Old Testament - 1 Samuel 1 - June 7, 2022

6/7/2022 – 1 Samuel 1

This chapter is about Hannah (who had not been able to have a baby) and Peninnah (who had lots of children). Both were wives of Elkanah. Peninnah was mean and harsh toward Hannah and was constantly striving to irritate and vex her, to make her fret—to make her discontented with her lot, because the Lord had denied her children. Hannah was a woman of prayer, but an answer to her concerns was so very slow in coming.

Elkanah went to his yearly time of sacrifice and worship to the Lord. His wives went with him. After the sacrifices Hannah made her way to the temple where she prayed a fervent prayer. This was her vow: “Oh Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid [I love that word ‘handmaid’ and all the possibilities of our lives that it represents], and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” (v11)

She continued to pray and pour out her heart to the Lord. “…she spake in her heart; her lips moved, but her voice was not heard” (v13). Eli, the priest at the temple, saw her and thought she was drunk. She responded that she was only praying, and in that prayer of she sought the Lord’s help for the grief she felt in not being able to have children, and that she had had this problem for many years.  Eli immediately felt her sorrow and her faith, and said to her “Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant that thy petition that thou hast asked of him.”

Hannah went on her way with great faith. She accepted the peace of prayer even though the Problem still existed. She joined her family, she ate, and she no longer had a sad countenance. They all returned to their home, and Hannah did conceive and did have a boy, whom she named Samuel. In Hebrew Samuel means “heard of God”. She was acknowledging that it was “because I have asked him of the Lord.” (v 20)

The next year when it came time to go to the yearly sacrifice, she knew she would be giving Samuel to the Lord’s work, but at this time she told her husband: “I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.” (v22)

Then in v 24, time has passed and “she had weaned him, she took him up with her”, and they offered sacrifices to the Lord. She left Samuel with Eli, the priest at the temple, even “when the child was young.” Scholars say that Hebrew mothers breast fed their babies for three years, so at 4 years old Samuel was given to Eli to be raised and taught just how to serve the Lord.  Hannah kept her covenants with the Lord with exactness, and over the years was blessed because of that.

 

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