Hannah the hero Samuel 1

What seems fair to you? Some things seem unfair, but might be more easily explained. Why do some people get flooded and others don’t? You could say, well that’s easy - some areas are lower lying than others and they get flooded. And that’s generally true. But God is the One who sends the rain in those areas, or not, doesn’t He? What’s going on in Ukraine at the moment you would definitely say is unfair. But you might say that’s explainable as well. A narcissistic Russian oligarch believes Ukraine is actually his. They speak Russian, so why not?

But what about this situation? One woman getting pregnant, very easily be the sounds of it, and the other, who was greatly loved did not. In all likelihood, the situation here was that Elkanah married Hannah first, he loved her, then saw that she couldn’t have children and married Peninnah. This woman got pregnant many times. The problem was not with Elkanah biologically, he could father children. It was clearly Hannah whose womb was closed. That’s unfair! Right? How was that fair in any way?

Hannah’s name means “woman of grace”. We see this, not just in name, but in nature. True nature is brought out when there is persecution. In this case, from the other wife, Peninnah. It says, “So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her.” (verse 7) 2 women: 2 completely different characters. Faith is entwined with endurance/perseverance.

Have you ever been hassled for your faith? What about when your faith is under trial, and it seems God is not answering your prayers? In fact, he isn’t and your enemy who is taunting you is more blessed: more stuff, better health, better house, cars, life. It says Hannah went up year by year and as she did, another year of no pregnancy and, even in this act, an opportune time for Peninnah to provoke her.

Worse than this, the husband kept going into her and she was blessed with another pregnancy and child. The home tension must have been awful. One wonders how Elkanah dealt with it, but he only had himself to blame. It is a reminder of Abraham’s folly when Sarah didn’t fall pregnant and married Hagar and she did. The provoking started. Sarah, at least, had Hagar sent away, but that was only after she was blessed with Isaac. Here, Hannah had to endure taunts and the obvious blessing of many kids, not just one or two, from Peninnah. How do we know? Verse 4: when Elkanah dealt out the blessings it says, “he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.” Many children. Although it says she as a woman got double what Peninnah got, when you add in all the children and what they got, it wouldn’t have compared.

The husband said something useful, (verse 8) “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?" No, is the short answer. I know there are no cases here where the husband has so badly misread his wife’s emotional needs, but for the sake of argument, let’s say there is. As men of God, we need to be better tuned in. This is an ongoing reality for married men. So, men at the moment, what are you praying about? I know, recently this week for sure, you have been praying about those who have been flood affected and even our southern state friends, no doubt praying for Ukraine. But you, for certain, are asking the Lord to bless your business, are you not? You are a fool if not. I am assuming no fools are in our midst. You are praying for financial wisdom, client and contract negotiation, customers, employees or those whom you manage; wise stewardship of your finances as you distribute to God’s work, family, expenses, loans, savings for future desires. Then of course you want your prayers answered.

Then understand your wife. (1 Peter 3:7) “husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honour to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” We really have no other option here.

But praise God for the woman we are studying here this morning. She went directly to the Lord herself. Holy Hannah, even though she was taunted, not heard from the Lord, like the widow Jesus talked about, she continued to go back to the Judge to seek a blessing. This time she made a vow. (verse 11) “"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." Like Samson he would be a Nazarene, not only devoted to God, but better than Samson, he wouldn’t stay at home and be influenced without the Word of God. She said he would be given to the Lord.

Eli, the priest at that time, after unwisely thinking that she was drunk, asked that the Lord hear her prayer. After what she had been through, a religious leader should have been where she received some solace. It would come, but not initially. This is always sad in churches or when other Christians don’t show God’s grace.

The Lord heard and she was blessed with a son – Samuel, which means ‘a name of God/God heard’... Now, it’s one thing to make a vow, it’s another thing to keep it. What would be the temptation here? Obviously to go back on the promise – At least until you have other children, right? She kept him for a couple of years, weaned him, then sent him off to Eli the priest in Shiloh. Making vows to the Lord is serious business. Jesus says better not to vow if you don’t keep it.

Holy Hannah kept her vow and praised her God. (1 Samuel 2) "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation….” God will do right. But this takes faith…and patience. Doesn’t always. In fact, it often doesn’t happen in our timeframe. But when it did, Hannah fulfilled her vow: her only child; she didn’t know the future; maybe this would be her only child, but she made a vow. Let your “yes” be “Yes”. The Lord blessed the vow.

What did the Lord then do for this woman? Eli the priest prayed that she has more children. We read in 1 Samuel 2:21, “Indeed the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters.” 6 children all up, including Samuel. We know what would become of this boy. He would be used by the Lord as the last Judge in Israel to direct the people of God through their first two kings: Saul and sees David grow and be anointed as the next King of Israel.

Hannah is an example of how the race finishes, not how it starts. Hannah was a hero of the faith in her day, similar to those we read of in Hebrews 11. But we, of course, need heroes in our own day. Signing up is easy, but the commitment to the vow takes guts, determination and a focus on the end game.

What is fair? Maybe it’s better to describe the epitome of what’s not fair. What’s not fair is Jesus, the innocent God/man, dying a horrible death on a cross for a rebel like you. Even while you were in your rebellion, he loved you. He calls you family, makes you an inheritor of heaven, makes you closer than any other relationship we could ever know. What should our response be to love which is so unfair? Surely Hannah is our example.