Faithful Hannah - Mother’s Day
Today is Mother’s day so today we honor all of you mothers today!
Today we are going to talk about a special mother named Hannah. Hannah was the wife of Elkanah who was also married to another wife named Pennanah.
Hannah was very faithful to God and remained faithful through troubled times. We’ll see how she deals with a problem and we’ll see how she becomes the mother of the last and one of the best Judges and one of the great men of the Old Testament.
So when you have a problem, how do you solve it?
There was a guy who once had an enemy who owned a monster truck that would always drive their car all over his yard. One day he decided to get back at the enemy and bury boards with nails sticking up in his yard. The next time the enemy drove all over his yard, it punctured his tires costing him hundreds of dollars to repair his expensive tires. Of course, some of us cheer at that but really is vengeance the way to fix a problem? Bad blood just breeds more bad blood.
Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
So when you have a problem, the right thing to do is to pray to the Lord and share your problem and let go and let God take care of it. That’s easier said than done sometimes because our carnal nature gets in the way, but it is the right way.
1 Samuel 1:1-28
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.
I’m not sure why or how Elkanah became a polygamist but some scholars theorize that he may have married Hannah first and because she could have no kids may have married another wife so that he could have an heir which was very important in Jewish tradition. You must remember that just because something is in the Bible does not mean that it was approved by God.
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?”
Peninnah could have children and Hannah could not. In those times being barren was thought to be because God judged you or that you were a sinner which wasn’t the case. Peninnah was not only mean about it, she was grievously mean about it. You know it’s one thing for two women to have a cat fight but this was apparently a very cruel thing Peninnah was doing. Not only did she pick on Hannah because she was barren but was also acting as though God had done this to her also like God didn’t love her. So going to give an offering for Hannah turned from a joyous occasion to a dreadful occasion because of what Peninnah was doing to her. It affected her so much that she couldn’t eat. Elkanah tried to console her but didn’t seem to be very helpful.
So of course, the world’s way to take care of this problem would be for Hannah to punch Peninnah in the nose and make her pay! Evil for evil? This is not what Hannah did.
Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
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.”
Hannah’s prayer was a petition to the Lord to fix her problem by making a deal. If God would give her a son, she would give him back to be dedicated to the Lord.
Sometimes when people are in great distress or such as when a loved one is in the hospital, it’s not uncommon for them to pray and try to make deals with the Lord. They say there’s no atheist in fox holes! Maybe in the hospital waiting rooms too! Sometimes God allows distress as it often brings some people closer to Him or others who were not His to reconsider. No one likes to suffer but sometimes being put in uncommon situations will show our true colors. How do you think you would fair in an uncommon situation?
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.
Eli, even though he was the high priest, had his problems. When you read more about Eli, you wonder how he even became the high priest. His sons were also priests and all of them were carnal and a mess. It was truly sad that they were priests at all and even God judged them later.
Hannah was praying silently at the doorpost of the temple and Eli saw her and accused her of being drunk! Wow. Hannah defended herself and told Eli she was praying and was very troubled and prayed about it.
Eli had a change of heart and told her to go in peace and for God to grant her petition.
Hannah was no longer sad and was able to eat. She trusted the Lord would help her.
Faith seen through, brings joy!
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.”
God granted Hanna’s request for a son!
This of course would mean Penanniah had no more room to poke fun at Hannah.
Samuel’s name means, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” (God grants!)
Does God grant every prayer? Of course not, but when it’s the right prayer in line with God’s will, we see that God does great things!
2 Chron 16:9a For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. …
Samuel Given to 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.
So we see that Hannah also kept up her side of the bargain.
In the next chapter, Hannah gave an extravagant prayer of worship like the Magnificat!
Because of her faith we know from Scripture that great things happened later with Samuel too!
Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
We know from scripture that Samuel became a great man of God!
Jeremiah was a unique prophet that had to deal with Israel's judgment and exile to Babylon. His message pretty much was: it’s all over except for the crying.
During that time God told Jeremiah, don’t intercede anymore, I’ve made up My mind.
The way He said it thought was to elevate the saying by including two great men…
Jeremiah 15:1 Then the LORD said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people. Send them away from My presence and have them go!
God put these two men on a high pedestal. Surely, Samuel was one of God’s favorites to have spoken of him this way!
If Hannah wasn’t the mother she was, faithful to God, would she have had a son? Likely not. Then also, Israel would not have had the man Samuel. Samuel went on to mentor king Saul and king David, and was the last of the great Judges in the Bible.
Because of Hanna, great men of God rose up, and many people turned back to the Lord and likely many people got saved throughout history because of Hannah and her son Samuel who mentored king David who was the lineage of Jesus.
We certainly need awesome, faithful mothers like Hannah, who follow God, even through their adversity! When mothers are faithful like Hannah was, great things can happen because of their faith, relationship, and connection to God!
Hannah knew that having God raise her son was the best thing!
Hannah was a great example of how to be a Godly mother!
Other stuff if there’s time:
Samuel 2:1-11
Hannah's Prayer
(Good stuff and similar to the Magnificat from Mary but Skipped too long)
Elkanah means “God has created” or “God has taken possession”.
Elkanah was the son of Jeroham, from the tribe of Levi - the priestly tribe - his Levitical lineage is shown in 1 Chron 6.
Another faithful lady in the Bible who had her prayer granted:
Matthew 15:27,28 27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Proverbs 3:5-7
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
