"Hannah: Woman of Faith"

Today, I want to share the story of a woman in the Bible who would understand that – a woman who experienced misfortune but who stands as a strong example of a woman of faith. Her name is Hannah and her story told in the first chapters of the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel.

Before we jump into Hannah’s story this morning, turn to the very last verse of the Book of Judges. In our English Bibles, the Book of Ruth comes after Judges, but in the Hebrew Bible, 1 Samuel follows immediately after Judges. The situation is bleak. The nation of Israel is torn apart by a lack of leadership and a pervasive perversity. According to Judges 21:25, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.”

The nation of Israel was often oppressed by the surrounding nations. God would appoint a judge to lead His people, but their freedom generally lasted only as long as the judge was alive. On top of that, many of the judges, like Samson, had some fatal flaws. Their spiritual decay was linked to the absence of a king. When we come to 1 Samuel, we’re introduced to Hannah, who is the mother of the prophet who will designate Israel’s chosen king.

As we look at the first two chapters of 1 Samuel, we’ll see five defining traits of a woman of faith. The first one may surprise you.

1. Women of faith have real problems (1:1-8).

It’s easy to think that the heroes in the Bible were somehow different than we are. We might think that it’s tough to relate to them because their lives were so perfect and their culture was so different than ours. Actually, the Bible is filled with real people with real problems, who face them with real faith.

In 1 Samuel 1, we’re introduced to a man named Elkanah. Verse 2 tells us that “He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Penninah. Penninah had children, but Hannah had none.” The wife’s chief role in those days was to provide children. A barren womb was considered a curse and Hannah would have been looked down upon. She was spiritually disturbed, socially disgraced, and emotionally depressed. She joins a long line of other women of faith who battled barrenness: Sarah (Abraham’s wife), Rebekah (Isaac’s wife), Rachel (Jacob’s wife), Ruth (Boaz’s wife), and Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s mother). In Scripture most of the childless women are righteous women, matriarchs of the faith, and many of those who easily conceived children were often wicked women out of the will of God.

At this point in her life, Hannah would have thought Mother’s Day was just a big rip-off.

Verse 3 tells us that Elkanah and his two wives made a yearly visit to Shiloh, about a twenty-mile journey, to worship the Lord. This shows us something about his devout spirituality. When the whole culture was headed south spiritually, Elkanah swam against the tide of apathy, and took his family to worship. The last part of verse 3 indicates that Hophni and Phineas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. These two boys were hypocrites at best and evil at worst. But nothing kept Elkanah from going to worship. He could have said, “No one else is going, it’s too far to travel, the service is too early, and I don’t like the ministers anyway.” Even if no one else did his duty, he would do his.

Verses 4-5 show us something about his devoted heart. He gave portions of the sacrificial meat to Penninah and her children, “But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her.” This sacrifice was a thank offering, which allowed the worshipers to eat the part that was not offered to God. In that culture, honored guests were given a “super-sized” meal. It had to be difficult for Hannah to eat the food that was associated with the “thank offering,” when she probably wasn’t all that thankful. Having a husband who expressed his love probably helped a lot.

He was devout in his walk with God and devoted to Hannah, but he had a divided family. The original cause of this division was Elkanah’s decision to marry two wives, which was not God’s original intent for marriage. It’s likely that Elkanah had married Hannah first and then, because she was not able to have children, he decided to marry Penninah. Though the Bible records the polygamous relationships of some of the patriarchs, it never endorses it. God’s Word teaches the “one wife for life” rule. Someone has said that the penalty of bigamy is two mothers-in-law!

Even though these two wives did not get along, the most difficult thing that Hannah faced is the phrase that is repeated twice, once at the end of verse 5 and again at the beginning of verse 6: “And the Lord had closed her womb.” The problem that she was having came from the Lord. This is one of the hardest lessons we will ever learn. Our problems are given to us by the Lord Himself. It is God who is behind the circumstances of life. We don’t really want to believe this. We’d rather blame it all on Satan, or on someone else. But it is God who allows good things and bad things to come into our lives. God is in charge and as such we should echo Job’s faith in Job 2:10: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” Ecclesiastes 7:14 puts it well: “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.”

Verse 6 describes the character and personality of Penninah: “…her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.” She couldn’t just be thankful that she had children but felt the need to needle and harass Hannah. The word “provoke” literally means, “to cause her thunder.” She’s trying to get Hannah to blow her top! The word “irritate” refers to being stirred up inwardly. Verse 7 reveals that Penninah did this every year when they went to Shiloh. It bothered Hannah so much that she would weep and not be able to eat. This word means that she mourned deeply with so much grief that she lost her appetite. Some of you understand this kind of anguish.

In verse 8, Elkanah tries his best to comfort his wife: “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” While it’s significant that a husband would even notice a wife’s sadness and want to find out why she’s crying, I wonder if his attempt at empathy was appreciated.

I might be going out on a limb here but it seems like Elkanah is doing what many of us husbands do when our wives are upset. Instead of listening to her pain, he seems to be rationalizing her problems and feelings. He’s trying to solve when he should be seeking to understand. He’s basically saying, “Baby, you’ve got me, what more could you want?” I picture him holding up his fingers and saying, “Hannah honey, don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” I’m not sure he really understood how deeply she wanted to have a child. After all, it’s possible to love one’s husband and still want to have children. Some of you have been hit with some insensitive comments, either by your husband, or from others. God understands your pain.

2. Women of faith pray real prayers (1:9-18).

Hannah had some problems but she didn’t shut down or lash out at those around her. She expressed her faith in prayer. God uses our problems to get our attention and to teach us according to Psalm 119:71:

“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” Our problems should drive us to prayer. Look at verses 10-11: “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 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.’”

Her weeping led to worship as her tears mingled with her prayers. The kind of prayer that arises from the bitterness of the soul is far different than the dry prayers that I sometimes utter. When tears are in our eyes, our prayer comes from the heart. Alan Redpath has said, “When God has an impossible task, he takes an impossible person and crushes them.” Hannah is definitely broken. The description of God as “The Lord Almighty” means, “The Lord of Hosts.” The hosts refer to all the armies of heaven. The Lord Almighty has all the hosts of heaven ready to do His work. She is appealing to His power and authority, because she knows there is nothing she can do.

As part of her prayer, she is making a vow that if she’s given a son, he will be dedicated to the Lord for his entire life. Her son would become a Levitical priest, serving in the temple and a Nazirite. A Nazirite was bound by a vow to be set apart to the Lord’s service and had to abstain from the fruit of the vine, was forbidden to cut his hair, and was not allowed to get near any dead body. Samson was another Old Testament character who had taken the Nazirite vow.

Having worked through years of barrenness, and the problems that this caused, Hannah now realizes a very important truth: children are not just for parents; they’re for the Lord. A big part of discipleship is realizing that nothing we have really belongs to us anyway. That includes our children. They’re on loan to us. It’s our job to parent, to shepherd, and to train them for the Lord’s work.

It’s significant that verse 12 says, “She kept on praying to the Lord.” This wasn’t just a quick popcorn prayer. This was a repeated request, bathed in tears. Notice also that she prayed this prayer in her heart, not audibly like most Hebrews prayed. She prayed secretly, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. Her quiet prayer had an unfortunate consequence when Eli, the priest, accused her of being drunk. That says a lot about the culture at that time ­ there were probably drunken people around the temple and Eli thought she was one of them.

When she had the opportunity to explain herself, Eli answered in verse 17: “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.” This benediction was a huge blessing to Hannah. He didn’t know what she was praying about, but as high priest, gave his “amen” to her request. Her whole countenance changed in verse 18 when we read that “...she went away and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” After spending time in prayer, her face was no longer sad. She had left her concerns with the Lord and now she’s experiencing the “peace that passes all understanding.” When you’ve wrestled with God in prayer, and met with Him, that alone is enough!

Never underestimate the power of a praying woman. Susannah Wesley spent one hour each day praying for her 17 children. In addition, she took each child aside for a full hour each week to discuss spiritual matters. It’s no wonder that two of her sons, Charles and John, were used mightily in both England and America.

A woman of faith has real problems and prays real prayers. That leads to a third defining trait...

3. Women of faith experience God’s provision (1:19-20).

Verse 19 tells us that once again they got up early the next morning and worshipped before the Lord. This was their practice, not something they did just once in awhile. Then they went back home. A short time later, Hannah conceived and give birth to a son, naming him Samuel. His name sounds like the Hebrew for “heard of God.” Every time she said his name she was reminded of his origin and destiny.

I want to be careful here. Just because Hannah’s prayers for a son were answered, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be given a child because you prayed for one. But you will receive God’s provision, one way or another. He loves to give good gifts to His children according to Matthew 7:11: “...how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

I read this week that one out of six women who want to have a baby cannot conceive. God answered Hannah’s prayer but not just so she could have a baby. God needed a special prophet He could work through. He allowed a time of barrenness in Hannah’s life to bring a greater blessing than she could ever imagine.

4. Women of faith keep their promises (1:21-28).

After Samuel was born, Elkanah went once again to Shiloh in order to worship. Hannah decided to not go until Samuel was weaned, which would have been at around three-years-old. She dedicated herself to her child, nursing and nurturing him, knowing that when he is able to eat on his own, she “...will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.” Many people make promises to God, only to forget them once time passes. Not so with Hannah. She fully intended to keep her promise because she knew that Samuel did not really belong to her anyway.

Hannah not only dedicated herself to her child, she dedicated her child to the Lord. She then brings Samuel to the house of the Lord and says in verse 28: “So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD...” She repeated this twice as if to cement her commitment, knowing that she will never revoke it. While she gave Samuel to her Lord, she never bailed on her responsibility. Look at 2:19: “Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.”

Verse 28 ends with a glimpse into young Samuel’s heart: “And he worshiped the LORD there.” Even at three-years-old, he was able to worship. How do you think he learned how to do this? Hannah no doubt took the exhortation of Deuteronomy 6:6-7 seriously: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Listen to the words of John Stiles:

“I have worshiped in churches and chapels. I have prayed in the busy street.

I have sought my God and have found him in the waves of His ocean beat.

I have knelt in the silent forest in the shade of some ancient tree

But the dearest of all my altars was at my mother’s knee.

God, make me the man of her vision and purge me of selfishness.

God, keep me true to her standards and help me to live to bless.

God, hallow the holy impress of the days that used to be

And keep me a pilgrim forever to the shrine at my mother’s knee.”

I recently came across a true story that happened during the Holocaust. Solomon Rosenberg, his wife and their two sons were arrested and placed in a concentration camp. The rules were simple. As long as they did their work, they were permitted to live. When they became too weak to work, they would be exterminated.

Rosenberg watched as his own father and mother were marched off to their deaths and he knew that his youngest son David would be next because he had always been a frail child. Every evening Rosenberg came back into the barracks after his hours of hard labor and searched for the faces of his family. When he found them they would huddle together, embrace one another and thank God for another day of life.

One day he came back and didn’t see those familiar faces. He finally discovered his oldest son, Joshua, in a corner sobbing and praying. “Josh, tell me it’s not true.” Joshua turned to his dad and said, “It’s true. Today David was not strong enough to do his work and so they took him away.” Mr. Rosenberg then asked, “But where is your mother?” Joshua could barely speak and finally uttered, “When they came for David, he was afraid and cried and so mom took his hand and went with him.”

That’s the kind of love that Hannah had for Samuel. She was willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of her son. She loved him so much that she was willing to forgo a mother’s greatest joy ­that of bring up her son and having him around her. She was committed to do whatever it took for him to reach his godly potential.

Women of faith have real problems and pray real prayers. They experience God’s provision and keep their promises. There’s one more defining trait...

5. Women of faith praise God (2:1-11).

We don’t have time this morning to plumb the depths of Hannah’s beautiful psalm of praise, but I do want to point out that there is no element of sadness here at all. She has just dropped off Samuel at the temple and now she breaks out into praise. She was thrilled to be able to parent a prophet!

Listen to verses 1-2: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”

Notice that she doesn’t brag about how handsome Samuel is, or how smart he is, or how neat it is that he can say prayers at his young age. She overlooks the gift and gives praise to the Giver. There is no one else who is holy like the Lord and no one else who will be her Rock through the storms of life.

In verse 3 she focuses on God’s wisdom and knowledge, recognizing that He’s the one who weighs the actions of men and women. We shouldn’t brag about we have or what we do, because God knows our hearts. In verse 6, she acknowledges God’s ability to bring death and to make alive. In verse 7, God is the one who sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and exalts.

Hannah is an example of a woman of faith. She endures years of silent suffering because of her barrenness and the cruel harassment at the hand of her rival, Penninah. She goes to the place of worship, knowing how painful it is. She faithfully worships, pouring out her tears and petitions. And when God answers her prayers, she not only keeps her promise, she explodes with praise.


Closing Thoughts

1. Women, you are of great worth in God’s sight whether or not you have a child. Lift up your head and realize that God loves you for who you are, not for what you do. He understands your sorrow and your pain and He’ll meet you right where you are.

2. Mothers, make it your mission to give your children to the Lord for a lifetime of dedicated service. There’s no greater purpose, and no higher honor, than to have your children give their lives in surrendered service to the Lord of Hosts.

If you were to continue reading through the book of 1 Samuel, you’d discover that Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phineas, were very evil and did some perversely detestable things. It’s very interesting that their mother is never mentioned anywhere. We don’t know if she died or if she was just not engaged as a parent. Samuel, on the other hand, was greatly impacted by his mother, and went on to become one of the most significant individuals in God’s redemptive history. Moms, you matter greatly to your kids and to the very future of our nation!

3. One of the lessons from the life of Hannah is that each of us needs to be growing in our own relationship with God. If you want your kids to learn about God, and to love Him with all they’ve got, it’s first got to be real in your life.

That reminds me of what happened one Sunday after a Child Dedication service. As a young family was driving away from church after the dedication of their baby, little Johnny, the older brother, cried all the way home in the back seat of the car. Finally, his mother asked him what was wrong. The boy replied, “That pastor said he wanted us to be brought up in a Christian home...but I want to stay with you guys!”

If you want your kids brought up in a Christian home, make sure that Christ is at home in your heart. If He is, then spend the rest of your life giving your children back to the Lord ­ they belong to Him anyway.