Hannah

Hannah; Determined Devotion (1 Sam. 1:1-2, 6-7, 10-13, 15-18, 20, 27 – 2:2) Being broken-hearted, abused or desperate is something that many, if not all people will experience at sometime in their lives. Hannah was mentally, physically and emotionally distressed over her barrenness 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). Still, she did not lash out or seek to kill the pain with alcohol, or similar diversions. “And the Lord had closed her womb.” The problem that she was having came from the Lord. This is one of the hardest things for God’s people to accept/understand. Our problems are given to us, or at least allowed, by the God. Ultimately, it is God who orchestrates the circumstances of life. At times, we’d rather not 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.” A time of affliction sometimes leads to good things “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” (Ps. 119:71) Hannah and her husband has a heart for worship This is demonstrated by the fact that Shiloh, about a twenty-mile journey, to worship the Lord. A loving spouse can be a great help in times of affliction Hannah’s husband 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. This “double” portion literally means, “to show the face.” He showed his face to her, indicating that she was worthy and that he cared deeply for her. 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. The prayers/blessing of other believers can also be a help in times of affliction. 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.” In times of affliction, it is important to draw close to God with honest, earnest heartfelt prayer. A problem worth crying about is a problem worth praying about. Earnest: ardent, whole-hearted, determined, persistent, diligent, urgently appealing, with intensity, fervent “Soaking Prayers”: continual, particular, earnest, guided by faith You give “earnest money” in a real estate transaction to show that you are serious about following through with the transaction. It’s significant that verse 12 says that Hannah “kept on praying to the Lord.” This wasn’t just a quickie prayer. This was a repeated request, bathed in tears. God listens to heartfelt, fervent, faithful prayer We are assured that the effectual, fervent/earnest/ardent/persistent/zealous (energeo, Gk.) prayer of a righteous man availeth much (1 Chron. 16:11; Zech. 8:20-21; Ps. 55:16-17; Isa. 62:6-7; Luke 11:9-13; 18:1-7; 1 Thes. 5:17; Col 4: 2 & 12; James 5:16-18; Matt. 15:21-31; Mark 7:24-30) (Prayer that is continuous, unfailing, with serious intent and determination). Elijah prayed earnestly to stop and start the rain (James 5:17) Jesus prayed earnestly regarding His destiny on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:44) 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!” God answers prayer 3 ways, yes, no and wait Prayer affects our relationship with God and with others Hannah prayed to the “Lord of Hosts”, because she recognized that God has mighty power above all. What made the Syro-Phoenician/Greek/Canaanite woman in Sidon (Matt. 15) come out to meet Jesus? A parent’s love/desperation/hope? Is there any limit to the lengths you would go to save your child? She came in a spirit of humility (Matt. 15:27)

She cried for mercy (Matt. 15:22) She made no claim or demand. She relied on God’s grace. She fell at his feet (Mark 7:25) She prostrated herself in homage (worshipped) before Him and asked for help (Matt.15:25) Is not "Lord, help me," the barest of all prayers? The Centurion also had acknowledged he was not worthy to receive Christ (Luke 7:6-7) The woman earnestly continued to seek help from Jesus (Matt. 15:23, 25, 27) No other recipient of God’s help for healing had appealed to the Lord three times. The widow earnestly sought and received justice (Luke 18:1-8) She came with true faith (Matt. 15:28, see also Heb. 11:6, Phil 2:19) Jesus openly congratulated the woman for her great faith. She was one of two Gentiles, along with the Centurion (Luke 7:1-10), that Jesus admired for their great faith, but she was the only one to hear Jesus first-hand, direct praise. There appears to be a correlation between faith and intensity Prayers of Supplication The Greek word for supplications is deeis meaning a humble, earnest, heartfelt petition or a request. If we want something from God, we should ask for it (James 4:2) We should make prayers of supplication before facing challenges (1 Sam. 13:12) We should make prayers of supplication without fear of how others view our doing so (Dan. 6:7-16) Regardless of how righteous we may believe we are, we still need to make supplication of God (Job 9:15) God will not grant requests based on impure motives (James 4:3) We should approach God with humble reverence, like Solomon (1 Kings 8:54)

God heard Solomon’s prayer of supplication (1 Kings 9:3, see also 2 Chron. 33:11-13, Manasseh) Our prayers of supplication should be “in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18) We can/should pray about anything and everything, with thanksgiving, and this will help bring peace to our lives (Phil. 6-7) Nothing is impossible for God (Jer. 32:17, Mark 9:22-24) Prayer demonstrates faith in the existence, power, faithfulness and mercy of God (Heb. 11:6) Specific Prayers e.g. “I want to see” (Mark 10:51) Sometimes we may not know what we are asking (Mark 10:38, 1 Cor. 2:9) Do we examine whether or not our requests are in accord with His will? (1 John 5:14-15, Luke 22:42) Petitionary prayer is not primarily asking God for what we want, but asking God for what He wants. Vows to God should be kept Many people make promises to God, only to forget them once time passes. Not so with Hannah. Having worked through years of barrenness, and the problems that this caused, Hannah realized that children are not just for parents; they’re for the Lord. Nothing we have really belongs to us, including 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. Hannah understood that Samuel was a gift of God’s love, grace and mercy, on loan to her for a little while. Do you understand the same thing about your children? In fulfillment of her promise of dedication, she lent him back to God. (1 Sam. 1:28) Hannah went beyond the law’s requirement in offering her son for God’s service as a Nazirite. She was later blessed with 3 more sons and 2 daughters (1 Sam. 2:20-21) This is kind of like Job’s blessing of double the children he lost. Like Hannah and Mary, we should respond to God’s gracious blessings with joy, not pride. Hannah’s Song/Prayer is similar to Mary’s (1 Sam. 2:1-10; Luke 1:39-55) On one occasion an orchestra presented Handel’s “Messiah” so beautifully that the applause was thunderous, and everyone turned toward the composer. Handel stood up and with his finger pointing upward, silently indicated that the glory should be given to God rather than to himself. That is exactly what the virgin Mary did as she talked to Elizabeth. It is as if she were saying, “Don’t praise me, but magnify the Lord who is my Savior.”