Hannah: A Model For Motherhood

1 Samuel 1-2

Hannah: A Model For Motherhood

Introduction

A. Mother’s Day, it is Mother’s Day

B. When I am studying Philosophy I turn to the most Philosophical person I know, Calvin

C. Calvin as in Calvin in Hobbes

D. There was one comic strip where Calvin is standing by His mother bed when he says, “Hey mom! Wake up. I made you a mother’s day card”

E. His mother was very pleased and started to read it our loud

a. “I was going to buy a card with hearts of pink and read

b. But then I thought I’d rather spend the money instead

c. It’s awfully hard to buy thinking when one’s allowance is so small

d. So I guess you’re plenty lucky I got you anything at all

e. Happy Mosher’s day. There, I’ve said. Now I’m done

f. So how about getting out of bed and fixing breakfast for you son!

F. Isn’t He sweet?

G. Anyway today we are going to be learning about Hannah

H. To give you some background information in our English bibles the book of Ruth comes after Judges (Joshua judges Ruth) however in the Hebrew Bible 1 Samuel immediately follow judges. Look at the very last verse of Judges

I. Read Judges 21:25

J. Things were not looking good, Israel needed a king

K. In Samuel we are introduced to Hannah, who is the mother of the prophet who will designate Israel’s chosen king

L. We are going to take a look at Hannah’s story today

M. We are going to see 5 defining traits of a women of faith

a. Women of Faith Exhibit Real Problems

b. Women of Faith Express vibrant Prayer

c. Women of Faith Experience God’s Provision

d. Women of Faith Excel at Keeping their Promises

e. Women of Faith Explode with Praise

I. Women of Faith Exhibit Real Problems (1:1-8)

A. Explanation

1. We like to think that the great hero’s of the Bible did not have problems

2. That everything was just peachy and good and did not experience the same junk that we have to go through

3. That is not the case, they went through the same things and some times a lot worse that we go through

4. Here we have a man named Elkanah, he had two wives, Hannah and Peninah

5. Penninah was able to have children, Hannah had no children

6. In fact the reason that Elkanah married Peninah was because Hannah could not have children

7. Understand that a women who was not able to have kids was looked down upon

a) This would cause her to be spiritually disturbed, socially disgraced, and emotionally depressed.

b) Now understand something there are plenty of women of faith who battled with not being able to have a kid: Sarah, Rebecca (Isaac’s wife) Rachel (Jacob’s wife), Ruth (Boaz’s wife) and Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s Mother)

8. Every Year Elkanah would take his family and go to worship God at Shiloh, said to be a Holy City

9. Of course Hannah and Peninah did not have that close of relationship, ok so they didn’t exactly get along

10. Peninah knew that it would bug Hannah to the point as the Bible says “that she wept and would not eat”

11. Elkanah knew that she was upset and tried the famous guy line “Cheer up, you got me babe, what more do you need” That is the paraphrase of verse 11

B. Application

1. But what can we learn from all of this?

2. Just because you’re living a godly lifestyle does not mean that you will escape persecution

3. Unfortunately for us, this persecution happens to the best and the worst of us

4. And a lot of time we will not know Why

5. God knows why and He has a reason

6. Women of Faith do not always get to lie in a bed of roses

7. Women of Faith have their share of struggles

8. Men this does goes for you too do not think that this happens just to women

9. When Elighiah was alone in the desert after the great miracle of setting fire to the alter, and was complaining to God that he is the only one, what did God do?

a) God showed him 7000 who were going through the same thing

10. If you are here today and saying “Why me?” I can not answer that. But what I can promise you is that there is a support group here that meets at least once a week Sundays at 10 who either have gone through some rough stuff, going through ruff stuff, or will be going through ruff stuff

C. Illustration

1. A little quote that I thought that you might enjoy by Alan Redpath, “When God has an impossible task, he take an impossible persons and crushes them”