The Messy Magnitude of Motherhood | 1 Samuel 1:1–18

Opening Remarks:

The book of 1 Samuel begins with a man named Elkanah and his two wives, Hannah and Penninah.

If that already sounds strange to you, it is. This was the time of the Judges when every man did that which right in his own eyes, in spite of God’s desires for His people.

God created a man and a woman to come together for life, but there were local customs that impacted even God’s people, unfortunately.

Just because it’s in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s God’s plan. The Bible gives all the good and all the bad too.

In this case, it created a real problem in Elkanah’s home because his favorite wife, Hannah, wasn’t able to have children.

Other wife, Penninah, was. It’s a little like Rachel and Leah with Jacob. Rachel was his favorite wife who couldn’t have children but Leah, the B-Team wife, had many children.

There are actually TV reality series out now about polygamy and all the drama that comes with it, but the drama is nothing new. It started thousands of years ago, and it continues to reveal that the best plan for the family is to follow God’s wisdom with one man and one woman.

So that’s background of our text.

Vs. 3 - The tribe of Levi was required to go to the Tabernacle of God at set times each year, so Elkanah would come with his family to the Tabernacle in Shiloh to serve his duties as a Levite before the Lord. They would also bring offerings before God.

Vs. 4-5 - Elkanah made it obvious who his favorite was. He would give offerings to all of his family, but Hannah would receive a double portion of what everyone else got.

As good as that was, it made things harder on Hannah.

Vs. 6 - Her adversary was Penninah, Elkanah’s other wife, who had many kids of her own. And she didn’t like that Hannah was clearly the favorite getting more offerings than anyone else.

By the way, Hannah means “gracious,” and she didn’t respond to the provocation of her adversary.

Vs. 7-20

No one ever said being a mother would be easy. There are challenges. It’s messy. But it’s also a blessing. It’s meaningful. But in order to enjoy the best parts of it, there are things that a mother, like anyone in any walk of life, will have to endure by faith.

TITLE The Messy Magnitude of Motherhood

PRAY

Have enjoyed the most recent baby surge here at Eastside

We go through seasons

It’s always exciting, but having been through the process 5 times in our family, reality also sets in quickly

Lots of diapers

Nights with very little sleep

More eating demands than your husband

Other kids, still trying to balance taking care of them

Sometimes you look at a mom with a new baby and you can see the wear on her face.

It’s like those photos of young men before they went to WW2 and then just a few years later after they came home. They went in teenagers and came out grandpas.

Motherhood can make you feel like that.

Survey of 2,000 moms raising school-aged children:

Moms spend nearly 100 hours a week on parenting tasks

Moms wear, on average 15 different hats (chef to financial advisor to chief corrections officer)

53% reported sacrificing sleep for their children

47% regularly give up date nights, hobbies, and time with friends

After all that selflessness, poll found most moms are left with less than an hour a day of “me time

They get up early, busy while they’re awake, and stay up late, then repeat the process

https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2025/april/mothers-spend-97-hours-week-parenting.html

As wonderful as motherhood is, it’s challenging.

Not that we should be surprised. God told Eve Genesis 3:16 “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children…”

So it’s no surprise that the whole process of motherhood is difficult.

And that’s the first of three observations from our text.

I. Being A Mother Can Be Messy

Hannah wasn’t even a mother yet, and it was already messy.

A. The pressure of expectations

Having children is an expectation

Raising children comes with expectations

Well behaved children

A well organized home

Successful children

There is now the pressure of growing animosity toward motherhood

There’s a growing resentment toward traditional roles, including motherhood

There is animosity toward the desire to even have children

In 1970, the average age of first-time mothers was around 21

Now, the average age of first-time mothers is 27 and climbing

Not to mention the birth rate decline. US birth rate is below replacement level, which means our population will soon start to decline

Pressure on mothers is real

B. The emotions of motherhood can be messy

Vs. 7-8 - There’s a natural longing in the heart of a woman to be a mother, and the emotions are real and deep.

Elkanah doesn’t get it - “You have me, babe. I’m worth 10 sons.”

I’m glad Hannah was gracious. Most wives would have said, “You eat more than 10 sons, you make the mess of 10 sons, and you’re louder than 10 sons.”

Vs. 9-10 - There’s no doubt that Hannah was feeling the emotions of motherhood.

Oftentimes the pressure comes from other people.

Peninnah was hateful about it

Even Eli added pressure

Vs. 12-14

The pressure was heavy, and Eli the priest didn’t understand

He accuses her of being drunk

She says, “I’m not drunk. I’m just a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I’m pouring my soul out before the Lord.”

The pressure of motherhood can be a problem

Whether it’s having them or raising them according to expectations, you feel it.

C. Which is what makes Hannah’s example so incredible. She turned to the only One who could help.

Only God can relieve our pressure.

Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

The pressure of parenting can produce anxiety. But God can help us with those burdens.

The principle priority in parenting is prayer.

It’s the one thing we can’t do without as parents.

D. The result of Hannah’s prayer - Vs. 17-18

Hannah found the peace of God before children.

Wives - Your husband is not capable of giving you inner peace.

And having children won’t give you peace either.

The only satisfaction in life comes through a right relationship with God.

Hannah was at peace apart from what Elkanah did and before she had children.

Whether or not you have children, you can have peace with God.

E. This is such an important life lesson: when you insert God into your view of a messy situation, it changes everything.

She viewed this situation through God’s sovereignty, which gave it meaning and gave her peace. And not only did God gives Hannah peace, He also answered her prayer.

Look at Vs. 19-20

Samuel means “From God,” but it’s actually a play on words for another Hebrew word that means, “God has heard.”

Hannah recognized that Samuel was the result of God’s answer to her prayers. She acknowledge that God gave Samuel to her, which meant that Samuel belonged to God.

So she set out to prepare him to be used by God in an incredible way.

I. Being A Mother Can Be Messy, But…

II. Being A Mother Is Meaningful

Father’s greatest contribution - authority. And a child needs authority.

Mother’s greatest contribution - influence. Which is, honestly, stronger than authority.

Authority can produce certain behavior. But influence is more likely to produce certain character.

A. The highest potential for any child is that they can know and be like Jesus Christ

Vs. 21-22

Hannah’s priority was to develop godly character in Samuel to prepare him to stand before the Lord.

Every child will stand before God at the judgment seat someday.

B. The most important investment we can make in someone is to prepare them for that day.

We must start viewing children as souls that will stand before God. That’s not how they’re viewed in our culture:

Children are inconvenience

Children are annoying

Children get in the way of my plans

But to God:

Every child is made in God’s image. Gen. 1:26 God said, “Let us make man in our image.”

Every child is a gift. Psalm 127:3, “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

Every child is the object of God’s love. Exodus 21 makes it clear that there is a penalty if someone is responsible for the death of an unborn child. God loves the whole world, including that unborn child.

C. Every investment in a child matters because every child matters to God.

Vs. 12 - Hannah knew the best way to help her son’s life count was to give Him to the Lord. That’s why she gave Him to the Lord before He was ever born.

Vs. 22 - She didn’t go back on her word once Samuel was born. She knew Samuel’s greatest identity was found in how he stood before God.

D. To tell the Lord, “This child is yours” is no small thing

Giving someone your favorite vehicle:

You can’t take it back

You can’t dictate what they do with it

Once it’s given, it belongs to them

It’s the same way with children. When we recognize that it’s God who gifts us children, the only right response is to say, “They belong to you, I will prepare them to stand before you no matter what.”

We’ve done that with all of our children:

Missionaries? They’re God’s

Move across the country? They’re God’s

Go through a trial? They’re God’s

Health issue or tragedy? They belong to Him.

That was Hannah’s mindset

E. And we must take our cues from her.

Our children’s most significant moment won’t be on the ballfields or in the classroom or on Wall Street. It will be when they stand before God and answer for their life.

Which means it is our responsibility to prepare them for that. It’s the highest calling of a mother.

F. One thing - This doesn’t mean if you’re not a mother that you don’t have a contribution.

God’s perfect plan may not include children for you. But we can all contribute to help someone stand before God.

My life was impacted by many women who were not my mom.

Grandmothers, Aunts

Teachers

Ladies in my church

Youth Pastor’s wife

You don’t have to be a mom to make a difference in someone’s life:

You can do it through giving the Gospel

Teaching a SS class

Investing in someone through discipleship

G. Our heart ought to be helping people to find and follow Jesus.

Vs. 23-28 - Hannah’s primary concern was to prepare Samuel for a life that pleased God.

And she did a great job at it.

She worked through the mess.

She impacted her son’s life.

And her son impacted a nation.

Understand the progression:

It’s a mess, but viewing it from God’s perspective helps us endure and find meaning.

Which leads to this conclusion:

III. Being A Mother Can Produce Joy Like Nothing Else

Even when she has to leave Samuel at Shiloh, she is rejoicing. Look at her prayer:

Vs. 1-11

A. Motherhood gave Hannah genuine joy.

This prayer is basically her saying, “Life goes from one extreme to the other. It’s crazy and messy and a roller coaster ride, but God gives meaning to it all. And I can have joy.”

Even in giving her son to the Lord. She had joy that nothing else could have produced.

Which means this story is less about motherhood and more about the joy that God makes possible when we view our circumstances through His sovereignty.

God doesn’t make the messes, but He can make them meaningful and joyful if we’ll approach them by faith.

This is true in every area of life. Life is messy. And we can either focus on the mess or focus on the fact that God can give meaning to the messes.

We must focus on the meaning more than the mess.

Proverbs 14:4 “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: But much increase is by the strength of the ox.”

B. Look at the how Hannah’s life turned out.

Chapter 2:18-19

One thing we’ve discovered is that raising children gets sweeter as they get older.

It goes from an authoritative or adversarial relationship to one of fellowship.

And you know the older Samuel got, the sweeter the relationship with his mom was.

When you work through the burdens and you raise them for God, there comes a time that it produces a joy you could’t experience any other way.

3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

I know not every child grows up and walks in truth. Pray for those children and their parents.

But when they do, it produces joy like few things can.

C. And God wasn’t done blessing Elkanah and Hannah with more joy.

Chapter 2:21 - God blessed Elkanah and Hannah with even more children.

We’re not told this, but I have a feeling that Hannah died a happy mama.

She raised a son who impacted God’s kingdom.

Samuel anointed Israel’s first king, Saul, and Israel’s greatest king, David.

Samuel is even mentioned in Hebrews 11, the hall of faith.

D. Hannah got to enjoy all of that because, back when it was messy, she chose to see her son through the eyes of God.

That he was a soul that God loved and valued.

That he could make an impact on God’s kingdom.

And that he would stand before God one day.

Which means, moms, that even though there are messy burdens, every investment you make matters.

And if you will view your role through the eyes of faith, God can turn your labor into joy.

Three Closing Truths:

A. There’s no motherhood problem beyond God’s grace to help.

Not sleeping

Not obeying

Can’t get everything done

Worn out

Can’t keep up with the pressures and expectations

1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

God never leads us into a situation that He won’t provide the grace to accomplish.

B. Every interaction is an investment in the day your child stands before God.

When you’re struggling to find meaning, remember that your child:

Is a soul that God loves

Made in His image

Can impact God’s kingdom

Will one day stand before Jesus Christ

What you’re doing is not insignificant. It’s eternally important.

If you’ve benefitted from the investment of a mother in your life, let them know it made a difference.

C. Find joy in the little things, and God will produce it in big ways.

This is faith. That God can produce joy through your perseverance.

It sounds like Jesus Christ, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The payoff was worth it, but He had to go through it before He could experience the joy.

The payoff in a child’s life is worth it, but there must be a choice to work through the mess to find that which is meaningful.

Avera Race - Trying to get back into running. Slow and steady. Very slow pace, but just wanted to finish. Thought I was doing well down the stretch, then got passed by a guy in a wheel chair. Then I got passed by two moms pushing babies in strollers.

Little discouraging. But my job was not to compare myself to what everyone else was doing. My task was putting one foot in front of the other until I finished.

It was hard. But by pushing through I got to experience the joy of the payoff. Finishing. It was a mess, but the end was meaningful

Conclusion

Moms, there is meaning to the mess. So find the joy in each step. Take a moment to breathe and recognize that these seasons won’t last forever. Savor them and appreciate the good parts. The right perspective in the mess will produce joy in the end.

And to all the moms, I say “Thank you for being an example of finding meaning in the mess.” Not only have we benefitted from it, but we’ve learned by watching you.

God doesn’t make the messes, but He can make them meaningful and joyful if we’ll approach them by faith.