Who was Hannah in the Bible?
Hannah was one of Elkhans two wives, but more notably she was a broken-hearted woman. She didn’t have a child. She had to face the scorn of more successful women in a patriarchal society that valued women based on their number of children. Her husband loved her, but it wasn’t enough. Hannah needed a child. So, she cried out to God. She took to God in prayer and truly labored before Him in trust that He would provide for her.
Have you been in a season of pleading before the Lord for a breakthrough? You may find solace in Hannah’s story in the Bible. There are many life lessons from Hannah’s life story we can apply to reach a breakthrough.
3 Life Lessons from Hannah’s Story
1. Hannah Cried Out To God
What was special about Hannah in the Bible? Hannah took her sorrows to God in prayer. Instead of repressing her feelings, she was honest about her pain. She was not ashamed to weep loudly, regardless of who was watching her. She did not try to “toughen up” or solve her problem on her own.
Hannah’s honesty demonstrates her humility. Despite her weeping, she avoided wallowing in self-pity through implicitly trusting that God was listening to her and that He still loved her. This meant that her suffering could neither be dismissed or put beyond the reach of God’s power to solve–endowing Hannah’s suffering with significance.
Bible Shot: 1st Samuel : 9-18
Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.
Hannah gave up ownership over her struggle and trusted that God would take care of her future, whatever it may be.
However, not everybody understood her heart. Eli the priest did not recognize her sincerity at first, and judged her prayers. Even so, Hannah remained humble as she explained her situation. Amazing! She continued to witness to God’s character despite what others thought of her.
2. Hannah Trusted God
God rewarded Hannah’s fervent prayers for a son. However, Hannah’s difficulties were not over yet. She was faced with another dilemma: Would she keep her promise that she would dedicate her son to God or would she keep her only son at home, to raise him and love him the way she had always dreamed? Despite the pain her promise undoubtedly caused her, Hannah remained faithful.
Bible Shot: 1st Samuel 1: 19-28
and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.” The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow. But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.” “Whatever you think is best,” Elkanah agreed. “Stay here for now, and may the Lord help you keep your promise.” So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned. When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the very 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.
God remembered Hannah. He didn’t neglect to pay attention to her prayers. In response, Hannah remembered God and followed through on her promise. She gave away the person who was most precious to her without complaint. However, she didn’t stop there. She also gave more costly gifts, such as valuable livestock, wine, and food. In Biblical times, such gifts could be difficult to come by, much less to give away. Her beautiful character prepared the way for Samuel’s profound ministry as God’s prophet.
3. God Rewarded Hannah
God listened to her and blessed her according to her faith. Hannah later had three more sons and two more daughters! The woman who had no children because she was barren had six children. Let’s examine her poem of praise in response to God’s generosity.
Bible Snap Shot: 1st Samuel 2: 8-10
He lifts the poor from the dust
and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
and he has set the world in order.
“He will protect his faithful ones,
but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.
Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
the Lord judges throughout the earth.
He gives power to his king;
he increases the strength[c] of his anointed one.”
What is the meaning of these verses? The Lord has absolute power and authority. He uses it to accomplish justice. He will overcome— and so will his people.
Conclusion
God loves us and wants to help us. God used Hannah in the Bible in such a profound way that even centuries later we are talking about what she did and how her choices saved her nation through Samuel. Think about this: where is Hannah’s story in the Bible? 1st Samuel! Her remarkable humility in prayer resulted in her son becoming such a man of God that he had two books of the Bible named after him.
While He may not respond the way He did with Hannah, He hears your plea and will always do what’s best for you. Humble yourself before Him the way that Hannah did and He will direct your footsteps.
