Hannah
A Woman of Patience
In the land of Ephraim
there lived a man called Elkanah. Elkanah had two wives; one of them was
Hannah, the other l1enninah. Penninah had children but Hannah had no
children. Every year Elkanah would go up to Shiloh to worship God and offer
sacrifice. After that he would apportion the meat to Penninah, his children and
Hannah. But the port ion he gave to Hannah was much more than the portion he
gave to Penninah because he loved Hannah. When Penninah saw that God had shut
up the womb of Hannah so that Hannah was barren, she provoked her. This
happened year after year. Hannah was so provoked that she refused food and
drink hut wept in the house of the Lord (1 Sam 1:1-88). However, she did not
loose her temper. She did not argue with Penninah who had provoked her, She did
not ever approach her husband to avenge her. Fools would readily show their
anger hut the wise would endure (Ecc 7:9; Rum 5:3-5). Hannah relied on the
mercies of God to remove her misery. She was humble, gentle, a prudent woman of
few words.
A Woman of faith
When Elkanah
brought his family to Shilob to worship and otter sacrifice, Elkanah and his
family, except Hannah, ate their meal after offering. After they had eaten
Hannah rose up and prayed to God. She wept bitterly as she vowed to God saying,
“O Lord of the hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine
handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto
thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him into the Lord all the days of
his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head” (1 Sam 1:9-11). It came
about that as Hannah was praying to God, Eli, the priest, was watching her. Her
mouth was moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought that she was
drunk. Then Eli said to Hannah, “How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy
wine from thee.” But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of
sorrowful spirit. I have drank neither wine nor strung drink, but have poured
out my soul before the Lord ... for out of the abundance of my complaint and
grief have I spoken hitherto.” Then Eli answered and said, “God is peace: and
the Lord of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou has asked of him.” Hannah
said, “Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight.” Then she went her way and
ate and her face was no longer sad (1 Sam 1:12-18).
A Woman of Gratitude
Hannah’s prayers were answered.
God blessed her with a son whom she called Samuel meaning “that which she had
from the Lord.” When the child had weaned Hannah brought him along with three
bullocks, one ephah of flour and a bottle of wine to Shiloh to pay her vow to
God before Eli. Hannah consecrated her son to the Lord as she had vowed (1 Sam
1:19-28).
A Woman of Thanksgiving
Hannah, in her thanksgiving
prayer, said, ‘My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the
Lord; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because 1 rejoice in thy
salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee:
neither is there any rock like our God… The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich:
he bringeth low, and lifteth up (1 Sam 2:1-11). After the prayer Hannah
returned to Ramah leaving Samuel behind to minister unto the Lord before Eli.
Samuel was able to devote his entire life to serving God because of Hannah who
had presented him before the Lord.
