A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

“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’ “ (v. 11). She continued in prayer, pouring out her soul to the
Lord. Her prayer was intense, coming out of the deep sorrow and bitterness of her soul, but it
was also a quiet prayer offered to God at a lonely spot in the tabernacle. She moved her lips,
uttering her prayer to God; but so great was her sorrow that the sound never left her mouth. If
one listened carefully, he would hear few words between her sobs; but it was a prayer that was
heard in heaven.
Even Eli the priest, who was sitting nearby at a post in the tabernacle, failed to realize
Hannah was praying. For various reasons, he lacked spiritual insight. From all appearances, she
looked like a woman who had had too much to drink and had staggered into the tabernacle stone
drunk. He had seen many women in that state before, yet had never come to the place where he
could tolerate the destructive and intoxicating influence of wine and strong drink. But as he
began his standard speech, he was surprised to learn that the one he was addressing was not a
common drunk but an uncommon woman of faith. What else could he do but recognize the faith
of this woman and grant her a blessing. “Go in peace,” he answered, “and the God of Israel grant
your petition which you have asked of Him” (v. 17).
The blessing of Eli gave Hannah the deep-seated assurance that God was going to answer
her prayer and give her a son. She was no more pregnant when she left the tabernacle than she
was when she had arrived earlier that day, but down deep inside she knew that condition would
soon change. She had prayed and gotten her answer from heaven. For the first time in a long
while, she felt as though she could really enjoy a meal; so she ate. It was even beginning to show
on her face. “Her face was no longer sad” (v. 18).
Within weeks of returning home to Ramah, everyone but Hannah was surprised to first
hear the rumors and then hear them confirmed. Barren Hannah was pregnant. In the course of
time, the child was born. It was a son, and Hannah insisted on naming him Samuel. The name
Samuel means, “asked of God,” and Hannah wanted everyone to know her son was God’s
answer to her prayer. She remembered her vow; yet at the same time realized her responsibility
as a mother. She would wean the child before returning to Shiloh; and when the child was
weaned, he would be given back to the Lord in the service of the tabernacle.
To give up a son is difficult for any mother, but to give up an only son after years of
barrenness must have been a particular challenge to Hannah. Still, there was no hesitation on her
part. As soon as the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the tabernacle. She found the old
priest Eli and reminded him of the day he had found her alone and praying. “For this child I
prayed, “ she confessed, “and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.
Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord” (vv.
27-28).
Far from being a time of sorrow, this visit to the tabernacle was a time of rejoicing. This
time Hannah’s prayer to the Lord had a totally different character. “My heart rejoices in the
Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord; I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation”
(2:1). Hannah’s praise to the Lord on this occasion became the basis later of Mary’s Magnificat,
her expression of praise as she realized the honor of bearing the Son of God (cf. Luke 1:46-55).
And when Elkanah and his wife Hannah returned home to Ramah, “the child ministered to the
Lord before Eli the priest” (1 Sam. 2:11).