Study Notes - Hannah' Prayer

I. 1 Samuel chp one contains a story that teaches us truths for all parents, but especially moms

HANNAH AND HER SON SAMUEL

A. Historical setting

Israel was still under the leadership of Judges and not kings.

Without a strong central leadership much of Israel had been influenced by the pagan worship in Canaan.

The Temple had not yet been built in Jerusalem and the tabernacle from the wilderness had been set up in Shiloh where it contained the Ark of the Covenant.

Eli was High priest and was weak kneed and spineless.

His sons served as priest and were corrupt - cheating the people and taking advantage of the women.

B. Background of Samuel chapter 1

Hannah was married to Elkanah a devote man

He had two wives

Hannah had not had any children and especially want to

Her Husband's other wife, Peninnah constantly made fun of Hannah for being barren.

Every year Elkanah went up to Shiloh to sacrifice to the Lord.

1Sa 1:1 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.  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.  6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.  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.  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?"

II.  But This Year Was Going To Be Different

While in Shiloh Hannah goes to pray - and God reveals to her a spiritual principle that changes everything.

1Sa 1:9 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.  10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.  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."

A. Hannah makes two promises to God in v 10 if  He would give  her a son.
1. I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life,

Life long service to the tabernacle

2. Life long Nazarite vow

- Word means devotion/consecration
- Not to drink wine
- Not to cut hair so they would be obvious compared to the bald
   headed pagan worshippers.
- Total devotion to God and separate from the world

These two vows meant this:

HANNAH WAS GIVING UP ANY RIGHTS SHE WOULD HAVE AS A MOTHER

THIS CHILD WOULD 100% BELONG TO GOD

She stumbled upon a principle:  Letting God have ownership calls Him into our situation

B.  Why did God make Hannah wait for a child?

1.  Why did God make Abraham wait for a child?
2.  Why does God make us wait so often?

Cause we're like bucking broncos - He lets us kick until we are exhausted, then we come to the end and give it to Him.

We admit, we can't do it , we don't understand, we don't know how.

We ask Him to take it

He becomes the owner and things happen.

III. God Answers Hannah's Prayer With a Baby Boy

1Sa 1:19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."

A. Time came  again to go to Shiloh and offer Sacrifice Hannah's husband says. Let's Go!

B. Hannah says not yet

1Sa 1:21 When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,  22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always."  23 "Do what seems best to you," Elkanah her husband told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

C. Jewish mothers would nurse the children for three years

- So Samuel would be almost 4 by the time she takes him back to the tabernacle in Shiloh

D. She wanted this little bit of time with her boy

- To love him, kiss him, brush his hair with her fingers
-  All the time knowing that the day would come  when she would have to say goodbye.

E. All parents experience this to some degree

Every question, every experience take you one step closer to that moment when you stand in the drive way and watch them drive away to stat a life o their own.

F.Once Hannah left him at Shiloh she would only see him once a year.

- Every year she made a little robe for him

1Sa 2:19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

- As she worked on the robe each year, with every stitch she prayed, Lord take care of my boy….

IV. Life Is A Series Of Lessons On How to  Release things to God

Multiple opportunities:

Heath
Finance
Future
Fears and worries
Kids
Marriage - 

1. Quit trying to wrestle things to the ground.
2. Give that husband to God, that wife to God
3. That child to God

 V. Samuel is Weaned and it is Time to Go to Shiloh top Release Him into God's Hands.

She gets him up and dresses him knowing that it will be the last time she will ever do that.

Every step is painful - she knows where this is going to end

They get to Shiloh and finds Eli the High Priest to release this boy into his care.

1Sa 1:24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. 25 When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli,  26 and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.  27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.  28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there. (NIV)

While she is standing there she is struck with a realization - it is recorded in 1 Sam 2:1-10

1Sa 2:1 Then Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.  2 "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.  3 "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.  4 "The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.  5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.  6 "The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. 7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.  8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world.  9 He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. "It is not by strength that one prevails;  10 those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed."

In others words she wants to shout:

God is faithful - he can be trusted

When God owns who I am, and what I have nothing is impossible

 VI.  This Story Teaches Us this things:

#1. We call God into our situation when we turn over our ownership and rights to Him.

1. What if things don't happen the way we want?
2. We accept that he is owner - His choice

But what we do know is this:

Ro 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

#2.  When you transfer ownership of your situation and stuff to God the burden lifts.

1Sa 1:18 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.

After giving God ownership - Hannah's burden was gone.  "No longer downcast"

Isa 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

#3. God blesses most what He owns

Everything and everybody has potential

But there is a natural limit to all created things

With God's blessing things and people can go pass their natural limit.

God can raise the person, thing, situation, to a supernatural level when He owns it.

- Hannah gave Samuel to God and God did amazing things with that boy:

1. Samuel became a leader in Israel on par with their greatest leader Moses

He functioned as Priest, prophet, and judge over Israel

He oversaw the transition from the Judge period to the leadership of Kings

He served as the first official prophet to the Kings of Israel

He led Israel in military victory, he called the nation to repentance, and he challenged kings.

He anointed King David as king of Israel

He becomes one of the most influential leaders in Israel of all time.

All because women named Hannah prayed a prayer of complete surrender of her life, and dedicated her son to the service of the Lord.

And beside all that God blessed Hannah with 3 more sons and 2 daughters.

Two statements to moms

#1.  If you've been beset with concern and worry about you young children growing up in this world lay them before the Lord today - and let Him worry for you.

Make a decision to trust God with their care

#2.  If you have grown children and are trying to correct and warn, and wrestle them into what is right.

Stop
Let go - turn them over to God