Hannah's story

Hannah’s story in the bible has usually been like one of the bible story we learn as kids in Sunday School as one of the lessons of faith or as evidence of God’s ability to answer prayers. Personally, I have read it more than a couple of times, more often than not as the story of how Samuel the prophet was born way way back many centuries ago… But even though it does not span more than a couple of chapters in the bible, it is a profound story with a lot of insight that applies to modern life and living.

While setting my sights on read a more ‘mature’ epistle written by Paul (sometimes my reasoning confounds me sef), I had a nudge in my spirit to read 1 Samuel. The story of the mother somehow caught my attention. I had never really considered what this woman went through or the price she paid but I found myself amazed at her sacrifice. Many would probably think it inconsequential until they put themselves in her shoes. There is no other word to call it other than sacrifice. How would a mother drop her child in the home of a stranger and return to her home happy??? Before I get ahead of myself, let me go back to her pain.

Hannah was the loved wife of her husband. Though the bible did not state this, I imagine that she was the first wife. (in verse 2 of 1 Samuel, Hannah was first mentioned before Peninnah). This could be similar to Jacob’s love for Rachel vis a vis the unsettling and forced situation that made Leah his wife. So yes, I imagine that Hannah was the loved wife and if her husband was not tricked like Jacob, then he may have married her first but when no child came forth, then he married Peninnah who spewed out children!

In the natural order of human emotions, Peninnah disliked Hannah immensely and taunted her endlessly. Many a times, I just considered her to be a wicked woman but could her actions be explained? I doubt if many would react differently if put in the same boat as Peninnah. She did not live in the era of Christ’s love being shed abroad her heart. Even if she did, how many ‘spirit filled, tongue blasting’ Christians would love a favoured rival? Peninnah may have felt that she was like a necessary utensil, useful but not loved. Given the times then, I doubt if she had any say in her marrying Elkanah. So she could have been bundled out of her father’s house into her husband’s house only to struggle to come to terms with the fact that her husband would never love her or treat her like his other wife. In this dilemma, she took in and hoped her husband would begin to love her, but alas, there was appreciation for the child but no additional love for the one who bore the child. So, after bearing sons and daughters for this man, he still did not look at her with the tenderness he exuded when he looked at Hannah. So I imagine that with this hurt in her heart, she struck out bitterly at her rival, Hannah.

But Hannah did deserve this treatment? Did she deserve the mockery and endless taunts? Was it a crime to be loved by her husband? Some Jewish writings believe that Hannah was the one who prompted her husband to take another wife after being married for ten years without an issue. That is like rubbing pepper into your eyes by yourself!

During the annual pilgrimage to Shiloh, Hannah, she poured out her pain, her anguish after being provoked by her nemesis. If only she could even have just one child to take away her reproach. In this desperate state, she made her vow to God. For me, the amazing thing is how she kept the vow. As in, she kept that vow to the letter! Imagine, a woman so desperate for a child after so many years. It was not a case of one or two years. Hannah had been waiting before and all through the times Peninnah conceived and gave birth. The bible did not say the number of children Peninnah had but verse 4 of 1 Samuel says “When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed he would give to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters portions [of the sacrificial meat]”. This means she had at least two sons and two daughters, a minimum of four children. But somehow, I imagine she had more than seven or eight children. She may have even had up to ten sons from Elkanah’s question to Hannah, ‘Am I not better to you than ten sons?’ in a bid to reassure her of his love for her inspite of her childless state in the face of her rival having many children.

God heard her cry and remembered her and she had her Samuel (asked of God). After Samuel was born, Hannah weaned the child and handed him over to God. Let’s consider this – she had one child and her rival had many but she took that one she had and gave him to the Lord after weaning him. Let’s be clear. When we talk of weaning a child, the most common understanding we have is getting a child off breast milk to solid food. The age each child is weaned usually varies between 8 months – 2 years. However, looking at the Jewish customs, there is another type of weaning and it is the weaning off the milk of the Word of God so the child can take the solid food of God’s Word. A mother was expected teach her child the milk of the Word. In those days, there were no Sunday school classes, so the mother was expected to imbibe in her child the rudiments of their way of life. In fact, it was so serious that the child slept by the mother’s side until he or she learnt the building blocks of their religion. In essence, each child is weaned when he or she is able to praise God around the ages of 5 – 7 years. I think this is what verse 2 of Psalm 8 refers to. ‘Out of the mouth of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength …’[AMP] which Jesus phrased as ‘You have made (provided) perfect praise …’ The Hebrew word for ‘established strength’ is yasad means to ‘lay the foundation’.

Samuel had been fed with the Word of God from a tender age before he could choose to do right or wrong. How did this affect his life? I believe this enabled him to minister before God as a child (1 Sam 2: 18). Even as a child he prophesized and God was with him. So where am I going after all this long analysis? Child Dedication! Yes o. In our Nigerian churches, parents dedicate all their children with much pomp and pageantry. Is there anything wrong with this? No, really it is good to dedicate your children. Even Jesus was presented to the Lord (Luke 2). But does it all end with the ceremony and party? Should a child’s dedication last only a few hours? Let’s remember that Hannah weaned her child before bringing him to the Lord. I believe she did not offer to God a spoilt child who had no idea of the Lord and this was why he was able to minister before the Lord.

Prov 22:6 says ‘train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. For instance, it makes no sense that a parent will dress up a child in a manner he detests in an adult and then expect that when that child is grown up, he would revert to another form of dressing. Some parents permit their wards to utter abusive words or foul language without reproof, explaining it away that he or she is just a child. Just a child ke? That same child will easily assimilate three or more languages that an adult would struggle with. Truth be told, some kids just outsmart their parents. If as a parent, you let your child train you rather than you train your child, then you would be laying a faulty foundation. Which is why some kids throw huge tantrums when they do not get their way. Is there a singular broad stroke to apply in raising a child? No, but there is a singular foundation each parent should take time to instill in their kids. See -

1.        Deuteronomy 6:6-9

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

2.        Isaiah 54:13 

All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.

3.        2 Timothy 3:14-15

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

My parting question are these - 

1. Have you ever wondered how Eli could ever teach Samuel to minister faithfully before the Lord but his own sons were described as base and worthless? 

2. What will your story be?