Word for Today: Wednesday, February 13, 2013

1 Samuel 1:1-28 From Bitterness to Joy

Memory Verse 1 Samuel 1:17(KJV)

“Then Eli answered and said , Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him”.

 This book starts when Israel was still ruled by judges. We will use the next 10 days to study the life and growth of a young man named Samuel and how he emerged as a great Priest.

Today passage tells us the story of a man named Elkanah, his linage was stated in verse 1. Elkanah had two wives- Peninnah and Hannah and we were told he loved Hannah more. It can be noted in verse 6 that God closed the womb of Hannah, but why did God shut the womb of Hannah? Hannah’s case is similar to that of Rachael (Genesis 30) and it may be that God saw the pain of Peninnah, she was unloved and was treated unfairly because even with her many children she always got the smaller portion (Verse 4), or it may be that God was waiting for the right time to present Israel with a great priest. But whatever the case maybe, he is the omniscient God, he is sovereign: He opens and shuts as he wills.

We can see Hannah as a desperate and embittered woman, although she was getting all the attention from her husband, the pains of childlessness and mockery from Peninnah was too great for her.

Notice a good attribute of Hannah, she was a godly woman and she knew where to pour her pain and whom to call verses 9-13, she went to the house of God to pray and present her case. When we are confronted with problems and challenges, whom do we call on first? The solution to all our problems is God; we should endeavour to take all our problems to God.

The nature of our problems can intensify our prayers, with the pains in her heart, Hannah prayed to the extent that Eli the priest thought she was drunk. I was a bit puzzled that Eli thought Hannah was drunk, I came to these conclusions that

•        maybe drunk people were in the habit of coming into the temple

•        Eli wasn’t used to seeing people pray in the temple

•        The countenance of Hannah at that time

Notice the vow Hannah made in verse 11. To some people, it is an irrational thing to do but it is apparent that Hannah made that vow out of desperation in hope that God will be moved by her vow and grant her request. Desperate situations can sometimes pressure us to make vows that we find really hard to fulfil after our requests have been granted. But Hannah fulfilled her vow; she gladly gave her son back to God.

As Christians, whenever we are faced with challenges, instead of questioning and saying “why me”, take your case to God like Hannah did and pour out your heart to him, he loves you and understands you situation. If you are compelled by your situation to make a vow, don’t be irrational in your vow; don’t say what you cannot fulfil when your request is granted (Ecc 5:4-5). Whether you make a vow or not, if you call on God sincerely, he will answer you (Jeremiah 33:3, Psalm 91:15). God bless you.