God Blesses the Childless Woman with Samuel
Hannah, married to Elkanah, longs to have a son but is childless. Adding to her misery, everyone harasses her.
Though she’s her husband’s favorite wife, he dismisses her infertility. He fails to protect her from the verbal assaults of his other wife, Peninnah, who torments her.
When Hannah prays earnestly, Eli, the priest, accuses her of being drunk. But she’s in deep despair over her childless condition and challenging home life.
Hannah cries out to God in anguish, begging him to give her a son. She asks for a boy, not just a child. If God will answer her request, she promises to give the boy to God for a lifetime of service.
God understands Hannah, even though Elkanah, Peninnah, and Eli fail her. The Lord hears her plea and gives her a son.
Hannah names the boy Samuel, saying, “because I asked the Lord for him.”
She responds by singing to God: celebrating his power, the elevation of the oppressed, and the abasement of those overly confident.
A few lines of her ode may be digs at Peninnah, her chief tormentor.
After weaning Samuel, Hannah gives him to Eli for a lifetime of service to God at the temple, just as she promised.
When Hannah and her family make their pilgrimage to the temple to offer their sacrifices to God each year, she sees young Samuel and gives him a new robe.
God blesses Hannah with five more children.
As with Hannah, God understands our situation, even when no one else does.
Will we trust God to rescue us from our turmoil?
When we make a promise to the Lord, do we follow through and do as we say?
[Read about Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1–28 and 1 Samuel 2:19–21. Discover more in 1 Samuel 2:1–11.]
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is 1 Samuel 1-4 and today’s post is on 1 Samuel 1:19-20.]
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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