Mothers, do you remember how excited you were when you became a mother? And do you remember how especially exciting and special the experience of your first child was?
Remember how you could hardly wait to get into those maternity clothes? You started wearing maternity clothes when they were still loose on you, because those clothes said that you were having a child. If you have more than one child, you know with the second one you tried to wait as long as possible before you had to put on those maternity clothes. By the time the third child comes along your maternity clothes ARE your ordinary clothes.
Do you remember when the first child swallowed a coin? What did you do? Oh man, you threw that kid in the car, rushed him to emergency room and demanded x-rays. When the second child swallowed a coin you just waited around and to see if he would pass it. When the third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!
First baby, if the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it. Second baby, when the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some water from the baby’s bottle. Third baby… you wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
(From: https://www.popsugar.com/moms/Difference-Between-First-Second-Third-Babies-5441417)
The first child is a special experience. This morning I’d like to take you through a true story about a mother and her first child. It begins in I Samuel 1.
Before we get into the story we have to realize…
We’re going back to a very different culture, over 3,000 years ago.
It was a time and place where polygamy was an accepted practice. You’d think they would have learned the polygamy principle from their ancestors; “double is trouble.” Think about the polygamist families we read of earlier in Scripture, Abraham’s Sarah and Hagar, Jacob’s Rachel and Leah, and what we’ll see in this story… jealousy, rivalry, and conflict typically came with adding another wife. Nevertheless, this was still common practice in the day.
It was also a time when God called His people to worship Him in different ways than He’s called us to today. Much of the worship back in this day was very symbolic, involving a tabernacle symbolizing God’s residence, and the way it was set up with veils and places of restricted access impressed upon the worshipers something of the holiness and purity of God. There was much sacrificing of animals, symbolizing what the sinner deserves, but by God’s grace, is not receiving.
It was a time when a woman’s worth was (wrongly, but) commonly calculated by her ability to have children. We live in a society where many married couples actually decide not to have children. But that was not the case back in this day. If a woman bore lots of kids she would be viewed by much of society as favored and blessed of God. But if a woman was barren, many would think there must be something in her attitude or life that’s displeasing to God and He’s cursed her. And kids were your social security back then. They were the ones who would take care of you when you got older. So infertility was a devastating problem.
But though the culture and customs were very different, people back then were still people with the same basic needs, feelings, desires, intelligence, free will. And God was back then, exactly the same in character and power as He is today. Malachi 3:6, “I, the Lord, do not change”. James 1:17, “With God there is no variation or shifting shadow.” Hebrews 13:8. “Jesus Christ [God in the flesh] is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Because people were still people and God is still as He’s always been, we learn great truths from these ancient stories about how to relate to God and live well on His earth.
Let’s run through the story first and then I’ll point out some ways Samuel’s mother serves as a model to be imitated.
The Story
We’re first introduced to the family in I Samuel 1:1-2.
“1 Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.”
It may be that he had two wives because Hannah was his first, but she didn’t bear any children, so Elkanah took Peninnah as a second wife so he could have children. Interesting, the name Peninnah means fertile or prolific, and that she was.
I Samuel 1:3-8 describes a cycle of events that would repeat itself annually in this family.
“3 Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh [that’s the city where the tabernacle was located at the time]. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there.” That’s likely a statement inserted in the story here as a partial explanation for the events we’re reading about. Later in the book you read of how Hophni and Phinehas were extremely corrupt priests, greedy, stealing the best portions of the people’s sacrifices for themselves, immoral, sleeping around with the women who served at the tabernacle, stubborn and arrogant when their father Eli would try to correct them. It was time for God to raise up someone who would truly lead the people in reverence and obedience to God. I believe that’s why the Lord closed Hannah’s womb. God was bringing her to the point where she would do what we’re about to read she did. God was orchestrating these events to raise up for his people the leader they needed. But that’s skipping ahead in the story. Back to the family’s annual visit to the tabernacle.
“4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; 5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb.” Part of their worship at the tabernacle was offering peace offerings. And in a peace offering a portion of the animal (the blood and fat and innards) would be offered to God on the altar, and then the priests would get a portion of meat for food, and then the one who brought the offering would get a portion of meat, with which he and his family would have a feast. When this family had their peace offering feast, Elkanah would give Hannah a double portion of the meat. You might think Elkanah was just demonstrating that Hannah was his favorite wife despite her barrenness. But not necessarily. It may have been that in Elkanah’s mind giving Hannah a double portion of the peace offering may win her some extra favor and blessing from God, hopefully enough that God would enable her to have a child.
“6 Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.” Saying things like, “You know, I’m baffled Hannah. I don’t know what Elkanah sees in you. For years and years He’s taken such good care of you, and you’ve not given him even one child. I don’t know why he even keeps you around. You’re a worthless wife.”
“7 It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” “Hey babe, you still got me! I mean what more do you want?”
In I Samuel 1:9-11, we read of how she relieved herself of her burden.
“Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”
It may be that Hannah saw the corruption of the priests at the tabernacle and saw the need for a true servant of God here; maybe she wanted to do what she could to meet the need. So she offered God this deal that would both alieve her of her affliction, but also perhaps meet that need in Israel; that if He blesses her with a son, she will not keep him for herself. She will forego the pleasure of rearing her child and the joy of watching him grow up. And she will give him over for a life of complete service at the tabernacle to the Lord. When she said, “a razor never come on his head,” that meant she was going to make her son what was called a Nazarite. A Nazarite was someone given over to unusual service of the Lord for whatever the vowed period of time, in this case it would be her sons’ entire life. A Nazarite, according to their law, was to mark their commitment by never cutting their hair, never drinking juice or wine, and never coming near a dead body. So Hannah was vowing to God that if He would bless her with a son, she’d give him over to be a special servant of God for his entire life.
I Samuel 1:12-18 describes the immediate results of her prayer.
“12 Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” 15 But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18 She said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”
So she leaves her time in prayer a changed woman. She came depressed and weeping. She leaves calm and at peace. Because she knew that through her faithfulness to God and prayer she had put her problem in the capable hands of an all wise and loving God.
I Samuel 1:19-20 describes the later results of her prayer.
“19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”
Shemuw’el in Hebrew means “heard of God.”
Then we read of how Hannah kept her end of the deal in I Samuel 1:21-28.
“21 Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever.” From what I read, Hebrew women would usually nurse their children a bit longer than American women usually do today. They would commonly nurse their children for the first 3 years of their life. Hannah understands it to be her responsibility to get him to that point first. Then she can let him go at the tabernacle.
“23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. 26 She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 “For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 “So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.”
Can you imagine taking the little hand of your boy and placing it in the hand of another and saying, “He will take care of you now.” That’d be tough, wouldn’t it? But Hannah knew where her little boy came from and she knew you have keep your vows to the LORD.
You might think that she would have been a bit distraught or sorrowful at having to leave her son with Eli. But far from it. In I Samuel 2:1-10 we have a prayer/song of praise from Hannah.
We won’t take the time to read it right now. But just notice the first verse, “My heart exults in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.” Hannah was on top of the world as she fulfilled her great vow to God. There is no pleasure in all the world greater than when you know for sure that God hears and sees you and cares for you, and that you have honored Him and He’s pleased with you and you and God have this good relationship and you are working together with Him in the world. There’s nothing better. Hannah is just basking in God’s favor as she has done His will.
The rest of Hannah’s story is in I Samuel 2:18-21.
“18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy wearing a linen ephod [dressed like the priests]. 19 And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.” That wasn’t a small gift when you think about all the work that would go into making a robe by hand. Clothes were very valuable possessions in that day. Yet every year Samuel got a new robe that assured him of his mother’s love and that he is often on her mind when she’s away.
“20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the Lord.” And they went to their own home. 21 The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters [surely not all at once, because that would not be very nice of the Lord]. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.”
I’d like to point out first…
The Huge Blessings Hannah Gave Her Son
I don’t mean how she nursed him for the first few years and the little robes she made for him. There were far bigger blessings she gave Samuel, ones that often, even the most loving of mothers neglect.
There are many mothers who give up their careers to stay at home with their kids, who wake up every day for about 20 years to serve and care for their children, to feed, teach, wrangle, discipline, guide, run them to sports and clubs. They live for their kids, and largely because of their effort their children do exceptionally well in school and athletics or whatever they’re involved in, maybe get full ride scholarships, good jobs, respect in the community, and meet all the world’s standards of success. And yet many of those devoted mothers do not do near what Hannah did for Samuel. What does it profit our kids if they gain the whole world, but do not know and have a relationship with the one who can deliver us from sin and death?
Here are three huge blessings she gave to Samuel that are about the biggest things we could do for our children.
First, Hannah gave to Samuel a right sense of priority.
By her actions Samuel would have known, “Mom put God first in her life.” Samuel would have heard the story of his mother. I bet it was one of his first memories – the tearful face of his mother and her kisses and hugs that day when she left him with Eli the high priest at the tabernacle. Her actions spoke loud and clear, “Son, the most important thing in all the world is faithfulness to God. Yes, I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life so bad, but it will go well for us if we do the will of God.”
There is no greater understanding to instill in our children by our teaching and more importantly by our actions, than the fact that God must always come first . I John 2:17, “The world is passing away, and also its desires; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” So that’s always first priority.
Second, Hannah gave to Samuel a right sense of purpose.
Samuel would have known, because of his mother’s actions, what he was on earth to do. He would have heard of the bargain his mother, in her barrenness, made with God; that if He gives her a son, she will give him to serve the Lord all his life. So Samuel would have known that He had existence on this earth because God wanted another servant and partner. He is here to serve God and work with God in what God wants accomplished in the world.
And I think much, due to the sense of priority and purpose instilled in him through his mother’s actions, Samuel grew up to become one of the greatest servants of God in human history.
It’s not just a few special individuals, like Samuel, that are on earth to serve God. This world is not a theme park where God just puts people so they can go about for a little while and entertain themselves with the world’s various amusements and attractions. Nor is this world an arena simply for God’s entertainment, like you might have a cage in your house with wheels and tubes and stuff in which you put hamsters because it’s entertaining to you to watch what they do. We’re not on earth because God just wanted something to watch. This world is pictured sometimes in Scripture like a pregnant womb. It is a place for the growing of God’s sons and daughters. That’s an image in Romans 8 where Paul says we’re at that stage of history when creation has begun to groan and suffer the pains of childbirth and anxiously longs for the revealing of the children of God. Paul explains the children of God are those walking not according to the flesh, not according to the old self nature, but according to the Spirit of God; they are being conformed to the image of Christ. That’s what God wants – a huge family of sons and daughters who, like Christ, love and serve Him and one another. And God wants to love and serve them as well forever.
The world is also pictured in Scripture as a construction zone (I Peter 2:4-10). God’s building something here. Jesus is the chief cornerstone on which He’s building and aligning everything with, and human beings are like living stones. God is wanting to connect us to Jesus and align us with Him. He is building this great family of Christlike people.
We need to understand and instill in our children, you are on this earth because God wanted not just another servant, but another child. God wants a bigger family. But He doesn’t force us to be. He’s leaves the choice to us. We choose to be by choosing to develop, with His help, into the likeness of Jesus. We are here on this earth that we might do that and thereby be in His family.
Then a third huge blessing Hannah gave to Samuel was a sense of the power of prayer.
Because of his mother, Samuel grew up knowing that the prayer of one righteous lady can accomplish much, can move the God of heaven and earth to action in amazing ways.
It was one of the greatest things my dad did for me as a kid. He did lots of good things, but one of the greatest was simply, most nights before bed, he would pray with my brother and I, and not just a quick memorized prayer, but like he actually believed God was listening in and that God could be moved by prayer. It put the same sense in me and built in me a habit of praying regularly. And for that I’m so grateful because I’ve found God’s hearing is still just as good as it was in Hannah’s day. Even if only our lips are moving, but no sound is coming out, He hears the thoughts of our hearts. And He’s just as powerful as ever.
One last thing I want to point out…
Hannah serves as a model for any of us who are suffering or struggling in any way.
In her prayer of praise in I Samuel 2:1-10, you’ll find it’s not just about her personal story. It’s not just about what God did for her. It’s a prayer of praise about the nature of God and His power over every human being and how He deals with all of us according to our choices, how He weighs our actions (2:3) and judges the ends of the earth (2:10). Hannah goes through this whole catalog of reversals that God brings about in the lives of people, making the weak strong, the hungry filled, the poor rich, the barren have children, the dishonored sit in the seats of honor, but He also does the opposite, makes strong weak, filled hungry, rich poor, and so forth. The future of every one of us is in God’s hands and He makes it bright or dark depending on our choices. So Hannah’s awesome experience with God, being delivered from her trouble was not because she was lucky. It’s the sort of experience with God anybody can have who makes the kind of choices she made.
Whatever your affliction, whatever your struggle, you don’t have to carry it forever. It doesn’t have to be hard forever. You can be delivered from all your problems.
Two choices Hannah made that moved God to deliver her from her affliction. One, of course, was fervent prayer. But the other, which made her prayer so effective, Hannah could say honestly from her heart “Lord, I am Your maidservant.” She calls herself that in three times in 1:11. She was a servant of God. Scripture says God listens to those willing to listen to Him.
Proverbs 28:9, “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.” If we’re unwilling to listen to God then we can’t expect Him to listen to us.
But let me end with reading you a bit of Psalm 34. This is what Hannah experienced and all of us can experience and have to. “8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man [or woman] who takes refuge in Him [Blessed is the person who seeks safety and deliverance in Him.]! 9 O fear the Lord, you His saints; [Meaning take God seriously, be afraid to live contrary to how He says we should live] For to those who fear Him there is no want. 10 The young lions [meaning the strongest] do lack and suffer hunger [even the strongest of people cannot take care of themselves ultimately]; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.”
The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. Doesn’t mean immediately. Hannah dealt with her struggle for many years and I imagine had been praying about it over those years. God rarely works as quick as we want Him to. But for those who listen to Him and walk in His ways, He will listen to them and eventually deliver them out of all their troubles and they will not be in want of any good thing.
-James Williams