1 Samuel 1:1-18 - The Barren are Answered!

1 Samuel 1:1-18

The Family of Elkanah

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. 4 And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb. 7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

Hannah’s Vow

8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the LORD. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”

12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”

15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”

17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

As with Elizabeth in Luke 1:7, 36 in bringing John the Baptist into the world as the prophetic Elijah, the barren can be made fruitful by the hand of the LORD according to His plan as was the case here with Hannah and her son Samuel the prophet.  She yearned for a child and vowed to give him in complete dedication to serve the LORD if she was only made fruitful.  Her desperate desire led her to pray in the temple with (Romans 8:26) groanings and inward sighs of her spirit echoing God’s in desiring this thing.  Every year she went up to the house of the LORD with her husband, and every time she was provoked by taunting of the other wife of her barren state.  Hannah wept in her bitterness and grief to the point where she could not even eat.  In some ways we can imagine that barren Elizabeth felt similarly until she was blessed with John, for she also lived righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord as blameless in going yearly to the house of the Holy in worship until she was answered for her years of barrenness and accompanying ridicule from others to have no heirs.  God shows us here how the barren can be answered when it is for His glory and their good in His sovereign purpose.  Hannah paired out her heart before God and was overheard by Eli the priest as she made her solemn vow in her plea to God for a child, but Eli did not understand this was God’s work and rashly accused her of wicked drunkenness.  When she explained her sorrowful state, he blessed her with God’s peace and promise to grant her petition to Him.  She left that place in hope and happiness that had been given through the servant of the LORD to her for that grace, that favor granted to her by promise, just as the priest (Luke 1:11, 13) Zacharias was given the message of joyous hope of a child to Elizabeth by God’s promise of sovereign grace.  How grace shows favor to the barren for a higher purpose as we read in Galatians 4:27, 28-29 of how the new covenant of grace makes we who were once barren in spirit become ever fruitful in the Lord by the everlasting promise of the gospel of grace.  We who once yearned for peace with God and fruitful lives now have this living hope (1 Peter 1:3-4) by the sovereign purpose and loving grace of our Lord whom we yearn to please.  The barren have been answered!