Sermon Hannah, An Anonomous Hero Of Faith

Hannah. Who was she?

1 Samuel 1:1–28 ESV

There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 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. Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

3 Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. 4 On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. 5 And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children. 6 So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.

8 “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?”

Hannah’s Prayer for a Son

9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”

15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”

17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”

18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication

19 The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, 20 and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”

21 The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.”

23 “Whatever you think is best,” Elkanah agreed. “Stay here for now, and may the Lord help you keep your promise.” So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned.

24 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. 25 After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. 26 “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord. 27 I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there.

Who was Hannah?

She was a co-wife of Elkanah (el-ko-nah), who was the son of Jeroham (yer-o-hum), who was the son of Elihu (el-y-who), then Tohu (toe-who), then Zuph (zooph).

Now Zooph was an Ephrathite (ef-ra-tee). What was an Ephrathite? Someone who lives in Ephraim, this is describing where he lived not what he was because what his ancestry was that of a Levite, which is very important because only priest can come from the tribe of Levi. We later see that El-Ko-nah finally has a son by Hannah named Samuel who is a prophet, priest, and judge.

The name of this area is shortened to Ramah, and there are several areas named Ramah so we don't know exactly where this is located.

I may not be able to tell you for sure where his great great grandpappy was located, but I can tell you that I know what El ko nah was, and that is he was el koo koo crazy. He had two wives, who in their right mind would have two wives? But, on the other hand why would any woman want two husbands. I mean I love Nita, but there is no way I could handle two of her.

Anywhere in the Bible where you see someone who has two wives, you see they have double trouble in their lives.

God never condoned the practice of polygamy, it was a cultural practice they adopted.

When the Bible speaks about being a husband of one wife in , this is what it is talking about, not divorced men. From the beginning God intended husband, and wife to be one flesh.

Back to the text, right or wrong El Con hah had these two wives. These two are like the other wives in the Bible who shared the same husband, there was jealousy, difficulty, and strife. One always making it harder on the other, and like Sarah, the only way Hannah would have a child was through intervention from God.

It is also entirely possible that El-con-hah married Peh-ne-nah because Hannah could not have any kids, just like Abraham and Sarah.

That brings me to my first point that we are always trying to take things into our own hands, instead of allowing God to work in our lives and bless us fully when we follow His will for our lives. Now regardless of what these three did, God in His sovereignty was able to work things out in their lives and Samuel was born.

1 Samuel 1:3–5 ESV

Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.

El-ko-nah used to go up every year to worship and to sacrifice just like any devout Jew would do. They were supposed to give portions accordingly to the size of their families, so Pa-neen-yah his other wife would get more of a portion because she had sons, and daughters.

But Hannah who was already feeling really badly because she had no children, would receive a smaller portion than her rival wife. I think this alone would remind her of the fact that she had no children.

But she also had the other wife constantly teasing her about the fact she had children, and Hannah did not.

We always have someone who irritates us.

1 Samuel 1:6 ESV

And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.

We all have that someone, or several someones who constantly irritate us. We have bullies at school, bullies at work, even bullies in the church.

If you ever have a bully in this church, you should go to one of the pastors, Steve, Jorge, or myself. Church discipline is never pleasant, but a must if needed. We never sweep anything under the rug, or ignore anything intentionally.

Our biggest bully though is the devil. Satan is constantly taunting us, reminding us of our weaknesses, our failures, he is constantly working to take our focus off of our service to God.

He wants to distract you from doing the things God has called you to do. If he keeps you in depression, or distracted, or feeling worthless, you can't focus on what God 's plan is for your life.

Maybe he is putting that fear in your life we sung about earlier. Maybe God has called you in service for something specific but Satan has made you into being afraid.

Maybe, God has called you to be an encourager to someone, but Satan has brought out the selfishness in you. There could be a situation where if you encourage this person and they are successful in doing God's will it will hurt you in some way, so you choose to not help to make them successful so you won't be hurt.

Maybe Satan is just being down right mean, because he doesn't want you to grow in Christ. Maybe he doesn't want you to be saved, or do more for the Lord, so it seems that nothing can go right that you are doing.

1 Samuel 1:8 ESV

And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

That is where we need an encourager in our life. Hannah had a godly husband in her life who loved her the scripture says, he encouraged her with kind words.

We saw up in verse 5 he would go above and beyond his duties as a husband and give to her the best portions of the sacrifice so she would not feel as bad about not having a son, by not being reminded of it by getting a lesser portion.

Husbands, this is a lesson for us to be encouraging, not an antagonist, or a discouragement to our wives. Satan does a good enough job of discouraging her, she doesn't need us to add to it.

We have to go above and beyond what we feel like a husband should do for our wives. They say marriage is 50/50, I disagree. Marriage is 110/110%.

You might not agree with my math, and I didn't do well in math but both of you putting only 50% in a marriage does not equal 100%.

This goes the same for wives, husbands need encouragement also, but I think encouragement comes naturally for most wives for their husbands, but it is a good reminder in these busy hustle and bustle days of sports, work, home, church.

Hannah was to the point that she did not want to eat, and she wept constantly. You can see a pattern building here. She was on the road to severe depression, mostly because she was taunted by an irritating adversary.

It was not that she was not a godly person who trusted in God. If she did not have the encouragement of a godly husband, if all she had was Satan speaking in her ear, she might have given up on God, and not petitioned Him in prayer about having a son.

With that being said wives, when you have a godly husband who is praying about your situation of depression, or Satan putting fear, doubt, frustration in your mind, listen to him.

Let him encourage you. If he has been praying about it, and has a true love in his heart, and your best interest is on his mind he will not lead you astray.

Stop listening to the voice of fear, frustration, helplessness, selfishness. Start listening to God, and godly people who can give you encouragement, and strength to get through even the toughest times.

Be earnest in your prayers to God

1 Samuel 1:9–11 ESV

After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

With a little bit of strength given to her by the encouragement of her husband, Hannah was able to eat, and drink.

She got up from a table of feast, and drunkeness. The word used her translated drunk means just that, they had been drinking, and feasting on the meal after giving their sacrifices, all but Hannah. She had something else on her mind, and that was giving to God her petition for a son.

She then went to the temple to pray. When she got to the temple Eli the high priest was there sitting where the high priest always was to be the intercessor between man and God.

Remember this was the old covenant, and the only way to God was through the high priest.

Verse 10 says that Hannah was deeply distressed, and prayed to the Lord, and it says she wept bitterly. These english words cannot describe what the original language conveys about how distraught Hannah was. It is the same words used in Ruth to describe Naomi's bitterness, after losing all of her family.

Verse 11 Hannah describes herself as a servant, a word translated from the Hebrew meaning humbled. She humbly gave all her self, all her heart to God. She gave even her future son to God, to use for all of his life knowing that she may not have a life with him as a mother.

I think it would be safe to say that we have all, in a time of desperation a time of deep distress promised God something in return if He would just grant us that one last wish. I have done it, and if you think back you probably have also. I don't do it any more because I know better.

What's the difference in Hannah's prayer of deep deep bitterness and sorrow and our prayer of promise and exchange? She later follows through with it. We tend to make promises we can't keep. Hannah was that sincere, and God knew it at the time of her prayer that she would give her son up for God's service.

Hannah was so broken in her heart she was willing to give it all to God. Be careful what you say and promise to God in your prayers. You might think it would be pretty neat to raise up children who wholeheartedly serve the Lord.

When you pray for your children every day that they would grow up serving the Lord, and continue to do great things for Him after they leave your home you might get more than you bargained for.

They might be called away to a foreign country where you rarely get to see them anymore. They might get called to serve in a place that is very dangerous, a country that is not friendly to Christians.

I thank God that my daughter, son-inlaw, and four of my grand-kids are serving in a safe country, as safe as a foreign country could be anyway. A place receptive to the Gospel.

I also thank God that I am able to see them at least a couple months out of the year instead of years at a time or never. I thank God that they are able to be with us here today.

Be careful what you pray and promise to God. Be ready to give what you promise God is His. I mean whatever it is it is His already, we have to be willing to give it up ourselves to trust that God will use them or it whatever your it is for His glory, His honor, His use.

In her earnest vow Hannah by saying a razor will not touch his head was saying he would be a Nazarite. She would give up all his life to prepare him to serve God.

We have got to do the same thing. We have to first pray and seek God's face, remember Hannah was a woman, she was not supposed to be in the Temple, only men, but she went anyway and seeked out God.

After we are humbly in His presence we seek His will, and earnestly pray from our heart like Hannah that He answer our prayer, and mean that we will do what we are called by Him to do. If that means giving up something like a job, a house, or even our kids for His service we have to do it, and do it joyfully for His glory.

We have an intercessor, His name is Jesus

1 Samuel 1:12–18 ESV

As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

We have to have someone to intercede or go to God with our prayers. We have been separated from God because of sin since the fall in the garden.

In the old covenant people had to go to Priests like Eli to offer their sacrifices, and petitions before God. Eli the priest heard Hannah say that she would give her son to God for His service, and that she vowed him to be a Nazarite, but after that only her lips were moving.

In those days it was very common to get drunk and show up at the Temple for the sacrifices, Eli thought that is what Hannah was doing here. As any good priest would do he corrected her for doing wrong. Something if you read a little further in Samuel you will find out he should have been doing with his two sons Hoff-nee, and peen-has.

Apparently Eli could correct the people but not his sons, which later proves fatal to him, his sons, and it caused Israel to lose possession of the Ark Of The Covenant. A lesson for another time, but all this proves the ineffectiveness of the Old Covenant.

It is what God ordained for the time, and even though man would mess it up all the time Hannah had someone to offer her prayers to God through.

Because Eli was ordained by God to offer assurance that Hannah's prayer would be answered she was not longer sad.

God is the perfecter of our healing. Whether that be physical, spiritual, or mental healing. Knowing that her prayers were answered Hannah left and no longer mourned to the point of not eating again.

Hannah's husband gave her comfort enough to recover slightly from her inability to eat, but that was just temporary, she didn't finish her meal before she had to go to the temple, and take care of buisness, where she gave her pain to God and was then fully satisfied that her pain would no longer cause her an issue with not eating.

She was fully healed after giving it to God, and knowing in her heart that he would be faithful.

This is a picture of our High Priest Jesus who we can offer prayers up to God through, and know that they will be taken care of. There should be no more worrying about anything once we give it to God.

We have the assurance from our High Priest Jesus Christ that our prayers are heard, so we don't second guess whether it is going to happen or not. We can walk away with a smile on our face like Hannah never to worry again because God never breaks his promise.

Prayers answered as He promises

1 Samuel 1:19–20 ESV

They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”

In verse 19 I bet I know why they got up early in the morning to worship before the Lord. Any other year after the drunken feast the night before El koo nah was probably dragging his feet from the bad feeling in his head.

I am sure they were excited about the good news of God's promise, and wanted to thank God again, but El koo nah had an excited wife ready for God to fulfill that promise.

I bet ol Eli was up and at em before daybreak ready to get this worship business out of the way so they could get home to take care of some other business.

Then probably nine months to the day after. God's promise was fullfilled, and Samson was born into the world.

Gods promises kept, should be our promises kept.

1 Samuel 1:21–28 ESV

The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Just as God keeps His promises no matter what, we should keep our promises, and He will help us to do it.

The boy Samson was born. At a year old Elk oo nah and his family was to make the yearly trip to give sacrifices just as they had always done. This time Hannah did not go. She was not being selfish here, she had not changed her mind on keeping her promise.

What she had to do was wean the baby off the breast. She was going to give this child up to Eli the priest to raise him up to serve the Lord, and she knew he would starve to death if Eli had to feed him.

We are to trust in God that He is faithful in His promises, and we have to remain faithful with ours, but timing is everything also. If we go in our own timing, instead of God's timing we will mess things up. Or if we stay longer, or do more than God has called us to do, if we are operating on our own agenda, not God's, we will be miserable, or make someone else miserable.

In verse 23 El koo nah gives his blessing on her staying there to nurse the child. She could have nursed for three or four years, so this was not the only year that they faced the decision to keep their vow to God.

El koo nah, according to could have legally made Hannah's vow null and void, so this had to be a cooperative effort between the two of them to keep this vow. After several years they both would have gotten attached to this baby making it harder and harder to remain faithful.

Numbers 30:12–14 ESV

But if her husband makes them null and void on the day that he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning her pledge of herself shall not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the Lord will forgive her. Any vow and any binding oath to afflict herself, her husband may establish, or her husband may make void. But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her pledges that are upon her. He has established them, because he said nothing to her on the day that he heard of them.

Time can make us forget the things God has done for us. I thank God that he is the author of time, that He never forgets his promises.

What about you today? Do you feel God calling you to give something up today? It might not be giving a child up for His service, but it may be something just as precious to you.