1Sa 1:1-18 | KingComments | STEP | The books 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel belong together, they form one book. They give the account of the history of Israel from the end of the 12th century BC until the beginning of the 10th century BC. The protagonist of these books is not Samuel, but David. Samuel has written but is not the author of the books that bear his name. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel together with 1 Kings and 2 Kings form one book called ‘The book of the kingship’. That the books of Samuel are also about the kingship is shown by the fact that the king has been in the foreground since 1 Samuel 8. The big theme in the books that bear Samuel’s name is not the person Samuel, but that of which he is the forerunner and what he introduces: the kingship. We find in both books of Samuel the history of the kingship in Israel for a new period led by the spirit of prophecy. The ultimate goal is to establish the kingdom of God in Him to Whom both the priesthood of Aaron and the prophetic order of which Samuel is the representative and the kingship of Israel in David point to: the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest of all Samuel’s deeds found in this book is the anointing of David. The books that bear his name are those that actually are about the true David, the great Son of David, the Anointed ( ), Christ, Who always stands before God’s attention. God always has His King in mind. Christ is the center of God’s counsels. Jacob speaks of Him in connection with Shiloh and the ruler’s staff ( ). We also hear it in the words of Balaam when he speaks of a star and a king ( ). Moses speaks of Him in the royal law ( ). At the end of the book of Judges the king is missing. There we see how things go then ( ). The last word of the book of Ruth is the name “David”. This gives the content of the books of Samuel that follow immediately after the book of Ruth. In David God is going to fulfill His purpose. That purpose is that He will place His dominion in the hands of men. He does this with Adam, and he does this with David. This characterizes the kingdom of God. Both Adam and David fail. The thoughts of God are revealed in the Lord Jesus. He is the true Adam and the true David. God wants to bring order in a sinful people through His king, after the priesthood has failed. That is why God is going to introduce His king. The anointed priest represents the people with God. The high priest Eli is a believer but fails completely. The priesthood as mediatorship has ended. At first, the king of the people, king Saul, also fails. Then comes God with His man. When he reigns, the priesthood also regains its meaning. Eli is replaced by a prophet, not by a new high priest. With this, a new office has been introduced into the people. The prophet is also an intercessor. By his speaking to the people on behalf of God and by his intercession on behalf of the people with God, the prophet prepares the people to receive God’s king. This is only possible, however, after the king of the people has been there first. As an application for our time we can say that the service of the New Testament prophet brings the hearts of the people under the rule of the Lord Jesus. In the book of Judges and the 1st and 2nd book of Samuel we see a picture of the history of professing Christianity. We can compare this with the history of the church on earth given to us prophetically in Revelation 2-3. In Judges we recognize the church in Thyatira ( ). In Eli, in the beginning of 1 Samuel, we see the principles of Sardis ( ). Eli is a believing man, but his works are not perfect. He has the name to live but is dead. We see this especially in his sons. In Judges little is said about priests. What is said of it shows us the degeneration of the priesthood in Eli’s sons. It is a picture of how the priesthood has developed in Protestantism. Then God begins a new way of communicating with His people, namely through His prophet. A period begins which is reminiscent of what is said of the church in Philadelphia. After the death in Protestantism, presented in Sardis, the prophetic service comes to the fore in all its clarity. The church in Philadelphia is reminiscent of this. It is said of the believers in that church that they have kept God’s Word ( ). There are two applications to make. The first application is the prophetic one for Israel. Prophetically we see in this book the remnant of Israel connected with David. We also see that David and his people are persecuted by Saul who is a picture of the antichrist. In Hannah and her son Samuel the spirit of the remnant comes to the fore. The second application is the practical one for us. We live in the time when the Anointed is rejected. We are connected to Him as His subjects. We need the service of prophets. This does not mean prophets who predict the future, but prophets who apply God’s Word to the hearts and consciences. Like Samuel introduces David, so do prophets today introduce the Lord Jesus through their service. They bring us under His authority. They point out to us, by telling and explaining to us God’s Word, how we should submit to Him in practice. Samuel’s service is important. He is both judge – which in a way can be compared to king – and priest and prophet. He is the first prophet in the sense of a man of God who, in a time of decay, acts to lead the people of God back to Him ( ). We need such men and their service to bring our hearts back under the authority of Him to Whom “all authority has been given … in heaven and on earth” ( ). In God’s Word the name of Samuel is not only connected with the name of David but also with that of Moses and Aaron ( ; ). His name means ‘heard by God’ or ‘asked from God’. That name he makes true in his life as an intercessor for the people. Here too he is a type of the Lord Jesus. Samuel is “a man of God” ( ). The title ‘man of God’ is reserved for people who stand up for God’s rights in difficult times. Moses is called six times ”the man of God” ( ; ; ; ; ; ). In the New Testament Timotheus is so called ( ) and anyone who places himself completely under the authority of Scripture ( ). The history of Samuel begins here as early as that of Samson began, namely before his birth, as later the history of John the baptist and of our blessed Savior. Some of the heroes of Scripture come out of nowhere, as it were. At their first performance they appear immediately in full service, while for others the life story from birth is described. But what God says of the prophet Jeremiah applies to all: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” ( ). Some great men, however, are more noticed than others when they enter the world and are distinguished from ordinary people already at an early age, as is the case with Samuel. In this case, God acts according to His sovereignty and pleasure. Samson’s history introduces him as a child of promise ( ), Samuel’s history introduces him as a child of prayer ( ). Samson’s birth is foretold to his mother by an angel, Samuel is prayed from God by his mother. Both births indicate which wonders happen through word and prayer. To reflect: It is God’s purpose that in me a Samuel is being born and grows up, because of Hannah’s mind, exercises, and prayers in me. The history of Samuel begins with the presentation of his father Elkanah. Elkanah lives in Ramah, here called “Ramathaim-zophim” which means ‘the two heights (of the) Zophites’. It seems that the city is so named in order to distinguish it from other cities called Ramah; the addition may have been derived from the Levitical family of Zophai or Zuph ( ). In the rest of this book only Ramah is mentioned. This is the place where Samuel not only is born ( ), but where he also lives, works, dies and is buried ( ). Elkanah’s family is given back up to four generations. This corresponds to the two times that the ancestors of Elkanah are mentioned in 1 Chronicles. First, the family of Elkanah is mentioned in the genealogy of Kohath ( ) and then in that of Heman, the leader of the singers, a grandson of Samuel ( ). Elkanah is a Levite of the rebellious Korah family ( ; ). Korah perished, but his children were spared by grace ( ). Samuel, the son of Elkanah, is a Levite. Therefore, he can serve in the tabernacle. Elkanah is called an “Ephraimite” because, as far as his civil place is concerned, he belongs to the tribe of Ephraim. The Levites are counted among the tribes amid which they live, so that they are also named after that tribe (cf. ).

‏ 1 Samuel 1:1-18

Introduction

The books 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel belong together, they form one book. They give the account of the history of Israel from the end of the 12th century BC until the beginning of the 10th century BC. The protagonist of these books is not Samuel, but David. Samuel has written but is not the author of the books that bear his name. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel together with 1 Kings and 2 Kings form one book called ‘The book of the kingship’. That the books of Samuel are also about the kingship is shown by the fact that the king has been in the foreground since 1 Samuel 8.

The big theme in the books that bear Samuel’s name is not the person Samuel, but that of which he is the forerunner and what he introduces: the kingship. We find in both books of Samuel the history of the kingship in Israel for a new period led by the spirit of prophecy. The ultimate goal is to establish the kingdom of God in Him to Whom both the priesthood of Aaron and the prophetic order of which Samuel is the representative and the kingship of Israel in David point to: the Lord Jesus Christ.

The greatest of all Samuel’s deeds found in this book is the anointing of David. The books that bear his name are those that actually are about the true David, the great Son of David, the Anointed (1Sam 2:35), Christ, Who always stands before God’s attention. God always has His King in mind. Christ is the center of God’s counsels.

Jacob speaks of Him in connection with Shiloh and the ruler’s staff (Gen 49:10). We also hear it in the words of Balaam when he speaks of a star and a king (Num 24:17b). Moses speaks of Him in the royal law (Deu 17:14-20). At the end of the book of Judges the king is missing. There we see how things go then (Jdg 21:25).

The last word of the book of Ruth is the name “David”. This gives the content of the books of Samuel that follow immediately after the book of Ruth. In David God is going to fulfill His purpose. That purpose is that He will place His dominion in the hands of men. He does this with Adam, and he does this with David. This characterizes the kingdom of God. Both Adam and David fail. The thoughts of God are revealed in the Lord Jesus. He is the true Adam and the true David.

God wants to bring order in a sinful people through His king, after the priesthood has failed. That is why God is going to introduce His king. The anointed priest represents the people with God. The high priest Eli is a believer but fails completely. The priesthood as mediatorship has ended. At first, the king of the people, king Saul, also fails. Then comes God with His man. When he reigns, the priesthood also regains its meaning.

Eli is replaced by a prophet, not by a new high priest. With this, a new office has been introduced into the people. The prophet is also an intercessor. By his speaking to the people on behalf of God and by his intercession on behalf of the people with God, the prophet prepares the people to receive God’s king. This is only possible, however, after the king of the people has been there first. As an application for our time we can say that the service of the New Testament prophet brings the hearts of the people under the rule of the Lord Jesus.

In the book of Judges and the 1st and 2nd book of Samuel we see a picture of the history of professing Christianity. We can compare this with the history of the church on earth given to us prophetically in Revelation 2-3. In Judges we recognize the church in Thyatira (Rev 2:18-29). In Eli, in the beginning of 1 Samuel, we see the principles of Sardis (Rev 3:1-6). Eli is a believing man, but his works are not perfect. He has the name to live but is dead. We see this especially in his sons. In Judges little is said about priests. What is said of it shows us the degeneration of the priesthood in Eli’s sons. It is a picture of how the priesthood has developed in Protestantism.

Then God begins a new way of communicating with His people, namely through His prophet. A period begins which is reminiscent of what is said of the church in Philadelphia. After the death in Protestantism, presented in Sardis, the prophetic service comes to the fore in all its clarity. The church in Philadelphia is reminiscent of this. It is said of the believers in that church that they have kept God’s Word (Rev 3:8b).

There are two applications to make. The first application is the prophetic one for Israel. Prophetically we see in this book the remnant of Israel connected with David. We also see that David and his people are persecuted by Saul who is a picture of the antichrist. In Hannah and her son Samuel the spirit of the remnant comes to the fore.

The second application is the practical one for us. We live in the time when the Anointed is rejected. We are connected to Him as His subjects. We need the service of prophets. This does not mean prophets who predict the future, but prophets who apply God’s Word to the hearts and consciences. Like Samuel introduces David, so do prophets today introduce the Lord Jesus through their service. They bring us under His authority. They point out to us, by telling and explaining to us God’s Word, how we should submit to Him in practice.

Samuel’s service is important. He is both judge – which in a way can be compared to king – and priest and prophet. He is the first prophet in the sense of a man of God who, in a time of decay, acts to lead the people of God back to Him (Acts 3:24 ; Acts 13:20b). We need such men and their service to bring our hearts back under the authority of Him to Whom “all authority has been given … in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18b).

In God’s Word the name of Samuel is not only connected with the name of David but also with that of Moses and Aaron (Psa 99:6; Jer 15:1a). His name means ‘heard by God’ or ‘asked from God’. That name he makes true in his life as an intercessor for the people. Here too he is a type of the Lord Jesus. Samuel is “a man of God” (1Sam 9:6-10). The title ‘man of God’ is reserved for people who stand up for God’s rights in difficult times. Moses is called six times ”the man of God” (Deu 33:1; Jos 14:6; 1Chr 23:14; 2Chr 30:16; Ezra 3:2; Psa 90:1). In the New Testament Timotheus is so called (1Tim 6:11) and anyone who places himself completely under the authority of Scripture (2Tim 3:16-17).

The history of Samuel begins here as early as that of Samson began, namely before his birth, as later the history of John the baptist and of our blessed Savior. Some of the heroes of Scripture come out of nowhere, as it were. At their first performance they appear immediately in full service, while for others the life story from birth is described. But what God says of the prophet Jeremiah applies to all: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jer 1:5a).

Some great men, however, are more noticed than others when they enter the world and are distinguished from ordinary people already at an early age, as is the case with Samuel. In this case, God acts according to His sovereignty and pleasure.

Samson’s history introduces him as a child of promise (Jdg 13:3), Samuel’s history introduces him as a child of prayer (1Sam 1:9-11). Samson’s birth is foretold to his mother by an angel, Samuel is prayed from God by his mother. Both births indicate which wonders happen through word and prayer.

To reflect: It is God’s purpose that in me a Samuel is being born and grows up, because of Hannah’s mind, exercises, and prayers in me.

Elkanah, Samuel’s Father

The history of Samuel begins with the presentation of his father Elkanah. Elkanah lives in Ramah, here called “Ramathaim-zophim” which means ‘the two heights (of the) Zophites’. It seems that the city is so named in order to distinguish it from other cities called Ramah; the addition may have been derived from the Levitical family of Zophai or Zuph (1Chr 6:26 ; 35). In the rest of this book only Ramah is mentioned. This is the place where Samuel not only is born (1Sam 1:19), but where he also lives, works, dies and is buried (1Sam 7:17 ; 1Sam 15:34 ; 1Sam 16:13 ; 1Sam 19:18-19 ; 1Sam 19:22-23 ; 1Sam 25:1a ; 1Sam 28:3a).

Elkanah’s family is given back up to four generations. This corresponds to the two times that the ancestors of Elkanah are mentioned in 1 Chronicles. First, the family of Elkanah is mentioned in the genealogy of Kohath (1Chr 6:26) and then in that of Heman, the leader of the singers, a grandson of Samuel (1Chr 6:33). Elkanah is a Levite of the rebellious Korah family (1Chr 6:27 ; 34 ; 37; Num 16:1-3). Korah perished, but his children were spared by grace (Num 26:11). Samuel, the son of Elkanah, is a Levite. Therefore, he can serve in the tabernacle.

Elkanah is called an “Ephraimite” because, as far as his civil place is concerned, he belongs to the tribe of Ephraim. The Levites are counted among the tribes amid which they live, so that they are also named after that tribe (cf. Jdg 17:7).

Hannah and Peninnah

Elkanah’s wife, Hannah, is barren. This is also the case with Sarah (Gen 16:1), Rebekah (Gen 25:21) and Rachel (Gen 29:31), the women of the patriarchs. Elizabeth, the mother of John the baptist, is also barren (Lk 1:7). God uses this fact to make His work visible and that its results may be to His credit. In these cases of barrenness God works great things. If nothing is to be expected from man, God is given the opportunity to fulfill His plans to bestow grace. He does not do this without exercising His instruments.

Elkanah is a believer, but he is not a ‘man of God’. He gives the impression of being a man who faithfully fulfills his religious obligations, as many do today. Even though his spiritual exercise is not perceptible, he has it. But Hannah still stands out above him spiritually. The fact that he has two wives does not plead for him either, although he could point to men like Abraham and Jacob who also had two or even more wives.

Of his two wives Hannah is mentioned first, which makes it likely that he married her first. Later in this chapter his love for her is shown. Yet he took a second wife, Peninnah. Elkanah probably did so because Hannah was barren. He will have thought up a good reason for himself, but it is against God’s will (Mt 19:4-8). For family life, it always means misery.

Hannah means ‘grace’, with which she is clothed. Peninnah means ‘shiny’ or ‘pearl’, but she only radiates herself. Peninnah lives in the same environment, but there is no spiritual life to be seen in her. She mocks Hannah and reveals herself as her opponent. Peninnah can point to ‘success’, she has children, perhaps even ten (1Sam 1:8). In this way we too can easily measure spiritual blessing by the supporters of a movement. If you compare Hannah with that, what does she represent, without ‘success’ and miserable? But God does not judge that way. He brings her into exercise, that she may produce fruit for Him.

From a prophetic point of view, the feelings of a God-fearing remnant are not primarily to be found with Samuel, but with Hannah. Her soul exercises should be those of the whole people. We are here with the few faithful. This is just as in the beginning of the Gospel according to Luke, where we meet an unknown and insignificant number of people in the midst of an apostate people, with whom the longing for blessing for the whole people is present (Luke 1-2). Among them is Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus, who sings a hymn of praise (Lk 1:46-55) much like the hymn of Hannah that we will hear in the next chapter.

Shiloh

In Shiloh is the tent with the ark in it. The tent is the visible sign of God’s presence. Elkanah goes there. He does not only sacrifice, but he also worships. The faithful performance of his religious obligations does not make him a formalist, who without thinking performs a meaningless ceremony. He is aware of the grace, of which he is the object as a descendant of Korah. This makes him a worshiper. For us it is the same. Although he does not understand the deep exercises of Hannah, he is upright in what he believes.

For the first time the expression “the LORD of hosts” is used here. This points to the kingship of the LORD over the universe, over the angels, over the stars, and over His people. He reigns over all powers, both visible and invisible and good and evil, wherever they may be in heaven and on earth. This name, mentioned here by the Spirit of God, is mentioned by Hannah in 1Sam 1:11. She speaks to Him in His royal dignity.

At the place where Elkanah goes to worship, Eli’s sons work as priests. Here only their names are mentioned. The way they exercise their priesthood is described later.

Elkanah, Hannah and Peninnah to Shiloh

It seems that when they go to Shiloh, they always have a common sacrificial meal. On that occasion, Elkanah gives each of his family members a part of the peace offering. Elkanah’s love goes particularly to Hannah, which he shows by giving her a double part of the sacrifice of the peace offering (cf. Gen 43:34). It seems that this is also the reason for Peninnah’s hateful behavior. Every time Elkanah Hannah shows his love, Peninnah repeats her vicious, agonizing remarks.

Because of Peninnah’s hateful behavior, going up to Shiloh is always a torment for Hannah. Peninnah behaves like this year after year. Peninnah provokes Hannah mainly by mocking her because of her childlessness, as the end of 1Sam 1:6 seems to indicate. She may suggest that Hannah is childless because of a judgment of the LORD and that her piety will therefore not be sincere. Her behavior is reminiscent of Hagar looking at Sara with contempt from that moment on (Gen 16:4), while Sarah, like Hannah, later has a son.

From Hannah we do not read that she scolds Peninnah for her nagging. She endures the libel. She is able to do so because she has the mind of the Lord Jesus, “while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting [Himself] to Him who judges righteously” (1Pet 2:23). Yet her grief is that great that she cannot participate in the meal (cf. Deu 26:14a).

Elkanah’s Lack of Understanding

Elkanah means well, but his reaction shows that he has no insight into Hannah’s grief. He does not understand the cause. Hannah is alone and misunderstood with her exercises. She does not react like Rachel did, who also wanted children, but blames Jacob for not giving them (Gen 30:1). Hannah does not want anything for herself, she wants something for God. She is prepared to give directly to the LORD what she gets. Hannah does not want to prove herself against Peninnah but seeks the welfare of the people. She feels what it must mean to God that His people have deviated so far from Him.

Elkanah finds it sufficient that they have each other. Hannah looks further. The satisfaction of Elkanah only concerns himself and brings us nothing further. He does not think so much about Hannah’s well-being as of the value he should have for her anyway. What he says could be felt as a reproach by a woman. He does not realize that Hannah’s feelings should be feelings of the whole people. The Lord finds such feelings more often in women than in men.

The Prayer of Hannah

In these verses we hear the prayer of Hannah in the temple. She does not go to Elkanah with her need, because she knows he does not understand her. She cannot go to Eli either. But she can go to the LORD. While others come with sacrificial animals, Hannah comes with a broken spirit and a broken and a contrite heart. God does not despise that (Psa 51:17).

She cannot go to Eli because he represents a priesthood that is not directed toward God, but toward himself. Priests are expected to stand up to serve, but Eli sits on a chair. He put it there himself, because in the description of the tabernacle we do not read about a chair. He can no longer see well (1Sam 3:2) and he is old and fat (1Sam 4:18). These physical characteristics also indicate his spiritual state. He represents the priesthood as it is frequently found today.

The praying Hannah forms a great contrast with him. Hannah is the woman of whom it can be said: “Her worth is far above jewels” (Pro 31:10b). She is a praying mother. That marks the life of the child she asks for. In the book 1 Kings and 2 Kings we often read in addition to the name of a king that “the name of his mother was …”. Timothy also owes a lot to his mother and grandmother (2Tim 1:5).

Hannah asks not just for a child, but for “a son”. The masculinity takes precedence. This man must stand before the LORD, to look after the interests of His people. Faith is clear and simple. Hannah prays specifically, targeted, with a purpose. Our prayers are often general, aimless, and therefore cannot be answered. That they are not heard should not surprise us.

As a Levite, Samuel only must serve from the age of twenty-five, a service that ends when he turns fifty (Num 8:23-26). This is not in the mind of Hannah. She gives him to the LORD for all his life. We see the development of the whole life of Samuel. It is followed closely from its earliest years and is described for us with his further formation, after his initial formation in the family, taking place in a wicked environment.

When we pray for a blessing, we can learn here from Hannah that in our prayers we also say that what we desire we want to use for the Lord’s honor. Of course, this is only valuable if it is the real desire of our heart. Then we will dedicate what we receive through faithful prayer to Him and joyfully use it in His service. It makes the enjoyment of what we have asked and received all the greater. The true joy in everything we have lies in the fellowship we have in it with the Father and the Son (1Jn 1:3-4).

Even as a Nazarite Samuel does not necessarily have to dedicate his whole life to God. The Nazarite vow is taken for a certain period (Num 6:1-8). This can be a short time. Hannah however dedicates her son for his whole life. As a trademark of this he will not cut his hair. Long hair is a picture of dedication and dependence, of being submissive. For Samuel this is toward God.

In the time of the church the woman may show this to the man (1Cor 11:1-16). For every Christian, since his conversion, he has been spiritually committed and submissive to the Lord Jesus, completely dependent on Him. It is a life based on the question: “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10a).

Eli and Hannah

The high priest Eli has no knowledge of God’s thoughts. He who, as a high priest, should intercede most of all for the greatest difficulties of the people, understands the least of a sorrowful woman. He treats Hannah mercilessly, while he should be merciful just as high priest. He brutally breaks off her fellowship with the LORD. She prays intensely and long because her grief and need are great.

Eli proves his incompetence as high priest by not recognizing a praying woman as such. Apparently, he is more used to drunk women. But he should see the difference between a drunk woman, who behaves uncontrollably, and the praying Hannah. He has no insight into what occupies the heart of Hannah. He is incapable of sympathizing with the best spirit and mind of his time.

When the church is born and the believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, the unbelieving people also think that the first Christians are drunk (Acts 2:13-15). The spiritual man is always fooled by those who have no knowledge of the power of God in the inner man. If the highest priest already has such a misjudgment, how should the condition of the people be?

Hannah is here the true priest who prays for the people. She is in the true priestly mind, for her desire is that the people return to God. Therefore, she prays for a male child. To bring the people back to God, she asks if God wants to raise up a man for this.

She pours out her heart, but Eli only pays attention to her mouth. He judges by appearance, the outside, and thereby comes to the wrong verdict that she is drunk. Hannah’s reaction to the accusation is gentle and lovely. She addresses him with all the respect he deserves for his age and position. She does not blame him for the behavior of his sons and his failure to punish them. She does not throw at him that he should put his own house in order first, before he accuses and condemns others in a hard way. Instead of rebelling against him, she bows down before him. All she does is explain her behavior and asking for understanding.

She has been more than just fervent in her prayer to God, and that, she tells him, is the true reason for the disorder in which she seemed to be. If we are unjustly reprimanded, we may try to declare our conduct is pure before the Lord. At the same time, by explaining our conduct, we may try to convince our brothers to what they have misunderstood.

The Hearing Promised

Eli does not ask what is going on. His spiritual feeling is too numb to invite Hannah to tell him what concerns her so much, what great care and grief torments her. Yet God uses Eli to make Hannah the requested promise. As a compensation for his hasty, unfriendly reprimand, Eli blesses her kindly and fatherly.

He did not regard Hannah’s statement as an insult, as many are all too inclined to do if they are shown to be mistaken. He was convinced by Hannah and now encouraged her as strongly to believe in her prayer as he had previously hindered her in her prayer. By the words “go in peace”, he not only indicates that he is convinced of her innocence, but he blesses her as authoritative, because he is high priest, in the Name of the LORD.

In a short time, he has received a totally different and this time correct opinion from her wisdom and Godliness. He promises her that the God of Israel will give her the prayer – whatever it may be – which she has prayed from Him. Hannah accepts in confidence what Eli gives her and does not despise it. She takes his blessing as the voice of God for her soul.

Hannah is an example that we can win those who have reproached us because they did not know us by showing a gentle and humble attitude toward them. We may even be able to make them our friends and turn their reprimands to us into prayers for us.

Hannah has left her burden with the LORD and returns home enlightened. The prayer has changed her. Peninnah must have wondered in amazement what happened to Hannah, how that great change came about.

Hannah’s exercises are a great encouragement to all who are in great spiritual need. For years there can be felt a deep, sharp pain, a hunger of the heart that just does not get satisfied, a disappointed hope. There is nothing but a quiet waiting. If it has the effect it has with Hannah, then it is through these circumstances that we learn how to pray. We will then discover the secret of childlike faith. We will also discover that we are being made fit to become the recipient of some invaluable gift to the world.