Hannah's Vow: "For as Long as He Lives!"

intro

What a blessing its been today have my my father dedicate our daughter Elizabeth to the Lord this morning! Many of you have been able to follow our story of adoption closely throughout this past year. Speaking for Meggan and myself, we have often looked at Elizabeth and thought the words of Hannah’s prayer, “For this child I’ve prayed.”

I was reading in 1 Samuel recently. If you read the early chapter’s of 1st Samuel, your heart will, no doubt, hurt for this woman Hannah. Hannah was married to Elkanah as his first wife but at this point is barren. Elkanah’s affections are clearly with Hannah but does have another wife Peninnah who has born him sons and daughters. The text indicates Hannah’s desire for children, and Peninnah’s mocking of Hannah. Maybe Peninnah did this because of her own frustration at Elkanah’s clear preference for Hannah. These were different times where culturally polygamy was common, especially among marriages with infertility. I would NOT suggest God endorsed this behavior even among his faithful leaders. In fact throughout the OT we see many examples of the strain polyamorous relationships caused. You could compare Hannah, to wives such as Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. This is what sin had done to the marriage space. This was the life of Hannah.

One of the reasons my wife and I came forward over a year ago and shared our personal wrestling with infertility was because of our frustrations with the feeling of shame over something we had no control over. We were frustrated with the idea that we had to suffer in silence believing full well we were not alone in this experience. Our suspicions were correct as we had an outpouring of people express their own stories both privately and publicly. It also gave opportunity for many of you to surround us with warmth and comfort that you otherwise might not of known we needed. For that, again, we thank-you church family.

It bothers me when we face any trial or struggle, that the feeling of shame often prevents us from seeking help or comfort.

The shame Hannah would experience I would suggest was far greater than our own experience. While her husband loved her and preferred her. His polyamorous marriage disconnected him from understanding her feelings. He took her grief of lack of bearing children personally. “Am I not more to you than 10 sons?” Hannah didn’t find relief from her grief from her naive husband. She had a rival mocking her. She also was a part of a society which believed her barren state was likely a symbol of her being cursed and punished.

Even today, its easy for those struggling to conceive to wonder if God is in some way punishing you.

As you read a little bit about Hannah though, and your heart goes out to her, you will likely not just pity her, but if you are like me, Admire her fiery character. Hannah is far more than someone to be pitied. This woman had spirit! She makes a bold vow to God: change slide

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.”

What an amazing charge to the Lord, we will break that down further as we go. But essentially, Lord of Hosts, Commander of the Universe, give me a son, that I may give Him up to you! One of the most selfless pleas to the Lord on record.

This morning we are going to analyze Hannah’s Vow to God and see what implications it has for parents today seeking to raise their children to love Jesus and serve Him in their lives.

Before we look even more closely and continue, lets bow our heads in prayer.

prayer

I think, likely, at one point or another have attempted to bargain with God in our prayers. “Lord give me what I want and I’ll serve you forever. These bargains we make may have selfish motivation, or they might be seemingly righteous, but ultimately, were asking God to do something for us that we want. And am I wrong, that maybe even if God fulfills our request, we often are not responsible for our end.

Hannah’s vow is if God will give her a son, “As long as he lives” He will be His servant.

Isn’t that the hope for all of you parents out there? Don’t you want your kids to be a servant of God all the days of their live. Making that bargain seems easy, but parents are you willing to go the distance in doing everything possible to make that a reality.

This was a passionate plea. To the observer Eli, it looked like an odd spectacle. I’m guessing over the years, it is likely Eli, the high priests had seen some interesting people praying at the temple. He observes Hannah. change slide

1 Samuel 1:12–14 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.”

Maybe the true genuine faith and communion with God did strike peculiar. Maybe Eli was used to a more tired religious prayer. Maybe he had become jaded by his wicked sons and the rampant blending of God’s people with pagan religions that he was quick to right off a genuine seeker of God.

But the coin flips both ways. Hannah had made this pilgrimage religiously with her husband. She’d likely observed this place of worship wasn’t perfect. This temple wasn’t above bribery and corruption.

But at its core this, the purpose of this place communion with God, it was a place of sacrifice. I was a place of forgiveness and atonement. It was a place of prayer. By Hannah’s approaching God in this way she entering into a covenant relationship with God the eternal. Hannah was raising the bar spirituality in this place. She had come as a true genuine seeker. Her pure request would stand out. She responds to Eli, and as I imagine her response, shes got some spunk to her, likely a spirit which was refreshing to Eli.

1 Samuel 1:15–16 ESV

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.”

Say what you will, Hannah knew her value as a daughter of God. “Do not regard me as worthless woman.” Do not look down upon because I have troubles. Isn’t this the place you are supposed to go to when you are vexed and anxious. Am I not in the right place?!

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This hebrew phrase beh-li-ya’al translated in many versions as worthless also means “destructive” and as she’s been mistakenly accused of drunkenness essentially its being said she is corrupting this place with her destructive habits.

this hebrew word phrase refers to a man or woman guilty of heinous and indiscreet acts against the law. People referred to by the term beliyya’al are often characterized as wicked, worthless, and treacherous.

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Its the same mistaken and misguided attitudes reflected at home on Hannah for her barrenness. She’s afflicted. She’s cursed. Something must be wrong with Hannah. Like the story of Job after he has lost just about everything in his life, he is encouraged to repent of some sin in which he is unclear he has committed. The general attitude is he must have done SOMETHING! and like Job, Hannah refuses to acknowledge herself as the worthless, sinful, or destructive simply because she has given a passionate request before God.

Church family, when someone comes to you and is troubled, whether you have the ability to help them or not, please don’t look at their grief as Eli initially does, as her husband initially does. I don’t really care how many times you’ve been burned before, having your kindness betrayed or your monetary gift squandered, sob stories told to you that were found to be myth.

When we assume someone has walked in this place and is beh-li-ya’al. worthless and destructive…we cease to be a genuine house of prayer.

The fact that Hannah came to this temple, corrupted as it had been, actually brought its purpose back to the forefront. I believe seeing this fiery spirited, or better said, spirit filled woman respond back to Eli reminded Him of his purpose.

I apologize to give you so much hebrew background, but I also discovered something in my research I think is rather significant.

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In verse 11 as she addresses God in her vow, she was the very first recorded in scripture to address God as “Lord of Hosts.”

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This is a phrase yahveh-tsve-vah-oats or slight variations such as Lord or God of Hosts is repeated 294 more times in the old testament alone. I remember my Hebrew teacher Michael Hasel, highlighting this phrase telling us we would see it a lot if we really study in Hebrew. Its found throughout Psalms and through the major and minor prophets. Its an address of God as the great conqueror of all things. Nothing is to large or small for God. When things are most bleak. The God Hannah has prayed to is a conqueror. Her request she pleads to God as that of one of a battle cry. Her words would be repeated, by King David, whom her son Samuel would one day annoint King.

Eli looks upon her, I imagine taken back as not coming across someone with such faith in all his life, He responds,

1 Samuel 1:17–18 ESV

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.

For the better part of a decade I have had a number of people express their grief and express their current struggles to me. Maybe its financial, maybe its health, maybe its a struggling marriage relationship. Often their physical need is beyond what I can do as a pastor. All to often, my observation is though, while their is a present physical need, their is an even more pressing spiritual need, one not uncommon to most everyone here.

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We talked a little bit about in the Lower Room panel last Sabbath, this idea of reflecting on God’s goodness in our lives in the little and large things prior that helps us trust in the moments of silence. We had one of our panelists testify of her peace and happiness found in her daily commitment to Jesus as opposed to those who don’t a relationship with Him.

So when Eli tells Hannah to go in peace, you get the impression He believe wholeheartedly that God is going to not only grant her petition but has a unique plan which is unfolding.

It doesn’t take long, atleast not long in the chapter that Hannah’s request is finally answered. change slide

1 Samuel 1:20 ESV

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.”

Now a couple things we need to think about.

Hannah has made a vow before the Lord which is really entering into a covenant with the Almighty. Hannah has offered her future son as a consecrated set apart person for the Lord’s service.

See this is why her request appears to me very selfless because although her request to God is for a child, its a child she will, after he is weaned, maybe just a couple years old, she will essentially give him up to the priests.

While it is my wife and I’s intention to give our daughter every opportunity to know Jesus and serve Him in her life, I don’t know that I would have it in me to turn my baby over to someone else, I don’t care if it was the greatest spiritual leader I knew.

Do you wonder if Hannah ever contemplated reneging on her vow? You read in the following verses Elkanah, her husband goes for his yearly sacrifice but is not accompanied by Hannah. She tells him,

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“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.”

(1 Sa 1:22).

I almost get the impression from Elkanah hes not quite as sold on this plan as his wife is. Like: “you sure? you’ve been whining about not having a baby for so long and now that you have one, your going to give him up??…and to the priests??”.....like a good husband maybe he doesn’t vocalize that thought. His words, “Do what you think is best, only may the Lord establish his word.”

I translate this as a husband and not a hebrew scholar, “Yes dear, whatever you say dear!”

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1 Samuel 1:24–28 ESV

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.

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This word “lent” doesn’t mean borrowed in a temporary sense as we know the word. In this sense, it means to be claimed. “For as long as He lives he is to be claimed to the Lord.”

By giving Samuel to the Lord she fulfilled her vow to the Lord and honored their covenant.

God’s people historically had fallen short in honoring their covenant with the Lord. Like Samuel, God’s people were supposed to be set a part from the world. God had made a covenant with Abraham that his descendants would be His chosen people whom he would bless and protect. change slide

Time and time again, God’s people disregarded this covenant. They blended with the world. They worshipped idols, did immoral acts. They did not live as a consecrated people....that is until they cried for help when they bore the fruit of the choices. It was when they needed rescuing they asked God to remember his promises.

God has always been faithful in his covenant. His people had not given themselves for His service.

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When Hannah gave Samuel to the Lord to be raised in the house of Eli, and likely his other sons, it was not a time when even the priesthood was faithful. If you keep reading in 1 Samuel, very soon you see the wickedness of Eli’s sons and Eli’s blindspot toward them.

Hannah’s vow of both plea and promise was for God to give her a son that she may give a son to bless Israel, ALL the days of his life.

Church as I’ve grown up in the church, gone to school in our adventist school system from 1st grade through grad school, I have come to see we have some whose mindset is to consume from the church and those who come to give. Don’t get me wrong, the church is their for both but ideally as we have consumed, we have been compelled to give. When I say, give I am not talking monetary. I am talking about the giving of yourselves, the giving of your families, and the giving of your children.

Like Eli’s day, the church isn’t perfect, our children’s ministries are not perfect, our school isn’t perfect but to correct our flaws is not to withdraw or withhold our support or withhold our children from those things until every need is met. Positive change happens when we invest in offering our time and doing what it takes to come to positive solutions.

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Speaking as a youth pastor, I’ve talked with many of you parents over the years about the influences that our kids are facing today. And it is literally UNREAL the influences that are bombarding our youth today. Some of you parents fear how your kids might be influenced even in Adventist Christian environments.

In the last decade there is has been an online and social media phenomena thats been taking the world by storm, especially generation z and younger, and that is “influencers.” It’s people with youtube channels, instagram and tik tok accounts with the sole agenda of gaining followers.

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Some of these influencers are mainstream like Selena Gomez. She is 29 years, she got her start on the show Barney and friends, and then disney channel shows, and then her content became more and more adult. Her followers grew up with her in the digital age. She now has the most followers on instagram in the world. 341 million people have subscribed to the content of her page to be influenced by her.... to put that into perspective. The Adventist church has 21 million members world wide.

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Justin Bieber, who happens to be the ex of Selena has less followers, he only has 253 million followers. They call his followers Beliebers.

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You don’t have to be mainstream to be an “influencer.” The example I’ll share is far from the only person. There is self made influencer who who is now worth 7 million dollars at age 24. As a teenager he began making vine videos. Vine videos were short home made 10 second videos that people would scroll and watch, this platform was overtaken by bigger apps like instagram and tiktok. Brent Rivera joined all these platforms and began a major following pulling pranks and making humorous content. Not only that he assembled a group other influencers his age of his siblings and friends. Together these group made up of 17-22 year olds are appearing in content together and gaining followers by the millions! Especially among teenagers. Each one of these young people pictured are already worth millions of dollars.

While their content is often lighthearted its also grown to become more sexual and crude in nature. Parents of teenagers, you likely have never heard of this group I am referring to, they go by the name, “amp” squad…but I imagine many of your teenagers do know of them and others just like them.

While a lot of the social media influencers are putting out content I don’t believe is one Christian teens need in their life, I would also tell you their are christian influencers out there! I know he just moved, our own Adrian Odhiambo has been out there influencing for years. Devin Wall dabbled in vine videos a few years back and had some videos go viral across the platform. Several of our own youth and young adults have youtube channels and social media pages set up for influencing. These are tools and a space the devil certainly uses for influences but just like any internet based platform, there is a space for good Christian based media influencing content to exist as well.

Hannah was giving Samuel to God to become an influencer and that is exactly what God used him for, as a priest, as a judge, and as a prophet. He served as the Spiritual guide for King Saul who unfortunately rejected his influence for other influencers in his life. Samuel served and led Israel, faithfully, and when they asked for a king instead of being led by a judge and prophet, God tells him, “Its not you they have rejected, but me.” Samuel was, however a faithful influencer all the days of his life just as his mother had given him to the Lord to be.

As parents we often fear the influence certain spaces, activities, and friends can have on our children, and I am not denying they exist, but I am saying, God is calling you parents to teach your children to be influencers for Jesus. If the programs of our church and school are not perfect, we need you to not withhold your positive influencing kids, no we need you to send them because they make an impact more than you know. They have the capacity to reach their peers more than youth pastors, teachers, pathfinder and adventurer leaders combined. Don’t withdraw them, teach them to be influencers!

And as Hannah has fulfilled her vow and covenant to the Lord, she can do nothing but praise God because she has sought to trust God in her most uncertain moments. She trusted God to give her a baby and she trusted God enough to give up her baby to God. Listen to Hannah’s prayer. change slide

1 Samuel 2:1–10 ESV

And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world. “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Then in verse 11 as Elkanah and his family head home, it says “and the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.”

The word for ministering, means “serving.”

Doing ministry and serving others, serving our fellow man is one of the best way to be influencers in the world.

I would suggest to you in todays translation it might say, and the boy was “influencing for the Lord” in the presence of Eli, and in the presence of God.

Church family, if its your desire to give your children to the Lord to be influencers in His army, will you stand with me as we pray to the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Heaven, pray to our yahweh tseve-oats. Lets ask Him to rededicate us His children for the cause of Christ build back up his tabernacle, his school, and youth clubs. Lets vow as Hannah did, for our children to serve God as long as they live.