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1 There was a certain man of
Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah son of Jeroham,
the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. – FAMILY LINEAGE
2 He had two wives, one named Hannah and
the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. – FAMILY LIFE
3 This man went from his city year by
year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where Hophni and
Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were the Lord’s priests.
4 When the day came that Elkanah
sacrificed, he would give to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters
portions [of the sacrificial meat].
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion,
for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children. – RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE FAMILY
6 [This embarrassed and grieved Hannah]
and her rival provoked her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless.
7 So it was year after year; whenever
Hannah went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah provoked her, so she wept and did
not eat.
8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her,
Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I
not more to you than ten sons? - FAMILY ISSUES
AND CONTENTIONS.
9 So Hannah rose after they had eaten and
drunk in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside a post of
the temple (tent) of the Lord.
10 And [Hannah] was in distress of soul,
praying to the Lord and weeping bitterly.
11 She vowed, saying, O Lord of hosts, if
You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly]
remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him
to the Lord all his life; no razor shall touch his head. - PRAYER BURDEN FOR OUR LIVES AND FAMILIES
11 And she vowed a vow and said,
“O Lord of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thine
handmaid, and remember me and not forget Thine handmaid, but wilt give unto
Thine handmaid a man-child, then I
will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall
no razor come upon his head.” (NKJV)
GLEANINGS FROM THIS PASSAGE
- God recognised the family of Elkanah and had full knowledge of the lineage of that family. God also knows our family and the lineage of our homes.
- God knew the family life and condition of Hannah’s home. Our Heavenly Father is not ignorant of the state of our families. Whether good or bad, He has cognisance of the matter.
- God was not quiet about the spiritual/religious condition of Hannah’s family. He knew the religious façade of the home. Elkanah been an Ephraimite was a polygamist. Penninah who went yearly to Shiloh and offered sacrifices was tagged as an adversary with a provocative character. God knows the same about our families too.
- Even amid these things, God separated Hannah unto Himself. For our family to be deeply affected God must achieve something tangible in us that can be multiplied.
- Hannah experienced great generosity from Elkanah but that was not enough, she wanted a child.
- Hannah was discontented with the gifts and generous portions given to her by Elkanah. She deeply desired and wept sore for not just any child but for a man-child. God has been immensely generous to us by giving us the mystery of the gospel in different dimensions but it is not enough to have this generous portions, we want this reality to be conceived not just in our spiritual womb but to be a visible reality that will come forth to affect our families and beyond.
PRAYER FOCUS
- Father, thank You for our family. Thank You for being aware of all that has happened and is happening in our family.
- Thank You, despite all these happenings. You brought us to a saving knowledge of full salvation in Christ Jesus. You exposed us to the mystery of the gospel not just to make us free and victorious but to be an open door to our family for this gospel to be birth.
- Father, we thank You for dealing with us as You did to Hannah. God was dealing and decluttering her to bring forth that which will affect her family and the nation of Israel.
- Father, we bring our families to You as we travail over them. Please bring forth an experience that will change their hearts.
MY FAITH HAS
FOUND A RESTING PLACE
1.My faith has
found a resting place,
Not in device
or creed;
I trust the
ever-living One,
His wounds
for me shall plead.
Refrain:
I need no
other argument,
I need no
other plea,
It is enough
that Jesus died,
And that He
died for me.
2. Enough for
me that Jesus saves,
This ends my
fear and doubt;
A sinful soul
I came to Him,
He’ll never
cast me out.
3. My heart
is leaning on the Word,
The living
Word of God,
Salvation by
my Saviour’s name,
Salvation
through His blood.
4. My great
physician heals the sick,
The lost He
came to save;
For me His
precious blood He shed,
For me His
life He gave.
