Hannah: A Mother With Vision

e. Children reflect their parents’ spirituality. A recent study showed that insecure parents produce insecure children. And in the same way, non-spiritual parents produce non-spiritual children. And could we say that rebellious parents also produce rebellious children?

D. HANNAH PREPARED HER CHILDREN TO SERVE GOD.

1. She kept Samuel at home.

When the child was small, Hannah didn’t even go up to the Tabernacle for the yearly sacrifice. “But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever” (1 Samuel 1:22).

So what did Hannah do when she didn’t go to church? She cared for Samuel, loved him and made sure the baby boy was pointed toward God. “So she stayed home and nursed the baby” (1 Samuel 1:23, NLT).

2. She not only prepared for her child, she prepared her child to live.

After Hannah dedicated her son to temple service, she went up each year to see him. “Now Samuel, though only a boy, was the LORD’s helper. He wore a linen tunic just like that of a priest. Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice” (1 Samuel 2:18-19, NLT).

3. When God blesses, He blesses abundantly.

“Although Hannah never heard the New Testament promise, she experienced its fullness. Paul promised in Ephesians 3:20 that God is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Hannah had only prayed for one boy, and God gave him to her. Now listen to what else happened to Hannah when she came up to bring a tunic to her young son, Samuel. “Before they (Elkanah and Hannah) returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the LORD give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the LORD.” And the LORD gave Hannah three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:20-21, NLT). Hannah had seven children. According to the verse I just read, Hannah had five children, plus Samuel, making six. But listen to the prayer that she makes in the great psalm that reflects her prayer: “The barren woman now has seven children; but the woman with many children will have no more” (1 Samuel 2:5, NLT).

Apparently, one more child was born after this chapter was written. Hannah had seven children. What happened to the other wife that was persecuting and mocking Hannah? She stopped having children. God blessed Hannah and judged Peninnah, the other wife.

E. HANNAH PRAISED GOD FOR HER CHILDREN.

1. Hannah’s prayer became one of the first psalms.

Long before the book of psalms was written, there were very few psalms available, i.e., , a few by Moses. But here Hannah breaks out into a psalm that’s included in Scripture.

“My heart rejoices in the LORD!

Oh, how the LORD has blessed me!

Now I have an answer for my enemies,

as I delight in your deliverance.

No one is holy like the LORD!

There is no one besides you;

there is no Rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:1-2, NLT).