SCRIPTURE: 1 SAMUEL 1
INTRODUCTION:
The book of 1 Samuel records the lives of Samuel, Saul and David. Saul led Israel as a prophet, priest and judge. When the people wanted to have a king like their neighboring nations, Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. But Saul was disobedient to God, so God rejected him. David was later anointed to take the place of Saul. Samuel was the last of the judges and Saul was the first of the kings.
THE BIRTH OF SAMUEL (vs. 1-20)
There was a man from Ramathaim, A Zuphite whose name was Elkanah. He had two wives named Hannah and Penninach. Peninnach had children but Hannah had none. So Peninnah kept on provoking her in order to irritate her that cause Hannah to weep and not to eat. Hannah went to the Lord’s temple, made a vow and prayed saying: “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life and no razor will ever be used in his head.” (v. 11) While she was praying in her heart and her lips were moving but her voice could not be heard, Eli thought that she was drunk and told her to stop drinking. But Hannah told him she was not drunk. She had a great anguish and grief praying to God. Eli answered: “Go in peace and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him” (v. 17) Hannah went home and in the course of time, she conceived and gave birth to a son named “Samuel” meaning “Because I asked the Lord from him” (v. 20)
HANNAH DEDICATED SAMUEL (vs. 21-28)
Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord to fulfill his vow. But Hannah remained until after Samuel was weaned. After weaning Samuel, Hannah took him with a 3 year old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine and brought them to the house of the Lord. Hannah showed Eli the child and said: “I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord” (v. 27)
THOUGHTS:
Hannah means “grace”. Because she was childless, she was sorrowful and disappointed. But God’s grace handled her burdens and sent blessings to her.
Hannah named her son “Samuel” meaning “asked of the Lord”. She dedicated him to the Lord to fulfill her vow.
In ancient society, a childless woman was condemned as failure. Her bareness was a mortal embarrassment for his husband. However, the husband of Hannah loved her and devoted to her despite social criticism and his rights under the law to divorce a barren wife.
The other wife of Elkanah kept criticizing and mocking her for being barren. Even his husband’s love and encouragement could not comfort her. Penninah’s despising words eroded Hannah’s self-confidence causing her self-pity. We cannot keep others from unjustly criticizing us. But we can choose how we will react to their hurtful words. Enjoy the loving relationship with God and exchanged self-pity with hope.
Hannah faced many difficulties in several situation:
- She was barren. She shared her husband with a woman who ridiculed her.
- Her loving husband could not solve her problem.
- The high priest Eli misunderstood her motive.
But Hannah brought all her problems to the Lord through prayer. Each of us may encounter many problems in our lives. Let prayer open the way for God to work.