Chapter 1
1. God is Working Through Our Struggles (1:1-8)
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?”
Hannah is the key figure here in this section. She is under God’s good hand of providence. She is married to Elkanah. He was somewhat wealthy at least wealthy enough for two wives. There was Hannah’s first problem. She did not have Elkanah, she shared him.
The wealth of her husband did not help the grief within her heart. At home all she saw was her adversary, Peninnah. Peninnah had children, many children. Hannah had none.
That was Hannah’s second dilemma, she was barren. Verse 5 tells us that it was the Lord who had closed her womb. For some reason God was not letting Hannah get pregnant.
To make matters even worse and to heighten her misery there was Peninnah not consoling her but stirring the pot.
6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.
Notice the language in these verses. Scripture is highlighting the fact that Peninnah has been very fruitful, over the top fruitful and Hannah has not.
he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.
Hannah’s rival as she is called in this section was relentless. All the time she kept putting Hannah down, embarrassing her, reminding her and there is only so much a person can take. Then, it was even worse when they all travelled to Shiloh to worship every year.
Here, the language highlights that even when her husband tried to help, he made it worse.
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.
Even the double portion made it worse. It too was a reminder that she could not have children.
Now, this section does focus on Hannah and all her trouble and at the time she did not know and did not have all the information we do. She didn’t know that her son was going to be a great prophet for now she is just miserable.
Listen, God has not left us like Hannah. We have all the Scriptures to read and remember and think through. We know that for God’s people,
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Hannah didn’t have Romans. We do. We have many verses like this one to help moderate our despair. We may still enter into those times of grief but we don’t have to grieve like the world who has no hope.
As we trace through the Word of God, we discover something. There is a pattern God has. Misery precedes Mercy. Misery is a prelude to a mighty work of God.
Why misery? For Hannah God was getting her to a place where her desire for a child began to lessen and her desire for Him began to grow. Perhaps for Hannah her longing for a child was bordering on idolatry. For her, her happiness was not found in God but in having what God had forbidden her to have…He closed her womb.
Then something amazing takes place…Hannah is ready the time has come and God moves.
2. Hannah’s Prayer and Promise (1:9-18)
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.
I want us to see together that God set in place a wonderful scenario where Hannah could only turn to God for her troubles…Peninnah was a troublemaker, Elkanah was no help, even his well-meant sympathy was not very helpful, the priests in the temple did not understand, even old Eli the priest took her for a drunk…she only had God and He listened.
She turns to God and promises that if God would look upon her with favor and give her a son, she would dedicate him to God and no razor will touch his head. She’s telling God her son would be God’s son and he would serve God.
We should make a connection here…when she promises God that no razor will touch his head, she is declaring that her son would be the new Sampson. The new deliverer of Israel.
Eli was a sad excuse for a priest. His sons were even worse. Rather than helping Hannah, he mistakes her for a drunken woman. What’s even more sad is Eli was quick to call her out for her drunkenness while his sons were not disciplined if at all. Hannah’s son Samuel will be the replacement of Eli and his two rogue sons.
Verse 18 explains that after she met with the Lord in prayer, she was much better, Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
This grieving broken woman learned many things through her struggles. She learned who to turn to. She learned how to pray. She learned to trust God. Her countenance reflected what she knew to be true about God. When she met with God, she prayed with deep love for Him and she prayed straight from her heart. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard.
One way we can show that we trust God is when we make our pleas to Him in prayer, we turn things over to Him. We trust God enough not to carry the burdens we laid at His feet. Give your troubles to God and leave them there. Do not pick them up again and struggle or be fearful.
1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
That’s what Hannah did. This is so important. I’m not going to carry these burdens any longer because I have given them to God. That shows great faith in God to carry what we were never meant to. Often times, as in our current text, God works in a situation only after we express true faith in Him. When this takes place, He has accomplished His purposes in our trial and then He works.
We are told exactly what was happening… God closed her womb. God worked to create her trouble and once His purposes were accomplished He worked to relieve her trouble.
3. The Lord Remembers Hannah (1:19-28)
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.”
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.
Here in this section, the thrust is two-fold. God remembers Hannah and her prayer for a child and He grants her request. Second, Hannah honors her vow to God that she would give Samuel to the Lord to serve Him.
We see the change in Hannah. She so longed for a child that she was utterly miserable. Peninnah could greatly frustrate Hannah. Then she truly went to God in her misery, left her cares there and truly met God and trusted Him and now she is giving to God what she desperately desired.
Her son, Samuel is destined to be very important in God’s plan of salvation. In the history of redemption, he will be the prophet to announce the monarchy of Israel. The monarchy will eventually include King David the precursor to King Jesus.
Here’s how God’s sovereignty and human prayer works together.
God was getting ready to do a great work in Israel. He is going to bring forth a King. His desire whenever He does something of this magnitude is to announce it to the people by His appointed prophet. Israel had gone downhill tremendously spiritually. Remember this is right after the times of the Judges when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. God is doing a work to bring glory back to Israel and He is going to announce it through his prophet. The priesthood was very corrupt and He would not use them so, He’s ready to bring a prophet into the picture.
Hannah does not have any children and she longs for a son but we learned that God had closed her womb. So, the Lord has Hannah pray from her broken heart to Him for a son. Not only ask for a son but make a vow that if God would give her what she asks for, she would dedicate her son to serve God all his life.
I’d like to show you the connection made very clear. The Hebrew word for ask is sprinkled throughout this section…
17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”
Here Eli tells Hannah, in literal Hebrew, may the Lord grant you your asking that you asked of Him.
Then in verses 27-28 it goes something like this…
For this child I prayed, and Yahweh gave me my asking which I asked from Him; and I also have given back what was asked to Yahweh; all the days he lives he is one that is asked for from Yahweh.
She gives her son the name Samuel (from Yahweh I asked for him).
So, it’s important to see that God gave Hannah a son and Hannah gave her son to God. She receives the blessing of a son and God would raise up His prophet. God’s sovereignty and human prayer go hand in hand.
I think we learn some very valuable truths here. God directs every inch of our lives from our struggles to our joy. He is using our trials as a means to get us where He wants us. He desires that our trials drive us broken to Him. Cast you cares on the Lord because He cares for you. Leave them there because you trust Him with them and don’t pick them up again. Use the image of a person carrying a heavy load which represents our struggles and dropping all of it at the feet of Jesus and then with arms that used to embrace trouble, now embrace your Savior, Jesus.
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