(1) In v.1 a very formal introduction was given to Elkanah: his tribe, his location, and his genealogy. Usually this is an introduction to a king or priest, or at least someone important. However, the rest of this passage is about their family dispute. Until we read v.3,
v.3a Year after year this man would go up from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh.
God's name was the LORD of hosts. The word hosts mean war. God's name here and in v.11 was "God of war."
In other words, this book is about the coming of a king or an important person, and God who was the key to their success .
The key of the success started with how a woman responded in her family dispute and how that pushed her to pray. Do not overlook the importance of your prayer. God uses women in the past and today.
(2) The name of God was mentioned again in v.5 and 6.
1:5 But he would give a double portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. Now the LORD had not enabled her to have children.1:6 Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, for the LORD had not enabled her to have children.
Although Hannah's husband especially loved her the LORD had not enabled her to have children and Peninnah upset her for this reason.
What will be your feelings towards God if you and your rival know that God did not love you and He did not bless you? And it happened year after year. There is no mistake that Hannah was very upset and sad. It is repeated in 7 verses (v.6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15, 16).
(3) The name, LORD of hosts, appeared again v.11 when Hannah prayed to God.
She knew that if she could ever have a child it would only be because of God's power and therefore she would dedicate the child back to the LORD v.11.
She did not have bitterness towards God because of her sufferings, instead she turned her hope towards the almighty God who is the LORD of hosts.
What does suffering do to you? The silver lining of suffering is to draw us back to God, to make us acknowledge that He is the only one that can help us.
Are you willing to give back to God what He has given you? E.g. your talents, your gifts, and your time.
(4) Because of her pain Hannah only prayed with silent prayer v.13, 15, 16. That was exactly the reason why Eli, the high priest paid attention to her v.13 and blessed her later v.17.
Her sufferings eventually gave her the chance to be blessed under the sovereignty of God. We should not lose hope in our sufferings.
(The book of 1 and 2 Samuel followed the book of Ruth in history. We see how God brought Ruth to the history of Israel under His sovereignty. Now we see that happened in 1 Samuel 1 in the life of Hannah. Pray that we will see how God works among us today).
Hannah responded with faith when Eli blessed her and she got something to eat and no longer looked sad.
What is your response to God's promises? Do you accept them with faith and respond positively?
(Again, we see this a lot in Psalm. The psalmist changed his emotion towards the end of the psalm. His situation has not changed yet, but because he believed that God would save him he became confident).
Audrey
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