HANNAH: shame to honor
By Rev. Dr. Jerry Schmoyer jerry@schmoyer.net
http://india.christiantrainingonline.org/
Main idea: God took Hannah’s shame and gave her honor
Magic: shame to honor magic
INTRODUCTION
ME granddaughter Hannah Love
Dedication, spoke on Hannah in Bible
TRANSITION Turn to 1 Samuel 1
I. GODLY BELIEVERS EXHIBIT REAL PROBLEMS (1:1-8)
Bible people went through same problems we go through
1 Samuel 1:1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphitea from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
Lineage: Levite by geneology
Location: Ephramite (25 mi no of Jerusalem, Dead Sea)
Also called Arimathea – where Joseph from
Priests lived & ministered among the people
Kohathites given towns in Ephraim
2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
Culture: #1 wife barren, marry another woman
JUDGES: people away from God
Had to have sons to assure posterity, name
PENINNAH, #1 wife cursed, looked down on
HANNAH: middle age, old enough to prove to be barren, then new wife 2 has many children
Seen as rejected by God GREAT SHAME on her
3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord .
MEN required to go to Jerusalem 3x year for main feasts
Elkanah faithful, consistent, obedient through whole life
ELI godly priest but poor father, didn’t discipline sons
Greed, immorality, hypocrisy rampant everywhere
God replacing them
4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
FELLOWSHIP OFFERINGS – thank God for His mercies
Gave some to all
– like we give money to children to put in offering plate
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her,
Loved wife # 1 best (not fair to wife 2)
She was empty 5b
and the Lord had closed her womb.
LORD had closed her womb GREAT SHAME on them
SARAH barren until God gave Isaac
RACHEL barren until God gave Joseph
MANOAH’S WIFE barren until God gave Samson
ELIZABETH barren until God gave John
HANNAH: chosen by God for sorrow
– to show His greatness later
“Hannah” = ‘grace’ ‘favor’
– mockery for clearly rejected by God!
Still offered Thank offerings to God!
Hannah’s love for God clearly seen!
She was Exasperated – v.6
6 And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
Jealous of husband’s favorite first wife – shows favoritism, she rejected
Like Leah felt to Rachael
Not right to provoke her, take her hurt our on Hannah!
HANNAH didn’t respond in like manner
Higher position but doesn’t use it to get back, hurt back
If gave her son Elkanah never marry Peninnah,
so no problem there, either
Gentle when provoked – godly characterisitc
SENSITIVE to rival despite own hurt
HANNAH’S LOVE for others
She was Exhausted – v. 7
7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord , her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
NOT EAT: fasting? Misery? Both?
8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
Husbands insensitive to wives’ pain – should have listened, hurt with her
Instead said what too many husbands say, “what’s the problem – you still have me, babe!”
“You’ve got me – what more could you want?”
EVERYONE HURTING
HANNAH no children
ELKANAH seeing Hannah hurt, other wife mistreat
OTHER WIFE hurt by rejection despite many child
Application Just because you’re living a godly lifestyle does not mean that you will escape pain
II. GODLY BELIEVERS EXPRESS VIBRANT PRAYERS (1:9-18)
This was not one of those shallow; I better make it look good, prayers. These prayers came from deep within her soul
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up.
SHILOH = 15 miles north, where Joshua erected Tabernacle
All males went 3x year: Tabernacles, Passover, Firstfruits
TABERNACLES current feast – celebrate God’s provision & blessing of His people
Mockery to Hannah – God not prosper her
Elkanah pray for fruitful crops
Hannah pray for fruitful womb
Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord ‘s temple. 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord . 11 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.”
HANNAH prayed this every time there but never an answer – this time overheard by Eli
Faithful despite prayers unanswered – gets more fervent, not less
HANNAH’S LOVE for God stronger than heartache, questions
Prayer must be decisive, specific, to the point
LORD ALMIGHTY = “YHWH of hosts” – over all powers
REMEMBER ME = and act!
SERVANT HANNAH still trusts God,
serves God no matter what
GIVE HIM … NO RAZOR = Nazarite Num 30 (Samson)
– perhaps thinking of his mother
ALL the days – whole life, usually Nazarite vow temporary
HANNAH dedicates child to God
12 As she kept on praying to the Lord , Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.”
KEPT ON PRAYING = long, intense, sincere, not quick short general prayer
Didn’t quit, discouraged, angry at God or Peninnah, pity self, etc
Hannah & Elkanah faithful, consistent, obedient throughout whole life
Allowed own sons to be drunk in Tabernacle – should have corrected them
My 8-year-old son came home from school with a stuffed animal he had won at the class Valentine’s party. “How did that happen?” I asked. “Well,” he explained, “the teacher put all our names together, and then picked one out. I cheated, though,” he said, looking guilty. “I prayed!”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord . 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
Polite, respectful response
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
HANNAH hopeful, trusting of God
Not complaining, negative – kept eyes on God, faith stayed strong
Application Hannah modeled something we should do on a consistent basis
She prayed until she got an answer
A women of faith will pray through a situation
III. GODLY BELIEVERS EXPERIENCE GOD’S PROVISION (1:19-20)
Hannah’s prayers were answered that does not mean that you will given a child like Hannah was just because you prayed for one You will receive God’s provision, one way or another. But it might not be what you thought you asked for I read that one of 6 women who want to have a baby cannot conceive. The question then become why did God let her wait this long
19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
EARLY IN THE MORNING best time to worship, start day with worship
(NOT telling God what to do)
“SAMUEL” = lit “His name is God”,
adjusted to “asked of God” HONOR on her
NOT ALWAYS will God give a child (or whatever)
just because pray – ‘wait’ (Hannah)
‘no’ = then gives strength, grace, provision to go ahead
Application – God will answer us
God has not abandoned you
God has not ignored you
God has not been mean to you
God has reason behind what He does
You might not know the reason
You might not understand why
But God does, e can experience God’s Provision
IV. GODLY BELIEVERS EXCEL AT KEEPING PROMISES (1:21-28)
21 When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord , and he will live there always.”
HANNAH practical, plans ahead – every time went took clothes, etc.
No want to burden Eli so wait until nursed, potty trained, old enough to learn
Kept her promise to God
23 “Do what seems best to you,” Elkanah her husband told her.
Husband supported, trusted her – shows love & respect for her
HANNAH earned Husband’s love, respect
“Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.”
Concerned God might take boys life because they didn’t give him to God right away
So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
3 or 4 years old – great time with him but always knew would give him up
US as parents remember our children belong to God, not us!
24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord . 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord . For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
HANNAH kept her promise to God – sacrificial love, service to God HONOR on her
Hannah’s love = ‘Hannah Love’ – for God and for son
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.
HANNAH praises God –One of the earliest and most stirring OT poems
Hannah leaving her 4 year old to be raised by someone else – but still praises God!
MARY had it memorized, identified with it,
quoted parts of it Lk 1:46-55
DAVID also used parts of it 2 Samuel 22
Application: when you make a promise to God, Keep it
V. GODLY BELIEVERS EXPLODE WITH PRAISE (2:1-11)
Notice what she does not say, she never brags about how handsome Samuel is, she never talks about how smart he is, or how neat it is that he can say prayers at such a young age. She overlooks the gift and gives all the praises to the Giver of the gift. Her focus is on the Giver not the gift
If you want your kids to learn about God, and to love Him with all they’ve got, it first got to be real in your life
2:1 Then Hannah prayed and said:
“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.
2 “There is no one holy like the Lord ;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God. …
5b She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.
HANNAH – had many other children/sons (v 5)
PENINNAH never was happy (v 5)
9 He will guard the feet of his saints, …
10b “He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
‘ANOINTED’ – first OT reference to ‘anointed one’ = Messiah = Christ
Hannah’s love for God clearly seen!
CONCLUSION
SHAME to HONOR on her
Godly believers exhibit real problems
Godly believers express vibrant prayers
Godly believers experience God’s provision
Godly believers excel at keeping promises