Hannah

So, today I read about Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2. I recommend at least reading 1 Samuel 1:19-28 before beginning, so you have an idea what is going on!

What a great example for us to follow! Hannah was unable to bear children and begged God for a son. When He gave her a son, she gave him back without Him asking her to. Not even Abraham thought to do this on his own. He had to be asked to give his son up for the Lord. Hannah, willingly brought Samuel to the altar! How much more should we be willing to give up the things in our lives without Him asking us to? I feel like I am definitely giving some things up, and believe me, it is most definitely something I am willing to do, but God most definitely asked it of me. I didn't think of it on my own! I want to get to the place where I know what God requires, and give it to Him before He asks!

The above are my thoughts on this passage. Below, I had to include Beth Moore's thoughts! She is just a fabulous woman with more life experience and insight to share with us than I could ever have!

Beth points out that to dedicate Samuel to the Lord before he was actually born would indeed be a much easier feat than after he was born. Not only did she wait till he was born, but also until he was weaned, which would have been at about age 3 for the time in history that we are talking about. So Beth says, "I cannot imagine a more difficult time to tear myself away from a child. Still young enough to be such a baby! Old enough to question why."

Beth also points out that God allowed Hannah to be childless so that she would petition God for a child instead of assuming it to be a "typical result of marital relations." That is why she was able to dedicate him entirely to the Lord. God had amazing plans for Samuel...His plan for Samuel was "far more significant than what the most loving set of parents could devise" on their own.

When she returned to the place she had committed her child to God, the Tabernacle of Shiloh, she said to Eli, "Sir do you remember me? I am the woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord. I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and He has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life." And they worshiped the Lord there. 1 Samuel 1:26-28

It wasn't just Hannah and everybody BUT Samuel worshiping...Samuel at the ripe old age of 3 or so, was worshiping as well!

"I recall a scene, engraved in many of our memories, of a tiny boy stepping forward from His grieving mother, saluting the flag-draped coffin of a man who was not only his daddy, but the President of the United States. Imagine another scene: A tiny three-year old boy, still with creases of satiny baby skin around his plump little thighs, bending his knee and bowing before El Elyon, the sovereign God of all creation. How precious this child must have been to God. How in the world could a child of that age have such respect for the God of the universe?"

I will leave you with a portion of Hannah's prayer of praise, found in it's entirety in 2 Samuel 2:1-10.

"My heart rejoices in the Lord!
The Lord has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
I rejoice because you rescued me.
No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides you;
there is no rock like our God."