1 Samuel 1:1-18 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today we begin the book of 1 Samuel. I’ve got some powerful lessons to share with you from 1 Samuel 1:1-18. But before we do that, here is some background on 1 Samuel for those of you who are curious.
Some Background on 1 Samuel
– Together 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel tell the story of how Israel came to be ruled by kings. 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel focus on the lives of three of the most significant rulers in Israel’s history who, one after another, led Israel during this “early monarchy” period: first, the prophet and judge Samuel; second, Israel’s first king Saul; and third, Saul’s successor David who would become Israel’s most celebrated king and against whom all other kings of Israel would be measured.
– 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel together cover a period of approximately 150 years, beginning with Samuel’s birth in about 1120 B.C. and ending in approximately 971 B.C. with an aging David preparing to hand the throne to his son Solomon in approximately 971 B.C.
– While many scholars believe Samuel played an important role in recording some of the material in 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, exactly who wrote 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel remains a mystery. Nevertheless, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel play a vital role in the Bible and are filled with powerful life lessons for all of us today.
Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 1:1-18. As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
1 Samuel 1:1-2 (NIV)
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
On verses 1-2: Though polygamy was tolerated in ancient Israel, in so many instances where the Bible mentions a polygamous family, the result is not more happiness or fulfillment for the parties involved, but rather more discord, strife, and rivalry. We’ll certainly see that here in 1 Samuel 1.
1 Samuel 1:3-5 (NIV)
3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD.
4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb.
On verses 3-5: According to Leviticus 7, when you sacrificed certain offerings such as a freewill offering or a fellowship offering, you would get back a substantial part of the meat that you sacrificed, at least some of this meat was to be eaten the same day that it was sacrificed. That is why when Elkanah goes up to Shiloh to make his annual sacrifice to God, he would come back with meat from the sacrifice to feed his family.
To me it’s a reminder that when we freely offer what we have to God, we don’t leave empty handed, but rather we bring back a blessing to share with those closest to us.
1 Samuel 1:6 (NIV)
6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
On verse 6: I could hear Penninah now, “Hey Hannah, why are you so tired? It’s not like you have kids take care of.” “Sorry I’m late Hannah. I’ve just been so busy taking care of my kids, but I guess you’d need to be a mother to understand that, wouldn’t you?”
1 Samuel 1:7 (NIV)
7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
On verse 7: Barren Hannah faced ridicule and opposition from her rival every time she would go to the house of God.
Likewise, you and I have a rival, an enemy who will try to discourage you from going to church. Your enemy, Satan, might try to convince you that you’re too busy to go to church, or that you don’t need church. He might try to remind you of all the ways you have failed and make you wonder, “How could someone like you go to church?” As we will see below, how you respond to your enemy is crucial.
1 Samuel 1:8-9 (NIV)
8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.
On verse 9: For years, Hannah would just let her rival step all over her and get the best of her, preventing her from worshiping, praying or enjoying God’s presence. Finally,one day Hannah decided to — literally — stand up to her rival.
Similarly, there comes a time when enough is enough, when you must stop letting Satan keep discouraging you, delaying you and distracting you from God’s destiny for your life. Like Hannah, you need to stand up to your enemy. Just like Paul writes in Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
1 Samuel 1:10 (NIV)
10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.
On verse 10: How did Hannah stand up to her rival? Not by talking trash about her or physically assaulting her. Rather, Hannah took her stand by going to the house of God and pouring her heart to God.
This might sound ironic, but if you want to stand up to your enemy, the best thing you can do is get on your knees. Like Hannah, if you want to silence the enemy, the best thing you can do is to cry out to God.
It’s one thing to weep as Hannah did in verse 7. It’s another thing to weep and pray and bring your burdens to God. The first kind of weeping is more just a pity party, you’re not moving forward, you’re just feeling sorry for yourself and wallowing in your frustration and self-pity. Persist in that kind of weeping and you’ll find it won’t help you or anyone else. But there’s another kind of weeping: it’s when you weep and bring your pain to God, where you invite God to enter into your pain, to meet you where you’re at. That kind of weeping is powerful. You’re giving God room to work in your life when you weep that way. See the effect on Hannah when she prayed this way: “her face was no longer downcast” (v18). You feel better after you give your burdens to God.
1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV)
11 And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
On verse 11: God loves it when we bet on Him with faith. And that’s what Hannah did. She trusted God to do what man couldn’t do. She believed that what was impossible for people was possible for God, and so she cried out to God for the impossible. In fact, when Hannah prays, she refers to God as “O LORD Almighty”, or more literally, “Lord of hosts” or “Lord of armies”. By speaking to God this way, Hannah was reminding herself that God has infinite power.
On the surface it might seem like Hannah was taking a transactional approach to God: i.e. “God, if you do A, B and C for me, then I’ll do X, Y and Z for you”. Here’s why a transactional approach to God is unhealthy: when you take a transactional approach to God, you assume that you are on the same level God and you’re demanding that God meets you on your terms. But God is so much bigger than you or I could ever be. We’re not on God’s level.
Not only is God so much bigger than we are, God is also incredibly loving. When we were separated from God because of our sins, God saw our misery, remembered us and gave us a Son – Jesus – to save us. That’s why a transactional approach to God doesn’t make sense. For long before you ever thought about giving anything for God, God already gave everything for you.
In Hannah’s case I don’t believe her attitude was driven by a transactional approach to God. Hannah was committed to following God no matter what. In making this vow, Hannah was declaring her intention to honour God in a new situation she hoped to be in.
We ought to have the same attitude as Hannah toward any new opportunity we receive or hope to receive: “God, when I get that job, I’m going to do it for your glory. God, when I get married, I want to do it for your glory. God, today, I intend to live for your glory.” When you desire to honour God with your life, declaring your intention is a powerful thing.
1 Samuel 1:12-16 (NIV)
12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.
13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk
14 and said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD.
16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
On verses 12-16: Hannah’s name literally means “grace”, and here Hannah shows Eli incredible grace (kindness) when Eli all too quickly judges her as a drunkard. Unlike Eli, don’t jump to conclusions about other people; rather take the time to listen and understand. Like Hannah, when people misjudge you, remember that your worth is not decided by what foolish people say, but by the cross where Jesus the Son of God died for you. So don’t let yourself be overly affected by people’s comments. You just keep being you and hanging on to love and faithfulness, and then you will win the favour of those whose opinions – both in heaven and on earth – matter the most.
1 Samuel 1:17-18 (NIV)
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
On verses 17-18: Why was Hannah’s face no longer downcast? Is it because she ate something? Maybe. But even more, I believe it’s because she prayed.
Likewise, you weren’t meant to hang on to worries, burdens, and bitterness by yourself. That’s why our bodies get sick when we do. Instead, God invites, encourages, even urges us to come to Him with our burdens (Matthew 11:28-30) and, like Hannah, to pour our hearts out to Him (Psalm 62:8).
So whenever you’re going through problems, worries or stress, don’t let the problems and the worries get the best of you. Stand up to your enemy by going to God. Let God be the first person you go to. Give your burdens to God.
Thank You Father that my worth is not decided by what others say about me, but by what Jesus did on the cross for me. Thank You that the best place I can go when I am troubled is to Your presence and that in You I find all I need. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
Copyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
