One of the problems that pastors have lays in the very nature of their office. Since I left my secular job, I don’t have as much causal contact with the world any more. Sure I have my weekly routine, but generally speaking it involves the same people all the time. There are Christians and non-Christians, believers and unbelievers of all types, but they are roughly the same people week after week. I am not, very often, put into new situations with different people and their differing problems. It’s difficult sometimes to understand the problems that other people face. And that may be true of you to some degree as well.
One of several solutions to that problem is to study the biographies found in the Word of God. Even if the pastor cannot personally relate to a teenager going through torment at home, the Lord does, and there are people in the Bible who’ve endured parallel conditions. Even if the pastor doesn’t understand the struggle to keep food on the table, David understood, and so did Jeremiah, Elijah and Elisha. When the people of the Bible are permitted to speak for themselves, the whole church is benefitted. This evening let’s briefly think about Godly Hannah.
Hannah had a GREAT PAIN which tested the very roots of her soul.
But have you ever noticed that things which we think are disasters are not considered so by others? We have a terrible headache or some other medical problem, but when try to tell someone about it, all he does is talk about HIS pain. Or maybe it’s a relationship problem with a loved one, and our friend yawns and his eyes glass over. Generally speaking, God’s people ought to be more sympathetic than we are. We could be a much better church if we felt each others’ hearts a bit more than we do. But then – sometimes what we perceive to be serious problems in our lives really ARE yawners. Either we’ve created them ourselves, and we don’t deserve a an lot of sympathy. Or those problems are not as great as we perceive them to be. Is that true of our opinion of Hannah?
Before we look at this lady’s broken heart, we need to recognize some of her blessings. For example, she never had to worry about whether or not there would be food on table. The home they had appeared to be clean, and dry, and large enough for everyone. Her husband wasn’t a drunkard, beating her, staying out all night, and wasting his substance with riotous living. There doesn’t seem to be any indication of serious illness in her family. Other than two problems, which were beyond her control, she had a pretty good life. And there are probably thousands of women in the Inland Northwest who would gladly swap problems with this lady.
And yet, that doesn’t mean that Hannah’s pain or problems weren’t real or important to her. Hannah didn’t have any children, and she would sooner have died than die childless. She felt that her life was a waste because she was leaving no offspring for her husband. And then that problem was exacerbated when Elkanah had brought home a second wife. Peninnah tormented the soul out Hannah over fact she didn’t have any children. And Elkanah couldn’t convince his wife that she shouldn’t be depressed. “Hannah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons?”
Whether or not Elkanah understood his wife’s problem is not the point. The real point is that his poor wife was beside herself with grief over her childlessness. When it comes to the pain in a wife’s soul, she needs love, comfort and sympathy, not masculine logic. Sometimes, no amount of reasonable argument will make her feel better. So……. love her, Elkanah, don’t debate with her.
A couple things intensified Hannah’s pain. The mores of her society permitted and encouraged her husband to marry a second time. Despite finding this in the Bible, I don’t believe for a moment that God approved. In this case, I think that Hannah was likely Elkanah’s first love and his #1 wife. When she didn’t have children, he married again for the purpose of an heir. SOCIETY said that he must have a son to carry on his name. And that was whether or not God gave him one.
We see from early in human history, society has been trying to dictate things to the Sovereign God. The events of our day are only new forms of a very old societal sin. Elkanah appears to have caved into custom and fashion. Are there any of us, men or women, who are dying to loose weight because society says we must? Are there women who spend thousands on make-up in order to make themselves look more like people on the magazine covers? Do any use surgery or inject themselves with poisons in order to fashion themselves like other people. Do you know people who have to work three jobs in order to have the objects of wealth which society says are indications of a successful life? Why do we allow society to make us miserable?
Don’t permit Hollywood or Madison Avenue tell you who you ought to be. Listen to the Lord and look into His Word. We are supposed to be different and separate from the world. Let your direction come from the One who sees all things – and eternity. Remember that “every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from heaven, from the Father of lights.” And notice that our Christian logic may never defeat that societal misconception – once it is in place. There is a certain age reached in the life of every child, when corporal punishment becomes fruitless. When spankings, instruction and logic fail, love the follies out of them, and be patient. Pray for them, don’t berate them.
Putting aside the cause of Hannah’s torment, her pain was, nevertheless, genuine.
And as such she had a FAITH which eventually, with a little help, could look beyond the problem.
Of course, we can never be absolutely sure of the spiritual condition of any human soul. We even have to ask OURSELVES the right questions from time to time. It is sometimes difficult to look at Old Testament characters and say dogmatically that they are saints. But I will boldly say that, despite their flaws, Elkanah and Hannah were children of God. I read of their obedience in the sacrifices. I read of their attendance in the House of God, even when the priests were the wicked children of Eli. Just like today, those were days when it was not fashionable to serve the Lord. More and more people actually despised the House of God because of Hophni and Phinias. But these two people continued to worship the Lord according to the plan of God. And their religion was not robotic, but hearty and heartfelt.
How many years had Hannah been childless and grieving over it? Assuming that Hannah was Elkanah’s first wife, then they must have been married at least ten years. Let’s say that they tried to have children for three or four years without success. Then Peninnah was brought into the household, and now she is the mother of sons and daughters. There were at least 4 children and probably more, making her marriage at least 5 or 6 years. So I guess that Hannah’s barrenness has been plaguing her for at least a decade. But despite that extended testing of her relationship to God, she still possessed a mustard seed of faith. She hasn’t cursed God and killed herself. She has proved herself to be a child of the King – at least in my estimation.
Hannah teaches us to trust God through thick and thin. Some woman thinks she has a life that is as flat and tasteless as white flour. Or she has a child that brings her shame. She has in-laws who despise her – because of her faith in Christ. Her body is aging, but because of her love, she can’t see that her spouse’s body is aging as well.
What about you? But have you counted your blessings lately? Have you looked beyond the end of the week, or the end of the year? Have you looked over the wall and into the face of the omnipotent One lately? Have you counted your PROMISES lately. For what are you willing to trust the Lord? Remember Hannah’s New Testament counterpart – Anna? For 84 years she had lived a widow – sustained only by her love and faith in the Lord. She might have given up – given up life; given up her faith – or at least that part awaiting the Messiah. But eventually, like her elderly friend Simeon she eventually said – “My faith is vindicated. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” She gave thanks unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
When Hannah had her confrontation with Eli the priest, he told her that God would honor her faith and give her whatever it was she was requesting. Isn’t it marvelous that the grieving woman expressed no doubts or problems with the promise? “And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.” We need to compare the faith of Hannah to the meager thing we call “faith” in us. We need to emulate the faith of Hannah. Pain probed Hannah’s soul but it found a faith in God residing there.
And together they gave Hannah JOY to match no other.
Most children like to color and to draw. But without exception, when a youngster draws a picture of something, like a house, it is angular – flat. Children have to learn about perspective and how shadows give depth to a picture. Life is like that same thing in art. It is the darkness and the shadow in life that makes that life stand out. It is the darkness that makes the joyful things so bright and wonderful.
The pain Hannah endured, coupled to the length time before her faith was vindicated, made the joy of Samuel’s birth ten times as great as the joy that Penninah ever had. “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.” James says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations, knowing this, that the trying if your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,wanting nothing.” I think that we can say that Hannah was tempted, and that she patiently endured. I think that Hannah was crowned, that she was rewarded. When we get to Heaven, you may see fingers pointed toward a Godly glorified saint. And people will say, “There, that is Hannah; the mother of the great prophet, Samuel.” Some of the most notable and honorable people in glory will be wives and mothers. Some of them will have endured great testing and pain. But it will be worth it all when they – when we – see Jesus.