The story is told of a ship that was sinking. When it was evident the ship was going down, the captain called out to his crew, “Does anyone here know how to pray?” One replied, “I do.” “Good,” the Captain replied. “You pray while the rest of us put on lifejackets – we’re one short.”
The last part of the book of judges tell us that Israel was in a state of apostasy. Everyone did what was right in their own opinion. The people were adrift, generally without a moral conscience. No real external definition of what was righteous. Leaders were perverse. Many people wicked. Israel was headed for certain disaster – unless God intervenes.
In comes Samuel, born at a momentous moment. His birth will give salvation to the people. Like the birth of Moses did.Like the birth of Saul did. Like the birth of David and like the birth of Jesus did.
Ever since Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Israel was a loose confederation. Each tribe had acted independently. Joining together for war, led by a divinely appointed judge: Samson, Gideon -Samuel also a judge, and a prophet.
Samuel’s Family. Elkanah – his father. A long line is given, which means he is from aristocracy. He appears to be wealthy and is from a line of Levitical priests, a Kohathite. These were the ones responsible for carrying the ark of the covenant. He is seen as faithful – makes frequent trips to the Tabernacle. The law of Moses mandated regular trips to the Tabernacle for worship. He gives sacrifice for himself and his family.
The tabernacle at Shiloh. No temple yet. The Tabernacle is what was used in their wanderings in the desert years ago. It was located at Shiloh during this time.
Peninnah – Elkanah’s second wife. He took second wife because first wife, Hannah could not bear children. Here a second wife is not directly commented on – neither good or bad. Yet, Jesus tells us what God intended in the beginning - one man, one woman. Children were very important in that society. They must carry on the family name. A wife’s most important role was to bear children (we may not agree with that – I don’t think God would either, but that’s how it was) In this society it was embarrassing to a wealthy man, and his wife, especially when there is another wife providing children. Paninnah – is probably not thrilled about being second and tries to build her ego whenever possible by pointing out the many children she has.
A question for us all - Have you ever known anyone named Paninnah?
Neither have I. That tells you something about her character.
Hannah. Clearly loved by her husband. Clearly in anguish. 8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
He doesn’t understand Hannah’s anguish does he? His answer to her tears would not go over well on Oprah. What is he to do? Society puts pressure on him to have a child. Remember Sarah and Abraham?
They tried to have a child through Hagar- THAT didn’t work out well.
Why is it that Hannah, who we can see is a good woman - suffers so much? Is God ignoring her? Is God mean? Is God not able to comprehend?
To anyone here who has had a difficult time, or an impossible time trying to conceive, knows some of what she is going through. She has an added intensity - To not have children is to be cursed by God in her society. It was viewed as a act from God so wherever she went – there was gossip. How painful. A woman in her place would have tried all sorts of folk cures. From fertility foods, to fertility figurines. But there is no mention of that. So most likely Hannah only turns to God.
Question: Was it wrong for Hannah to be upset? Do you blame her for being so despondent? She can’t even go shopping, or get a latté, even ice cream, or take in a movie. She’s stuck with Paninnah. Her life is barren for years.
Have you ever driven back and forth through a parking lot, no places, nothing. You see one – but it is a walkway not a parking place.
Finally you see one, your spouse yells – get it, before that car does. You pull in – exaltation …its just a parking place, but you life was barren of a parking place…the longer and more intense it is…the harder it is. I believe this about Hannah, which means grace, by the way, her years of bareness have convinced her that any children born to anyone, are a miracle from God.
All her life experience has added up, and the pieces come together for her:It is not me, it is God. Everything in my life is from God. What was I thinking before?Sometimes we may think a parking place is a miracle, but Hannah has figured something out, hasn’t she?
We see it in her prayer:
11 And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD Almighty,
if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
Nazerite defined in numbers 6, which is what she is talking about in her prayer. Man or woman can make a vow of separation to God. For a period of time the person abstains from wine, does not use a razor,
or contact dead bodies. Then a ritual is described to terminate the vow.
Here with samuel it is a permanent vow.
God remembers. That doesn’t mean he forgot, but that he is taken promised action to those in earnest need it emphasizes his faithfulness. This prayer does not come out of thin air – it comes from life experience. We could see her prayer as making a deal with God? But it is more than that. By the way, is it bad to negotiate with God?
There is no comment against it here…(check out Gen 18 this afternoon)
Though the prayer is powerful it is the understanding that is behind the prayer that pulls things together. Her problem: Society says a woman without children is pretty much cursed so her life is ultimately without purpose (in her mind). So life slowly become listless (ever had a job like that) – what’s the point.
The obvious solution – keep trying to conceive. Have faith you can make it. Think positive. Don’t ever give up...And there at dinner is Paninnah, looking her in the face, chatting about all her kids.
Roger. A wonderful man – a marriage counselor by profession. He had a delightful family, great son, wife was so genuine, They we all people of good character. Roger had been through a lot in life and had done well. It turns out he was highly decorated in Vietnam- Credited with saving many men – several times, he never talked about it.
Roger came down with cancer. It was tough, but he kept the faith, and he beat it. He did everything he was told to by the doctors and pulled through, and he would have said – just keep trying.
But then the cancer came back. The obvious solution -Have faith you can make it; Think positive; Don’t ever give up. But there was a point, were Roger knew – this was it. His Paninnah was looking him in the face. He was out of options….Strange as it may be, inexplicitly, He was fully at peace
It is in Hannah’s weakness that she finds her strength. In weakness, God’s strength can be seen in greater clarity.It is not the words of her prayer but the attitude behind it. Knowing that God provides the children in her life -Not her own body - Not her husband’s body...In fact Paninnah’s children are from God, and all her arrogance about what she produced made her a fool in God’s eyes.
She realizes that she can do no more. Whatever happens is because of the grace of God. So of course she is aptly named Hannah – Grace. Even the Eli, the clueless priest, we’ll see more of him in the coming weeks, even when Eli thinks she is drunk, she is at peace. Being accused of this in the Tabernacle by a priest would be very shameful, yet even clueless Eli cannot take away her peace.
Hannah has clued in on one of life’s key spiritual truths: It is all from God in your life. It doesn’t matter what you see and touch. It doesn’t matter what circumstances you can come up with. It is all from God.
The Personal Trainer.
Young man in mid twenties. He owned a successful Gym and was starting to branch out. People would come to him for advice on how to do a business start up. He confided in my that he was mystified why others could not get started. His motto: Hard work, long hours, never give up. If I can do it anyone can do it. A high school classmate of his commented: Hard work, long hours, never give up...Though, having a stepfather give you $100,000 doesn’t hurt either.
He was mystified: he blinded himself and thought he did it all.
Birth of the child marks a turning point – his name is significant. It is difficult to translate – means something like “His name is El”. El meaning God – though the name of God in OT is Yahweh. El is the generic term like our term God. It suggests that Samuel’s God is the real God. Similar sound between Samuel and Hebrew “for I ask for him”. This wordplay shows her confidence in God’s faithful answer to prayer.
The gift.
Here is the most significant part of the story. Hannah keeps her promise. Hannah’s prayer is a deal, a promise that means she must give up the child. Does Hannah know that she will keep her promise when she is praying? Or does she figure cross that bridge when she comes to it? I think when Hannah realizes she is pregnant, she realizes she must give up the child.
The thing she wants the most….but she has discovered what?
Hannah is able to be so generous because the child is not her child, nothing in life is hers. In the absence of God’s gift she is at peace. In the presence of God’s gift she is at peace and then, in the absence of God’s gift, she is at peace.
Giving
Is there turmoil in your life when you give? For Hannah and her society the possession of children showed great wealth. In ours, however you cut it, it is money. For Hannah to give up what she did, seems almost unfathomable to us. But not for her, She knew the secret
Do you understand what the Secret is?
