1 Samuel: 1 -3; Hannah's Prayer

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 In I Samuel, God introduces us to Hannah, a woman who struggled with her own bitterness, jealousy, anger, hurt, and deep sorrow. Because God closed Hannah’s womb, her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, described as the adversary, tormented Hannah severely about her infertility.  In Hebrew, adversary, צָרָה (tsarah), as it is used here connotes a female enemy.  Three times a year, when Hannah and her entire family worshipped the Lord of Hosts, Lord Almighty, at Shiloh, she brought her heavy and despairing heart on the trip.  As the years passed in this holding pattern, Hannah could no longer be comforted by her husband’s proclamations of his love for her.  Her enemy bore children while she suffered.  Her enemy maligned her to the point of despairing for her life.  Hannah probably felt alone, helpless, and without recourse. 

How difficult it must have been for her to worship God, who in this passage is first called the Lord of Hosts, (1 Sam. 1:3), which is in Hebrew צָבָא (tsaba').  צָבָא is a reference to the powerful God, Creator of the Universe, King over armies of angels, who goes out to war against His enemies.  She worshipped the Creator of the Universe, the Sovereign King who led Israel in battle against enemies, yet her personal enemy tormented her as much as pagan nations oppressed Israel.  Was God too big to deliver her from a seemingly insignificant domestic strife?  Was she important enough to God for Him to vindicate her before her enemy?

While Hannah was worshipping the Lord of Hosts at Shiloh, her enemy Peninna continued to torture her mercilessly.  Finally, Hannah wept, which in Hebrew בָּכָה (bakah), implies lamenting and wailing as though for the dead.  Her grief lacerated her soul so much that she felt torn apart, possibly not even able to face living anymore.  In her absolute brokenness, she gave not only her deepest desire for a child to the Lord of Hosts but the child himself.  In prayer, she vowed to give the child back to God; to let him grow up in the temple to serve the Lord of Hosts. 

As she prayed for deliverance, Eli, the priest, assured her that God heard her plea. Shortly thereafter, Hannah conceived.

After Hannah weaned her son Samuel, she brought him to the temple as she had vowed to do.

Now, what impacts me the most is Hannah’s prayer after she actually surrendered both her desire for a child and the child himself to God.  Before she left the temple, Hannah, 1 Samuel 2: 1 -10, prayed.  Because she was able to fulfill her vow, because God enabled her to triumph over her enemy, she rejoiced in God, in his deliverance.  This prayer was a public testimony of how God vindicated her in the sight of others; of how God, her King, acted in her behalf.  As Hannah kept her vow to God, she affirmed that she knew that God not only was Almighty in principle, but also Almighty in an intimate, personal way.  Nothing was too small or too big for the Lord of Hosts.  Everything is in His control and under His jurisdiction.  Her prayer asserted her conviction of God’s Sovereignty both in holding the universe together and in guarding the feet of His saints.  In Hebrew, the salvation Hannah spoke of is יְשׁוּעָה (yĕshuw`ah), the only Name by which men can be saved.

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for 'Lord of Hosts' in the KJV". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 24 Jan 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?
Criteria=Lord+of+Hosts&t=KJV >

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for 'adversary' in the KJV". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 24 Jan 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?
Criteria=adversary&t=KJV >

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for bakah (Strong's 1058)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 24 Jan 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H1058&t=KJV >

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for yĕshuw`ah (Strong's 3444)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 24 Jan 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H3444&t=KJV >