1 Samuel 1:1-2:21

The Overview:

Elkanah was a wealthy man from the hills of Ephraim, who had two wives. One named Peninnah, who had children, and one named Hannah who had no children. Annually, Elkanah and his family would travel to the town of Shiloh to worship and offer their sacrifice to the Lord. To his wife Peninnah and all her children, he would give portions of meat; but to Hannah, he would give her a double portion to sacrifice. He gave Hannah more because of the love he had for her and also because the Lord had closed her womb. For years, Hannah’s rival Peninnah would provoke her as she went to the Lord’s House, to the point that she would cry continuously and not eat. She did all this to Hannah because of her inability to birth children. Just after the celebration, Hannah stood up and begun to pray. In the midst of her praying, Eli, the priest noticed her as he sat at the door of the Lord’s House. As she prayed, Eli watched her and instantly thought she was drunk as her lips were moving without sound. He called out to her to put away her wine and asked her how long she was going to stay drunk? Hannah explain to Eli that she had not been drinking but instead praying and making her request to the Lord, as she was a woman who was grieving and burden in sorrow because the Lord had closed her womb. Eli then told her to go on in peace and wished that she would receive what she prayed for. She went on her way, ate, and no longer looked of sorrow over her face. That next day before they went back home, they worshiped before the Lord. Once, they got back home, Elkanah made love to Hannah, and the Lord remembered her, and she birthed a son and named him Samuel. After the birth of Samuel, Elkanah and his family continued to go to Shiloh and offer their sacrifice; Hannah stayed behind to nurse Samuel, until he was weaned. Once he was, Hannah went to Shiloh and presented him before the Lord, along with other items of sacrifice. Hannah remind Eli who she was, that she was the woman who a few years ago came and prayed to the Lord for this child, the Lord gave her what she asked, so now she was giving him back to the Lord. Elkanah and Hannah went back home. Samuel stayed and ministered under Eli. Hannah would make a coat for Samuel each year and take it when she would go with her husband to Shiloh, as a gift of worship. Eli prayed for good upon Hannah and her husband. His prayer was that the Lord would give her more children in the place of the one she had given to the Lord. From this request, he birthed three more sons and two daughters to Hannah and her husband.

The Lesson:

Many parts of Hannah’s story can be connected back to what women face in everyday life. That’s what makes Hannah so relatable. In the eyes of some, Hannah may have seemed to have the ‘perfect’ life, she had a husband who was wealthy, gave her more than she wanted and also loved her dearly. However, there was still an emptiness that she held. Hannah wanted to bear his children. This was the depth of her sorrow. The women of Hebrew counted it a blessing to bear a child, for they understand this to be part of God’s promise as shared in the book of Genesis, chapter 3. So Hannah also wanted to be apart of this and experienced that promise. Maybe you have also felt like Hannah, not in the sense of being unable to bear a child but having an emptiness in some area in your life. Feeling as if you have been praying for something to manifest in your life, but it has yet to happen. What I adore about Hannah’s story is that she never stopped praying. She prayed for a child for many years. All those prayers were heard; however, God felt that now was the right time. But what amazes me the most about this story is even after Hannah received what she asked her, she turned around and gave him back to God. My question to you is when you are given what you’ve been praying for. What will you give back to him?

The Prayer:

Dear God, Teach me how to be like Hannah. Teach me how to pray without ceasing. Teach me how to block out all things and people that will come to provoke me during the wait. Remind me to not only pray until it happens but even more after it does. Teach me how to be patient when it’s not time and prepare me to be ready to receive when it is time. Calm me in my waiting, move within me during my receiving and instill in me a grateful heart after. AMEN.