I Samuel 1 (Scripture taken from the New Living Translation is in italics.)
1There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. 2Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not
3Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. 4On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. 5And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children.
. 6So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.
Hannah’s Story (The following is Hannah’s story in my words, some of it is fictional.)
She is doing it again! It is bad enough Peninnah has three children, but does she have to rub it in my face every time we get together? Yesterday was too much with her going on and on about how her oldest son was the fastest runner in town. Who cares? I know Elkanah loves me very much, but I am constantly hurt by her bragging. Oh, Lord, why can’t I get pregnant?
Every year we go up to Shiloh to sacrifice to the Lord it is especially difficult because I am constantly with Peninnah and her children. At home I can go to my part of the house and not have to see her much at all except when we eat supper. Here on these trips I am with the whole family and I feel like such an outsider. This year I am going to go to the Tabernacle by myself and pray for a child.
After Elkanah made his sacrifices we all sat down to eat. Peninnah was mad! Elkanah gave me the best portion of the meat. She started whispering to me how I don’t deserve to be in the family since I can’t have children. She said I was a disgrace to womenkind. She also said Elkanah loved her more since he would sleep with her more often than me. I tried so hard to control my tears, but I could not even eat! I fled to the woman’s section of the Tabernacle to pray.
10Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
I guess my lips were moving as I prayed because Eli, the old priest, saw me and thought I was drunk. He told me to get rid of my wine and stop acting so foolish. I was in shock! My heart was broken, and he thinks I am drunk. I started crying more and tried to tell him I was praying in earnest for something and had not even touch my wine at dinner. He was so kind and blessed me.
17“In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”.
I felt much better after he said that to me. I believed God would grant me my prayer. And he did! By the next year I was nursing a baby boy I named Samuel. Samuel means I asked the Lord for him. I kept my word too. When Samuel was weaned, I took him up to the Tabernacle and presented him to Eli. Samuel lived with Eli at the Tabernacle from then on and the Lord blessed me with other children.
Lessons Learned
A couple of months ago my small group Bible study was discussing Hannah. I saw a lot of me in Hannah. First, while we tried to get pregnant for ten years, it never happened. I wanted to be a Mom. Everyone else in my family, except one of my brothers who never married, had kids but not me. All my friends were having kids too or at least it seemed like it. Last year for Mother’s Day I wrote about my infertility. https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/infertility-and-mothers-day/ I would pray for a child just like Hannah. Although, I do not remember crying about it, that is not the way I am built. While I never gave birth, God gave me two children who are young adults now. See My Adoption Story https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/my-adoption-story/
I also know how it feels like to have another woman in my husband’s life. Shortly after we moved back to Wisconsin in 2001, I realized my husband was having an affair. For the next few years I felt like less of a woman because of the affair. She never came right out and said she was better than me, but I felt it. It was a very difficult time in my life, but I have grown so much from it. I have also forgiven my now ex-husband. Yet, the scars are still there. Read I Samuel chapter two for Hannah’s Reaction to her story. She was faithful to God even though she had to go through trials. What are you praying for that is causing you anguish? Remain faithful to God and He will answer your prayer. Remember, though, God does not answer our prayers the way we want them to be answered. He answers them according to His plan for us with yes, wait, or no (because He has something better for us).
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Two books from:
A Passionate Hope Hannah’s Story
By Jill Eileen Smith / Revell
Hannah and her husband, Elkanah, share a deep and abiding love, for each other, for their God, and for his tabernacle at Shiloh. Greatly disturbed by the corruption of the priests, they long for restoration and pray for a deliverer. But nothing changes as the years pass. Years that also reveal Hannah to be barren.
Pressured by his family to take another wife, Elkanah marries Peninnah, who quickly begins to bear children. Disgraced and taunted by her husband’s new wife, Hannah turns again to prayers that seem doomed to go unanswered. Do her devotion and kindness in the face of Peninnah’s cruelty count for nothing? Why does God remain silent and indifferent to her pleas?
Travel back to the dusty streets of Shiloh with an expert guide as Jill Eileen Smith brings to life a beloved story of hope, patience, and deliverance that shows that even the most broken of relationships can be restored.
Hannah’s Song: What Love Looks Like
By Diana Hagee / Worthy Publishing
Join Diana Hagee in this insightful Bible study as she takes you verse by verse through the story of Hannah memorialized in 1 Samuel. Hannah endured heartache, frustration, and a deep feeling of inadequacy for being barren in a culture that honored motherhood. Still, she was a woman of patience, perseverance, and courage. Hannah cried out to God with absolute faith that He would hear her petition and answer it. Using Scripture, powerful storytelling, and real-life examples, this study will help you:
- Establish a foundation of Bible knowledge
- Search the Word for answers to everyday life
- Challenge yourself to dig deeper into the Bible individually or with a group
- Reflect on God’s Word to understand His divine plan for you.
- Discover that God’s Word is approachable, and it should be approached daily.
- Equip you to live the victorious, committed life of a believer.
Hannah’s story emphasizes the power of prayer, faith, and praise. Like Hannah, God has a divine plan for every woman. He will pour out His unconditional love on your life as you seek to serve and glorify Him.
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