The Heart of a Mother.
Notes
Transcript
Read 1 Sam 1:1-6
Introduction:
A few years ago, the news were reporting about women who were stealing newborn babies. Some from hospitals, other from the arms of mothers on the street.
Their deed was unjustifiable because they’re illegally trying to fulfill a deep need of their hearts: to be mothers.
Those women were emotionally unstable due to the consuming desire to be mothers.
If Hannah had not feared the Lord, probably she would have done the same.
What happened in Hannah’s life?
Hanna was a young Israelite woman, married to Elkanah, a man who truly loved her. As this happened during the period of the judges (at the last days of it), when the people did according to their desires, it is not strange that Elkanah had two wives.
In Hannah’s life, there was incomplete satisfaction.
Incomplete Satisfaction.
Incomplete Satisfaction.
4-8
Beauty was not enough.
Beauty was not enough.
She was gracious and charming as her name indicates, and, pretty sure, beautiful as many Israelite women I have seen.
Deceived by the devil, women pay excessive attention and money to look pretty...
But that was not the purpose for which God had created her. She was created to be the proper helpmate of man and the mother of his children.
Money did not make her happy.
Money did not make her happy.
We may surely assume that Elkanah was well-off! Why?
He was able to support two wives. He presented sacrifices to the Lord every year; and he gave portions to his wives and children to present sacrifices too. Hannah received a double portion!
This is something that those who want a wealthy husband must learn. Money may provide temporary satisfaction, but not real happiness.
Love was not enough.
Love was not enough.
Although Elkanah had two wives, it is clear that his heart belonged to Hannah:
but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb.
The husband’ love does not satisfy the motherly nature of a woman.
When a woman says, “I do not want children!”, that woman has a selfishness or psychological problems.
For a Hebrew woman, to be childless is a curse!
According to today’s laws, if a woman has not given children to her husband during the first ten years of marriage, the husband has the right to divorce her.
Due to Elkanah’s love for Hannah, he did not reject her. On the contrary, he loved her more, but that was not enough.
Then 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 better to you than ten sons?”
Hannah’s answer to that question would be: No! You do not understand! It is different!
Hannah’s life was a life of continuous invocation or prayer.
A Continuous Invocation.
A Continuous Invocation.
9-13
She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”
With her prayer, Hannah was pouring her heart to God...
Bringing all distress and bitterness before the Lord.
Bringing all distress and bitterness before the Lord.
“…greatly distressed. prayed…and wept bitterly”
People may deny, for some time, the desire to have a child, but, sooner or later, they acknowledge the need of having at least one…
Hannah was a childless mother! In other words, she had the heart of a mother!
No matter how much your husband loves you, he will never completely understand you, BUT GOD DOES! Pray to Him!
With peace in her heart after praying.
With peace in her heart after praying.
Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.
1 Samuel 1:17–18 (NASB95)
Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” She said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Then it was just a matter of waiting on the Lord.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Her invocation resulted in a divine consolation.
A Divine Consolation.
A Divine Consolation.
Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
We must understand that...
Children are a gift from God.
Children are a gift from God.
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
It is His decision to give or not to give them. He is the Creator, the giver of life…
Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.” Then Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
God gives them at His time.
God gives them at His time.
It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”
He gives them to be our joy.
He gives them to be our joy.
He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!
God brought her consolation.
God brought her consolation.
Hannah honored God naming the child Samuel (Shemuel: name of God).
IV- A Faithful Dedication. 23-28
IV- A Faithful Dedication. 23-28
Dedication as a mother.
Dedication as a mother.
She nursed him as long as she could…
Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever.” Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.
Although the child stayed at the temple, Hannah kept on providing for Samuel.
Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy wearing a linen ephod. And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Dedication of the child.
Dedication of the child.
Samuel’s dedication was a motive of celebration.
Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. “For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. “So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
She was not loosing her only son, she was getting a better son..
God rewarded Hannah's piety and faithfulness with three more sons and two daughters.
The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.