Hannah's Faith and Promise
Notes
Transcript
Our look at the object of our faith in faith promise giving takes to the year 1171 BC. Here we see a faithful Levite by the name of Elkanah and his family, consisting of his two wives - Hannah, and Peninnah - going up to worship the Lord, most likely at the feast of Passover. Here we see the first hint of a problem: Though a faithful Jew and a Levite, he had broken God’s command of monogamy by taking two wives.
From this we see the second hint of a problem: Hannah, no doubt his first wife, was barren. I say she was his first wife because it only makes sense, given his love for her, that his second marriage would be out of necessity - to have a son to carry on his family name. This second marriage led to strife and discord in the home.
Now I know you must be thinking, “What in the world does this have to do with faith promise giving?” Well, to be honest, this passage has absolutely nothing to do with missions, with giving of any kind at all. However, I believe there is a definite application to be made between Hannah’s situation and that of world missions.
As a wife, in her day, she had the responsibility of giving her husband a son, yet we read in 1 Samuel 1:2
2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
She was, in her culture, and in her own sight a failure to both her husband and to her God. Her inability to have children was an indication that she did not have God’s favor. In fact we read in 1 Samuel 1:5
5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.
Verse five indicates to us the reader that God had a purpose in closing up her womb, but she didn’t know that. All she knew was that she had no children and this added to her shame. This is her background it is where we begin to see the application of her situation to faith promise.
Notice if you will how in her situation she was...
Provoked 6-7
Provoked 6-7
6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. 7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
Let’s be clear in the context: Hannah was provoked by her “adversary”- the word means to bring anguish and distress. This of course was Eliakim’s other wife, Peninnah. What did she do? She “provoked” Hannah, and caused her to “fret”.
There are a couple of meanings for the word “provoked” but the word “fret” simply means to “irritate or agitate, with the intention of making one to tumble”. In other words, Peninnah, wanted Hannah to fall from the place of love that Elkanah had for her. That is the “what”, now notice the:
Why - what was it she constantly reminded Hannah of? Her bareness. She would flaunt her children before her and constantly remind Hannah of her inability to have children. Do you really think Hannah needed this reminder? Every day of her life was a reminder of her failure to fulfil her purpose, her role as a wife to her husband.
Her failure led him to take another wife. He failure was rubbed in her face. She was “provoked” by her failure.
Church, there are some things which are expected of you and me that should “provoke” us to action! This is where we begin to meet faith promise in Hannah’s story. Her provocation was due to:
Her failure to produce a child.
This was the expectation of her life and the hope of her husband
You say, “Well this isn’t fair. Her bareness was beyond her control.
Yes it was, but what did her bareness do?
Her bareness sent her to her kness!
She was so burdened over not having a child that she refused to eat.
She was so burdened by her failure she went to the Tabernacle to pray to God!
Church, when was the last time you were “provoked” in such a way about foreging missions? When is the last time that you heard a missionary talk about the needs in their land and were so burdened that you couldn’t eat because so many there were dying without knowing Jesus?
When is the last time you took time to pray for our missionaries and the work they’re doing on the field? Being “provoked” is not always a bad thing. We read this passage and, at first, we feel sorry for Hannah, but then once we realize that her provocation was not entirely a bad thing. Her provocation led to a wonderful...
Promise 10-11
Promise 10-11
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head.
She made a promise to God, that if He would open her womb and give her a son, she would in turn give that son back to God, to serve Him his whole life.
Dr. Ernest Gabrell said on this subject that:
“No Christian should be afraid to make God a promise in this matter of giving by faith. The promise you make is based on the prommise that God made. In faith giving, God has promised to give back the amount that you give, and to give it back more abundantly.”
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Hannah wanted nothing more than to have a son, but for whatever reason, God had closed her womb and only God could open it.
Whey did God close Hannah’s womb? The Bible doesn’t say, but He had a purpose. By making her wait, he helped her get her priorities straight:
No longer did she want a son for selfish reasons, to appese her husband, and to silence her “adversary”
Now she wanted a son to demonstrate to the world that God is in control!
Friends, once you realized that God is in control, it makes letting go easier.
Maybe you are growing tired of these messages because you don’t want to give anything....that’s between you and God, but I would encourage you to examine your motives!
Maybe you are uncomfortable in this series because you are having difficulty trusting God to fulfill the promise. Friend, how is it we can trust God for our eternal salvation, but we struggle to trust Him with other areas of our life?
Hannah’s promise was based on her faith in her God! Her provocation led to her promise, but her promise was no good if she didn’t keep up her end! What would happen if God chose to fulfill her request? What would she do? We see the answer in Hannah’s...
Payment 27-28
Payment 27-28
27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: 28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.
May I say to you that a promised made and not kept is not really a promise. We’re here looking at Faith Promise giving and all the sudden we get all defensive because we don’t think we can give any more but our example today is Hannah who gave something that was most precious to her back to God...her son.
Not one time do we read that she regretted making this promise. Not one time do we read that she considered not keeping her promise. Not one time do we see any doubt in God’s ability to meet her needs.
Read 1 Sam. 2:20-21
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home. 21 And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
Because of her faithfulness in keeping her promise, God blessed Hannah with a “ROI” of 500%! Why?
Conclusion:
This month, as in every month, our focus needs to be on the object of our faith - God!
Church, it would do us good to be...
Provoked like Hannah was - not to anger, but to tears for the lost of this world. Like Hannah we should not fear to make a...
Promise God. He is always faithful to us after all. We must also remember that when we make a promise there must be a...
Payment. Your promise without your fulfillment is not a promise.
The operative word in “Faith Promise” is not promise, it’s faith.
What is your faith in today?
