Hannah; Lover Of God

1 Samuel 1

Elkanah said, “Do I not mean more to you than ten sons?” Yes, he did. Elkanah was Hannah's portion. They had a special relationship. Elkanah loved Hannah, he gave her double portions, he was troubled by Hannah's sadness. Children were a desire of her heart, but I believe that in itself was not the source of her sadness. Her desire caused yearning, but her sadness grew from the tormenting attacks of Elkanah's other bride, Peninah. The torment drove Hannah to tears and to prayer, interceding for the birth of her desire.

Was Hannah idolotrous? No. She promised to give her firstborn to the Lord.

Her prayer was not idolotrous, it was consecrated prayer, sanctified, given over to God. Therefore, I believe, her desire and resulting intercession were from the Lord. God caused good fruit to come from Hannah's circumstances (... God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose...”). She birthed a man in prayer and then in the natural - for God's purpose. She prayed for a son and vowed to give him to the Lord, as a Nazarite, set apart, consecrated, a worshipper of God for all his days. Hannah was a worshipper of God, so much so that she did not take ownership of her desire, the child she birthed. Integrity. Fear of the Lord.

After Hannah prayed and Eli the priest understood and declared agreement, her burden lifted. God remembered her during intimacy with her husband and she concieved and gave birth to the son she asked the Lord for. She birthed the answer to her prayer. God placed the seed for Samuel in her, but it required consecrated prayer to come to fruition. Samuel was God's idea. He gave Hannah the burden, but until she was willing to release Samuel back to the Lord He would not allow conception. Why did God not choose one of Peninah's children? They were also Elkanah's seed were they not? It was Hannah's seed God wanted. He closed her womb. Why? Because Samuel had to come through prayer and was to be set apart to the Lord. Hannah had to come to that place first. The only thing we know about Peninah is that she provoked a barren woman to tears. Perhaps Peninah was jealous of the double portions their husband was giving to Hannah. Perhaps Peninah thought she was better than Hannah because she was able to bear children, after all, the Lord had not closed her womb. Perhaps Peninah thought that Hannah must have sinned, or done something to deserve her barrenness, and then told Hannah so. Perhaps Peninah thought she did everything right and that was why she had all those children. Perhaps she was jealous, that even after she bore Elkanah children while Hannah had none, Hannah recieved the double portion from Elkanah, their husband... because, as it is written, he loved her and the Lord had closed her womb. Hannah, naturally speaking, produced nothing, yet Elkanah loved her and gave her a double portion. Peninah's heart was being exposed. Outwardly she had the upper hand on Hannah. Outwardly everything seemed stacked in Peninah's favour. Outwardly Peninah was to be envied. But Hannah was receiving the double portion. Why? Because of the nature of her relationship with Elkanah (think of relationship with God). He did mean more to her than ten sons. She loved Elkanah and he knew it. Hannah's journey was necessary to produce the type of fruit God wanted. God wanted Samuel. God's people needed Samuel.

I believe Hannah was not grieved because she did not have a child, she was grieved because of Peninah. This is proved by her willingness to give the child to the Lord for his entire life. So what did birthing Samuel, a child she vowed to give away, do for Hannah? It silenced her accuser. She could move on. Peninah would have much food for thought, much opportunity for introspection and perhaps even conviction. Perhaps Peninah would see the Lord's hand, repent of her judgemental accusations and bless Hannah, then perhaps peace and unity would return to their house We don't know what Peninah did with the outcome, the scriptures don't elaborate any further. What we do know, is that Hannah experienced and declared God's goodness (aka glory!) and when the purity of her heart was proved, God rewarded her with blessed fruitfulness.