The Strength of Hannah
In 1st Samuel, it starts off with the story of Hannah, a woman who seems to be unable to get pregnant. Today, while many women suffer from this, there are options that *sometimes* work. Through in-vetro, there is a chance for those women to have a baby through her own body.
However, in Biblical times they did not have the capability of that. Imagine what it must have been like - married off to a man who believes your job in that marriage is to give him children, yet you can't even do that. I've thought about that several times; what if in the future I'm not able to have children through my own body? Even though marriage in America isn't based on bearing children, would I still feel disappointment? Like I let my husband down? How painful will it be knowing I long to have kids one day (several years in the future...)?
Hannah was in deep anguish (1:10). She wasn't just sad, but she was in ANGUISH. The definition is agonizing physical or mental pain; torment. This woman was clearly upset. What dis she do? Look jealously at her friends who probably had children? Hold anger and bitterness towards them or herself? She prayed. And she prayed earnestly. So passionately that Eli, the priest at the Tabernacle, threatened to throw her out due to her drunken-ness. Not only was she praying like a crazy woman, she was doug it in public! How many of us go to church desperate for God's help in some way? Yet when you pray Him is it silently in your head or unashamed and in a pleading manner? Hannah had some guts!
So she prayed, and Eli told her the Lord would let her become pregnant. And so she had Samuel. Next comes the really crazy part: after he was weaned, she went to the Tabernacle with him and gave him to Eli to stay PERMANENTLY. To grow up there and learn from Eli. Yeah, that's right. The woman who spent years trying to get pregnant, fell into depression, and finally had a long-wanted son gave him back to God.
That's what faith is right there.
However, in Biblical times they did not have the capability of that. Imagine what it must have been like - married off to a man who believes your job in that marriage is to give him children, yet you can't even do that. I've thought about that several times; what if in the future I'm not able to have children through my own body? Even though marriage in America isn't based on bearing children, would I still feel disappointment? Like I let my husband down? How painful will it be knowing I long to have kids one day (several years in the future...)?
Hannah was in deep anguish (1:10). She wasn't just sad, but she was in ANGUISH. The definition is agonizing physical or mental pain; torment. This woman was clearly upset. What dis she do? Look jealously at her friends who probably had children? Hold anger and bitterness towards them or herself? She prayed. And she prayed earnestly. So passionately that Eli, the priest at the Tabernacle, threatened to throw her out due to her drunken-ness. Not only was she praying like a crazy woman, she was doug it in public! How many of us go to church desperate for God's help in some way? Yet when you pray Him is it silently in your head or unashamed and in a pleading manner? Hannah had some guts!
So she prayed, and Eli told her the Lord would let her become pregnant. And so she had Samuel. Next comes the really crazy part: after he was weaned, she went to the Tabernacle with him and gave him to Eli to stay PERMANENTLY. To grow up there and learn from Eli. Yeah, that's right. The woman who spent years trying to get pregnant, fell into depression, and finally had a long-wanted son gave him back to God.
That's what faith is right there.
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