So, Hannah went her way, and did eat, and her countenance wasn’t sad” (I Sam. 1:18). [At this time, she had the witness within herself, as well as, from the high priest that her prayer would be answered. So, she went her way without any more sadness, knowing that she would have a son as she had prayed.]
Early the next morning, they arose and worshipped before the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah. [They worshipped at the start of the day, which is what all believers should do.] Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife and the Lord remembered her. It came to pass after conceiving, Hannah delivered a son and called his name Samuel, saying, because I have asked him of the Lord.
As was his custom, Elkanah and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord, the yearly sacrifice and his vow. Hannah didn’t go with them and she told Elkanah: “I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide forever.” Elkanah said unto her, “Do what seemeth thee good: tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word” (1 Sam. 1:22b-23a). So, she abode and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
[Elkanah was consecrated to the Lord enough to permit her vow to be fulfilled. He could have legally canceled it but thought it best to let it stand. From 1 Sam. 1 v. 21, it seems that Elkanah himself had made some kind of vow concerning Samuel also.]
When Hannah had weaned Samuel, she took him up with her along with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.
[There are three opinions concerning what age children were weaned: 1) That they were weaned at the age of 3 years, for Hezekiah made provision for the Levites from 3 years old and upward (2 Chr. 21:16). 2) That they were weaned at the age of 5 years, as in the case of Isaac (Gen. 16:16; 21:1-8). 3) That they were not fully weaned until the age of 12. (Lk. 2:4-52).]
And they slew a bullock and brought the child to Eli. And Hannah said to Eli: “Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed: and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore, also I have lent him to the Lord: as long as he liveth, he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there” (1 Sam. 1:26-27).
[It is not likely that Hannah was the only woman ever to stand by the high priest and pray; but asking for a child in the manner she did must have impressed him so that he could never forget.]
[When we pray, we must learn to ask for specific things instead of so many general things, and not be satisfied with any substitutes about things we have prayed about. If she had not received a boy, she would have continued to pray yearly. It was not only a child but a boy that she wanted; and it would not have been an answer otherwise. What we want is promised – anything good and within the bounds of the promises and goodness of God.]
[Notice in verse 28b, it says that he (Samuel) worshipped the Lord. It seems that Samuel was old enough to minister to the Lord at the direction of Eli. In some Bible versions, the pronoun he is they, that refers to the parents and anybody else that might have been at his consecration.]
Hannah’s prayer is found in 1 Sam. 2:1-10 and is said to be a song, both poetic and prophetic. It takes its place along-side the songs of Moses, Miriam, Deborah, David, Elizabeth, Mary and other psalmists and prophets whose inspired utterances have been recorded in the Bible. A particular characteristic of all these songs is that they sprang forth from the individual with reference to things of a personal nature, then widened to include the nature and acts of God and the glories of the coming kingdom of the Messiah and of God among men in all eternity, making reference to things of the future.
In Hannah’s prayer, she says in:
1 Samuel 2:1: Four personal references:
- My heart rejoices in Jehovah.
- My horn is exalted in Jehovah.
- My mouth is enlarged over my enemies.
- I rejoice in Thy salvation.
1 Samuel 2:2: Threefold character and greatness of God:
- None as holy as Jehovah
- None as great and powerful
- None as solid, stable, immovable and dependable as God
I Samuel 2:3: Two warnings to wicked enemies:
- Talk no more so exceeding proudly.
- Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth.
- Two reasons for warning the wicked?
- Jehovah is a God of knowledge.
- By Him all actions are weighed.
I Samuel 2:3-8: Fifteen acts of God
- Weighs actions of all men (v. 3)
- Breaks the bows of mighty men (v. 4)
- Supports the weak and helpless (v. 4)
- Causes the barren to bear (v. 5)
- Kills (v. 6)
- Makes alive (v. 6)
- Brings down to sheol, the place of departed spirits (v. 6)
- Brings back up from hell (v. 6)
- Makes poor (v. 7)
- Makes rich (v. 7)
- Brings low and humbles the exalted. (v. 7)
- Lifts up and exalts the humble. (v. 7)
- Raises up the poor out of the dust of deepest poverty. (v. 8)
- Lifts up the beggar from the dunghill. (v. 8)
- Sets the lowest men among princes to make them
- inherit the throne of glory. (v. 8).
1 Samuel 2:1-10: Predictions of Hannah
- Her own fruitfulness (v. 5)
- Bringing men up from hell (v. 6)
- Exaltation of the poor and even beggars to sit among princes and inherit the throne of glory, referring to the converted becoming kings and priests in all eternity to come. (v.8)
- God to keep the feet of His saints. (v. 9)
- The wicked will remain in silent darkness of eternal death and hell. (v. 9)
- The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces. (v. 10) This will take place at the second advent of Christ.
- Out of heaven shall the Lord thunder upon His enemies. (v. 10)
- The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth. (v.10)
- He shall give strength to His king. (v.10)
- He shall exalt the horn of His anointed (Messiah). (v. 10)
1 Samuel 2:4: Bows of Mighty Men
In this verse, we have a figurative expression referring to divine humbling of the proud, and help for the weak. (v. 4).
- The bows of the mighty men are broken. (v. 4)
- The proud are humbled and brought low. (v. 4)
- They that stumble are girded with strength. (v. 4)
- The weak and helpless receive divine strength and help. (v. 4)
- They that are full have hired out themselves. (v. 5)
- The ones who have been prosperous are brought low; they lost their security and hire themselves out for a morsel of bread. (v.5)
- They that were hungry have ceased. (v. 5)
- The poor and insecure are made prosperous. (v. 5)
- The barren have born and have families to enjoy. (v. 5)
- She that has many children is waxed feeble, and has become sad and lonely. (v. 5)
Hannah’s life story written in the Bible isn’t long but my, my; it contains some valuable life lessons for us to explore and put into practice in our own lives. You know the Bible is a manual filled with examples of what a Christian should and should not do in order to please God and obtain a good result.
At this time, we want to examine some of the life lessons gleaned from the life of Hannah. Some people believe that the Bible doesn’t apply to modern times. They say, it’s outdated. The reality is that each story in the Bible was placed there for the teaching of Christians who lived a century ago; the Christians of today, and the Christians who will live 100 years from now, if the Lord should tarry. These biblical stories overshadow time and culture. God has strategically placed her story in His written Word to teach us some important lessons as we walk our Christian journeys today.
Remember in Ecclesiastes 1:9 Amp.: “That which has been is that which will be [again], and that which has been done is that which will be done again. So, there is no new thing under the sun.”
Have you ever experienced the kind of pain that takes all of the sweetness out of life? We all have had pain points that prompt our souls to ask—why? What’s important about Hannah’s life is that she did not stay in her pain but that pain propelled her to respond in honest prayer and faith-filled praise. We read that Hannah went year after year praying for a male child without success and enduring torment and teasing from her husband’s other wife.
I imagine she asked herself, why isn’t God responding to me and my request? I’m doing everything I know to do–I’m bringing my offerings along with my petition. Doesn’t He care? Maybe she thought about if she was doing her all? Back in the Old Testament days and even today, many cultures stress the importance of having male children because they carry the family name and perpetuate their generations. Then, she remembered Abraham and God asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Hannah, desperate and pouring out her soul at this time said, I will fast, pray, bring my offering and make a vow unto the Lord to lend my son to Him.
When Eli spoke to Hannah and heard her petition, He said: “Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.” Hannah knew that her petition would be granted and her countenance changed. No longer was she sad. Notice Hannah’s circumstances had not changed but her perspective had been redirected by seeking God’s power and presence.
When we are seeking a petition from God and you are not getting an answer, ask yourself: “Are you giving God your all?”
Hannah shows us that we can worship God in our trials. In verse 19 of 1 Samuel, we read that “Early the next morning they arose and worshipped before the Lord…” Here we see Hannah worshipping the Lord before she conceived in faith and giving Him glory. This is what the Holy Spirit enables a believer to do, worship Jesus when we are in great loss or pain.
Hannah modeled for us what it means to live by faith and not by sight. When the scripture says: the Lord remembered her, this is not implying that the Lord ever forgot her. This means that He chose to act because Hannah was willing to lend to Him the most precious thing in the world to her. Just as He had chosen, before the foundation of the world, to send His most precious gift–His son (Jesus) to die so that sinners could be saved.
Hannah’s life teaches us to be persistent in prayer. From the text, we can assume that Hannah was praying for years for a male child. I am sure it wasn’t just during worship and sacrifice that she prayed. Day after Day she prayed hoping that God would hear her heart. In the years she was waiting to become pregnant, He was answering her prayers by giving grace, strength and resiliency as He awaited the appropriate time to bless her.
God had a plan all along and was working behind the scenes to bring about a great purpose. He’s doing the same for you. Keep praying and trusting Him. It’s not falling on deaf ears. As a good Father, He will give you what you need at the moment all while preparing you for who you will become in the future.
Hannah’s story is a lesson on how to wait on God. What’s significant here is her posture as she waited. She didn’t stay down and she didn’t give up on God. Most importantly, she didn’t make the same mistake that Sarah and Rachel made by taking the situation into their own hands. She continued to pray, worship and sacrifice in her wait.
In our faith journeys, sometimes it will seem as if God isn’t hearing us. This may lead to the temptation of taking things into our own hands. I encourage you to take a lesson from Hannah and assume her posture in waiting. Continue to give it to God, He can solve our problems much better than we can and with little effort. It’s imperative that we trust His timing!
Why? Because we know that while we’re thinking about our situation in the here and now, God is thinking about the entire kingdom. Like Hannah, don’t doubt and stay relentless in pursuing Him as you wait.
Hannah’s life is an example of surrendering our will to God’s perfect one. Surrendering is letting go and giving God all control. It’s an act of your faith. As mentioned earlier, in her prayer in 1 Samuel 1, Hannah surrendered by entrusting God with her deepest desire [having a son] and the blessing that would take away her pain and shame. This is exactly what God wants you to do. In this way, He can accomplish His perfect plan for your life and his kingdom.
What Hannah didn’t realize in her wait was that God was looking for an unselfish and willing prophet. He was preparing Hannah and in doing so, He was bringing about Samuel. Samuel was the child handpicked by God to be His last judge. His warrior, His prophet, and the man who would guide the first kings of Israel. This was His perfect plan and this was the reason for Hannah’s wait.
Hannah’s life is a lesson in the virtues of wisdom and self-control. When you are struggling, others may still see you as more fortunate, popular, or loved than they are. Therefore, in their pain, they inflict pain. This is the root of jealousy. This was the case for Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah. The Bible doesn’t say that Elkanah loved Peninnah, but it expresses his love for Hannah. However, Hannah was without a child which meant that Elkanah had no heir. This was perhaps why Elkanah took another wife like Abraham who could bear him children. The Bible describes Peninnah as a rival of Hannah’s, just like Sarah and Hagar. Even though Hannah dealt with years of Peninnah provoking her during her season of infertility, she never lashed out or tried to get even. She got down on her knees and cried out to the One whom she knew could change her circumstances. Hannah handled her situation God’s way and God honored her.
Hannah’s life teaches the importance of praising God despite your circumstances. It seems like her prayers and desires had fallen on deaf ears. It’s in these times that the enemy sees an opportunity to strike. He will start filling our heads with lies such as, “It’s never going to happen.” “God doesn’t care.” “Why am I trying so hard to do what’s right when it seems like the ones who are not are getting what they want?” I think that every Christian has struggled with these thoughts at one time or another. However, it is during our darkest hour that we can take another lesson from Hannah in the Bible. She trusted God and remained faithful. When the devil has thrown everything at us and we remain faithful and trust God—it confuses him. He expects our flesh to take over and in our pain curse God as Job’s wife advised him. Like Job and Hannah, we can trust that God will only allow what must take place for a season. Why? Because He is the one seeing the past, present and future.
Romans 8:28 states: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us.” Therefore, we praise Him wherever we are while we wait for the opening of the right door in His perfect timing.
Hannah’s life is a lesson in obedience to God. Soon after her heartfelt prayers in Shiloh, Hannah became pregnant gave birth to a son. A son that was the desire of her heart and the thing that she wanted most in the world. Even though she birthed and nursed her most precious gift, she didn’t forget God or her promise to Him. She even told her husband of her plans to lend their son to God all the days of his life and he agreed.
I am sure that this was one of the most difficult things Hannah had to do was to give her son to God. After giving birth, seeing him and nursing him until she had weaned him, which commentators say was around 3 years, would be hard and impossible for a lot of mothers. In her obedience, she dedicated her son back to God as she had promised. And you know what?
You can’t beat God giving!
After taking Samuel and giving him to God, she presented him to Eli to be trained for the priesthood. You remember that Hannah was a prophetess, so in the 2nd Chapter of Samuel from verse 1-10, Hannah prophesied about everything, things that she knew, as well as, things that were to come including her situation in verse 5b. Which states: “so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.” The Bible says that she had three boys and two girls, in addition to Samuel. Since she prophesied seven, one must have been still born.
In conclusion, don’t become weary in worshipping God because He has not willed it. It can become so easy to approach our worship wanting something from God, that we unconsciously exchange our desire for God’s presence for his provision and His goodness for His gifts.
The spiritual strength exhibited in Hannah’s story is found in her surrender to God’s sovereignty. This position of praise invites our souls to trust in nothing less than God Himself. Hannah’s story concludes with the evidence of God’s provision to provide her with a son “in due time” (1 Samuel 1:20). This account of God’s faithfulness does not negate the weight of current losses but encourages our hearts to hold fast to God’s perfect timing.
Just like Hannah, we are invited into this process of the prayerful petition and hope-filled praise for God’s continual presence, for His presence in the process of all of life’s pain. As we begin to follow Hannah’s example, I pray we will find peace and patience in our present seasons. For I am confident that, like Hannah, God will remember us and in due time fulfill the desires He has ordained.
I don’t know what season you find yourself in, but I encourage you to face the waves of grief with honest prayers and unshaken praise. May we bravely press into petitioning our good and gracious Father to anchor our souls in light of His sovereignty. He hears our prayers and in due time will reveal His good plans for us. Always remember, God is Faithful!! Praise God and Amen!