Hannah is a young woman, married to Elkanah. But she is not his only wife, Elkanah has another wife called Peninnah. Hannah is his first wife, but she has not been blessed with children, we are told twice that the Lord had “closed her womb” (vs. 5, 6). In contrast to Hannah, Peninnah (whose name means “fruitful”) has given Elkanah many children. In those days, women had no legal rights and relied upon their male relatives to provide for them; Hannah knows that in order to secure her future, she must give birth to a son. She is in a desperate situation and Peninnah knows it, rubbing it in at every opportunity. Elkanah on the other hand, doesn’t seem to understand his wife’s mind, asking, “Am I not more to you than ten sons?” (vs. 8)
This all takes place during the time before the Temple was built in Jerusalem. Shiloh is where the Ark of the Covenant resides in the Tabernacle and so at that time is the most important religious center for the ancient Israelites. Located 20 miles NNE of Jerusalem it was the main worship center from the time of Joshua until the capital city of Jerusalem was established by David.
When Elkanah’s family begins their yearly pilgrimage to Shiloh to sacrifice and worship the Lord of hosts, a family drama unfolds as they approach the house of the Lord and tensions mount. Peninnah taunts Hannah relentlessly about her barrenness and Hannah responds by sinking into depression. Poor Elkanah is caught in the middle – he just wants everyone to be happy!
After the sacrifices are complete and they have eaten and drunk their fill. Hannah, still despairing, decides to petition the Lord for a son. She offers a powerful heartfelt prayer, weeping bitterly. The priest, Eli, wonders if she is drunk and asks her to get control of herself. She confesses her deep anxiety and distress and she begs the Lord to “remember her” in her misery, promising that if the Lord blesses her with a male child, she will dedicate him as a Nazirite.
A Nazirite is a person set apart for the Lord who takes strict vows to never drink wine or other strong drink and to never cut their hair. The most famous Nazirite in the Bible is Samson – recall his incredible strength, a gift from God, and his downfall when Delilah cuts his hair. You can read all about Samson in Judges 13-17.
Hannah after begging God for a son, declares if it is granted, she will give this gift back to God. She will send the child to be in service to the Lord all his days. How many of us would do that?
The very next day, after they returned home, the Lord remembered her (vs. 19), nine months later she gave birth to a son and when he was weaned, she brought him back to Shiloh and gave him to the Lord (vs. 28).
First of all, I want to bring to your attention the fact of Hannah’s heartfelt prayer. She lays it all out in the open before God. She is not afraid to express the entirety of her misery – even risking being humiliated before the priest who thought she was drunk!
Secondly, she admittedly has selfish reasons for her request – she is worried about her future – but she makes up for that by promising to return the blessing back to God. A lot of our requests are purely selfish - and it makes me wonder if we focused more on using our God-given gifts for the glory of the Lord if our prayers might gain more traction with God.
And finally, she followed through with her promise. Honestly, I don’t know if I could have done it. Like the miller’s daughter with Rumpelstiltskin, I think I would have reneged on that promise when it came time to deliver. But God knew Hannah’s heart and knew that she would fulfill the promise she made. When we pray, God knows our
hearts too - if they are sincere hearts, if they are loving hearts.
When we pray, let us bring only our sincere loving hearts before God and lay them bare on the altar to be weighed. Ask nothing with completely selfish motives but consider the usefulness of your petitions to your community and the Kingdom of God.
The Books of 1 & 2 Samuel tell the story of Israel’s transition from a tribal confederation governed by judges into a nation led by a king and Samuel, the person, is the pivotal figure in this transition. Samuel is the prophet who anoints first Saul and then David as king of Israel.
It has been suggested to read this narrative relating the tale of Hannah wanting a son as an allegory for Israel’s desire for a king.
When we consider it in this light, Hannah represents Israel and her desire for a son represents Israel’s desire for a king. In this tale, Elkanah would represent God asking plaintively, “Am I not more to you than ten kings?” Israel desired a king because she wanted to be like the other powerful nations around her, such as the Philistines. Instead of relying entirely on God to provide, Israel wanted a strong king so they could defeat their enemies and take control of their destiny. This is similar to Hannah, who wanted to secure her own future instead of relying on her husband to provide for her and she wanted to be like Peninnah who had many children.
God had chosen the Israelites - their entire existence is owed to the Lord - and when they asked for a king, God took it as a rejection of his providence, of his governance. Samuel warned the people what the future would look like under a king. God knew this idea of a king would lead the nation down a path that ended in disaster – the ruin of the nation and ultimate exile in Babylon. But the people would not listen and begged for a king. They just knew that a king would solve all their problems. They relied on their own understanding instead of accepting God’s guidance.
Because God listens to the people’s cries and cares for them, their request is granted, even knowing that it will eventually result in destruction. But even this serves the divine purposes, as the Exile will be used to humble Israel and renew their connection with God.
Hannah’s request for a son will be granted because God will raise up Samuel, the great prophet, who will eventually anoint the King that God chooses to lead Israel.
Here are some takeaways from this story - first of all, Hannah is open and honest with God. God knows our hearts and minds, but when we trust enough to open up and confess our deepest sorrows and darkest thoughts – it indicates a level of intimacy that I believe is necessary for great communion with God. If you presume to ask a favor of a friend – most likely your connection is pretty secure. The same applies to God.
Also, Hannah is aware that her request is selfish, but balances this with the promise to dedicate the child to God’s service. We should all be so self-aware. When you bring your heartfelt petitions before God, beware that you are not the only one who would benefit from them. It is best to think outside of yourself and include what is best for the community and ultimately what would serve the Kingdom of God.
And finally, our reliance on ourselves is what usually gets us into trouble in the first place. We may think that we know what is best for us, but really God knows so much more than we do and ultimately it is best to rely on Holy Providence. So, in your prayer time always remember to model Jesus who taught us to pray that “thy will be done on earth as in heaven.” In this way, we can accept more easily the answers to our prayers, because we know if we come before God in an honest loving way our prayers will be heard and answered in the way that best serves the Kingdom.
Prayer
Holy, blessed Lord, you who are Life and Breath to us all, we come before you with our hearts laid bare. We have learned from Hannah that you truly love your children and hear every word we send your way. Sometimes though, we feel unnoticed and unremembered - lost and alone in this world. Help us to feel your Presence today and every day we open our hearts to you. As we come before you it is tempting to ask for all that our hearts desire – help us to enlarge our perception of you and let us not think only of ourselves, but desire what is good for all people. We only want what you want and ask that you humble us, as needed, that we may attain a great connection with you – so that in the end our will is your will. AMEN
