Scripture: I Samuel 1:2-18
2 Elkanah 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 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s 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 Her husband Elkanah 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?”
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on 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.”
12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
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.
Introduction
Believe it or not, I do not have a good track record with MOTHER’S DAY sermons but I have gotten a little older and hopefully a lot wiser. I may have stated that backwards: I have gotten a lot older and a little wiser. As you know, our oldest daughter is named after today’s bible character HANNAH. It is spelled the same way front or back and I’m sure you know that it means GRACE. Our church in Hebrew would be HANNAH POINT.
I think Hannah is a great example for young mothers and an inspiration to all mothers. Since I want to share a little personal testimony about my mother: I’m simply going to point out a few biblical facts about Hannah.
1. HANNAH’S PROBLEM
Hannah was not in an ideal situation: she had two problems: she was barren, which was frowned on by that culture. For a woman, children were everything. And she had a rival. Her husband had another wife and that is never good. There is no kitchen or bedroom big enough for two women. Although Abraham and Jacob practiced polygamy, the LORD never consented to it. His ideal for marriage is found in Genesis 2:24, That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Jesus took it a step further… Matt. 19:4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” The bible records history as it happened…tells the truth about sin…Polygamy always caused problems. No woman should have to compete for her husbands affections.
2. HANNAH’S PLEA [PRAYER]
Hannah wanted to be a mother and that always helps. Unfortunately, some women have babies but they have no desire to be a mother. Our culture is in serious trouble. For the last 50 years the federal government, influenced by the Progressives [who are anything but progressive] and feminism have worked feverishly to get the woman out of the home and into the work place and they have succeeded. Next to preaching the gospel, being a mother is the highest call in the universe and our government has done everything in its power to push the mother out of the home. Our welfare system is anti-family and Antichrist. Hannah wanted to be a mother: she did’t ask God to make her a CEO and this woman changed the world. These women like Hillary Clinton and Margaret Sanger will be forgotten. In they survive at all, it will be in infamy. Hannah’s motherhood still has power ramifications today.
3. HANNAH’S PEACE
When Eli saw Hannah praying fervently, he thought she was drunk. Goes to prove he had not seen very much real praying. Note Hannah’s defense:
“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
Now look at Eli’s promise…
Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
Now look at Hannah’s response…
Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
Hannah believed the word of Eli…she took it as a word from God…she believed and then she had peace…long before she became pregnant.
4. HANNAH’S PRACTICE [SACRIFICIAL LOVE
Hannah did something that is hard for a parent to do: Abraham did it and Hannah did it but many parents never commit their child to the LORD. [My Mother]
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