nine to faith

Today we’re going to look at a mother in the Bible, a woman named Hannah. You may find yourself relating to Hannah as you read through this chapter. Let’s start with the reading of God’s Word – 1 Samuel 1.

The Birth of Samuel

1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”

Samuel Given to the Lord

21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

And he worshiped the Lord there.

The first thing we find out about Hannah is…

1. She was barren for years

Verse 2 states, “Elkanah had 2 wives. One was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.” Verse 3 continues and says, “Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.” 

So not only do we see that Hannah was barren for years, but we also see that the Lord was in control of this situation. The Lord had closed her womb. Why might God have done that? Did He have a reason? You may be in this very situation that Hannah was in and may be thinking, “Why? Why Lord can I not get pregnant?” 

Think about what would have happened had Hannah not been barren.
This may not have been written in the Bible at all.

Think about what would have happened had Hannah not been barren. This may not have been written in the Bible at all. So God knew this was going to be written in His word one day, so that you may find comfort in knowing that you are not alone in this struggle and God has a purpose for the waiting. 

2.  She had an adversary 

Next we see that, as if it wasn’t bad enough that Hannah wanted a child and couldn’t have one, she had a sister wife that would make fun of her on purpose! 

Verses 6 and 7 say, “Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.” 

YEAR AFTER YEAR. To the point where Hannah would wept and would not eat. She was so upset, understandably! 

Do you have any rivals? Someone who just provokes you for no reason? Just because they can? Maybe you’ve had friends or family in the past that have hurt you. This lady was essentially her family. If you don’t have an earthly rival, we all have a spiritual rival. The liar and father of lies that provokes us. He who causes us to fear and feel down about ourselves. Feel stupid. I’ll tell you the biggest lie Satan has told me about something I have wanted and prayed for (marriage) – “God is holding out on you.” Has Satan ever told you that one? “The Lord doesn’t love you because you can’t get pregnant.” THESE ARE LIES. 

“God is holding out on you.”

-Satan

So what did Hannah do about this? 

It doesn’t say she pushed back on her rival or tried to get vengeance on her, it just says in her deep anguish, she prayed to the Lord and she kept praying.

And that’s all we can do too. Friend, we must go to the Lord and keep praying and He will make things right. There’s a verse in Exodus that I love. Exodus 14:14 (NIV) – “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” So the Lord fought for Hannah. I wonder how Peninnah acted after Samuel was born. She probably shut right up!

3. She was wrongfully accused

“As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

This poor woman. Not only was she struggling to get pregnant, but her husband’s other wife was provoking her on purpose to irritate her, so she goes to pray privately to the Lord and Eli, the priest of the tabernacle, accuses her of being drunk!! 

Hannah cannot catch a break. But Hannah was able to truthfully say “No I’m not! Don’t say that about me.” 

So you may relate to Hannah in this moment. Have you ever been wrongfully accused?

4. She worshipped the Lord before He answered her prayer

Verse 19 states, “Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah.”

There is something sweet about worshipping the Lord when you’re in the valley. It’s easy when to worship when God answers your prayers, but what about in the waiting? 

Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Believing without seeing. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

There is something sweet about worshipping the Lord when you’re in the valley.

Do you think Hannah believed the Lord heard her prayer? Backing up to verses 17 and 18 it says, “Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.”

Now, if your pastor told you to go in peace, may the Lord grant you what you asked for, that would be pretty comforting. But she was no longer upset, so she must have believed it true that God would answer her prayers. 

So her and her husband worshiped together before the Lord before they went back home. 

Maybe you are in this time in your life. Waiting for the Lord to answer your prayers. Are you still downcast? Or have you prayed and fully surrendered your desire to the Lord and trust Him to give you what you need? Are you worshipping Him today despite being in a valley? 

Closing

I love the end of this chapter. Starting in verse 25, it says, “When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 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.” And he worshiped the Lord there.”

Hannah says, “Hey Eli! Remember me?? The one you called drunk? I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord! And He answered me! He gave me what I asked for! And now I give Him back to the Lord.” 

I’m over here rooting for Hannah! Like, man, everything that she had to go through, and then she could say, “Yeah that was me! I was barren, I was bullied, I had an enemy that laughed at me because of circumstances I couldn’t control or change. BUT THE LORD HEARD ME. And now I’m living the life that I so desperately desired.”

And she gave her child back to the Lord. And she gave glory to Him. The next chapter says the Lord was gracious to Hannah. She gave birth to three more sons and two daughters because she gave Samuel to the Lord. She only prayed for one son and the Lord blessed her with more!

This child she prayed for, Samuel, has 2 books of the Bible named after him. He was called directly by God for a purpose, he advocated on behalf of the people of Israel, and anointed the first king or Israel as well as the second, which we know well, King David.

BUT THE LORD HEARD ME. And now…

So again I think, what would have happened had Hannah not been barren? This may not have been written in the Bible at all. So God knew this was going to be written in His word one day, so that you may find comfort in knowing that you are not alone in this struggle and God has a purpose for the waiting.

Hang in there, friend. Pray earnestly in the Lord. And trust His plan for your life.

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This is a message I gave at a Mother’s Day tea party.
Feel free to use it for your own message. ^_^
– Brittany