Hannah’s “Got-cha” Moment
“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I 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.” I Samuel 2:1-2
Hannah was married to Elkanah who also had another wife named Peninnah. Hannah was unable to bear children, but Peninnah had been able to give Elkanah children. She was rather jealous of Hannah because Elkanah loved Hannah more than he did her, but Hannah was very depressed because she had not been able to give Elkanah any sons and daughters. (We wonder why God allowed men in ancient Israel to have more than one wife and sometimes concubines since His plan was and always has been one husband, one wife for life. One reason that comes to mind is the fact that thousands of Israelite men were killed in battles which left many women without someone to marry. Since God promised Abraham a nation as the sands of the seashore, He likely permitted these multi marriages in order that His chosen people would not diminish.) Hannah did seek help from the LORD and vowed to give Him her son if she could conceive. Eli the priest, upon understanding her dilemma, told her that the LORD would grant her that for which she prayed.
It was like a light went off in her head. Her faith became strong, and she believed that God would answer her prayer. She then prayed a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. She “got it”, that is, she understood and completely accepted the sovereignty of God over her life as well as over the entire world that God created. This realization and acceptance of God’s sovereignty is what is lacking in the world today and even among some believers. We hear from the television preachers that it is all about us and making our lives better and more prosperous, but that is not the issue. It is about worshipping, serving, and doing the will of God Almighty and making lives better for others. We live in a very selfish, “me first”, world. People, in general, are not concerned about others, about God, or about eternity. Their main concerns are to have more money, more leisure time, and an easy, trouble free life. However, their attempts at such a life only bring emptiness which they desperately seek to overcome by more of the same efforts, a “vicious cycle”, to be sure.
Contrary to the world’s idea of success, Hannah shows us the non-conventional way of life that does bring hope and fulfillment to all who choose to follow the Lord. In response to the LORD’s blessing, Hannah praised God for the son for whom she had prayed. She recognized that her strength came from God. Hannah had previously suffered hurt and humiliation by the words of her adversary, Peninnah. It was bad enough to have to compete with another woman for Elkanah’s attention, especially since the other wife had achieved something Hannah could not, until now. When little Samuel was born, she now had something to show for her years of waiting, but she wasn’t taking the credit or boasting of her own ability. She gave God all the praise for His blessings upon her. Hannah no longer had the shameful stigma of being barren, and she also had the belief that her son would be a great servant of the most high God. She rejoiced in God’s salvation. Somehow she knew that her son was a part of God’s plan to redeem His people.
And, indeed, Samuel was a great servant of God. He was the judge over Israel whom God used to select David who would rule Israel for 40 years. God’s timing is perfect even though we question it sometimes. He operates on His timetable, not ours. People wonder why their prayers do not get answered, mostly in the way they desire, but do we get serious with the Lord like Hannah did? Is our faith strong enough to move those obstacles out of our paths that seem to distract, cause doubt, or discourage us? Hannah was very discouraged until Eli, the priest, confirmed that God heard her plea and would give her a child. It wasn’t Eli’s ability to grant her desire, but apparently his words convinced her that God was trustworthy and faithful to hear her prayer. We don’t have the ability to answer the prayers of others either, but we can certainly point them to the Lord and encourage them to trust in the Lord and leave their requests with Him. His answer may not be what the petitioner desires, but it will be what he or she needs.