Reading: I Samuel 1-3
And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head (I Sam. 1:11). And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish His word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him(I Sam. 1:23).
Hannah, the beloved wife of Elkanah (I Sam. 1:5), was barren, much to the malicious delight of Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah (1:6). The belief that she was failing her husband, coupled with Peninnah’s relentless mocking, caused Hannah much spiritual and emotional pain. Hannah was a faithful servant of the Lord, but as the years passed and her barrenness appeared permanent, her distress and shame deepened. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore (1:10). It was while she was at her lowest emotional ebb that she attempted to strike a bargain with God. If thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid…then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.
Hannah’s prayer was desperate and heartfelt, and God both heard and answered her plea. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord (1:20). After many years of desperate longing, God had given her the deepest desire of her heart. But that gift carried with it a terrible price. Hannah had born a son, but that son was not to be hers. She had promised him to God in exchange for allowing him to be born.
Exactly one year after Hannah revealed her heart’s desire to God, Elkanah and his household made ready to return to the Tabernacle (1:21). Hannah’s emotions must have been a tangled mess as she sat there holding her nursing son, knowing that her time with him was already drawing to a close. There likely was more than a touch of desperation and fear in her voice when she informed Elkanah that neither she nor the babe would be accompanying the family to the Tabernacle at that time (1:22). Elkanah knew what she had promised God, as her husband he had allowed the vow to stand, unchallenged (Num. 30:10-14). He knew what they soon must do. With tenderness and understanding he faced his beloved wife, giving her his blessing to stay behind and tend to their son, while at the same time reminding her to turn to God for the strength that she would need to ultimately fulfill her vow. Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish His word.
God’s favor cannot be bought, and, contrary to how it might seem, He cannot be bargained with. He will always answer our prayers in line with His Will; nothing we say or do can change that. Yet that does not negate the power of our vows to Him. If we make a promise to God, then he fully expects us to keep our word. Although keeping our promise to God may prove difficult, if we have made such a vow, God Himself will give us the strength to accomplish the task.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me(Phil. 4:13).
Thought For TodayWe tie our own noose when we presume to bargain with God, hanging ourselves with our own thoughtless promises while God only calls on us to be true to our words.
Word Studies1:6 sore = without mercy; 1:16 daughter of Belial = sinful woman; 2:1 horn = strength; is enlarged = rejoices greatly; 2:8 the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s = God alone sustains and upholds the earth; 2:10 His King . . . His Anointed = Messiah; this is the first reference to Jesus’ coming by the title Messiah; 2:13 in seething = being cooked; 2:15 sodden = boiled.
Christ Portrayed:By Samuel, who grew in favor with God and men (I Sam. 2:26). Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man with God and man (Luke 2:52).
Pray For Staff:Jennifer Palafox • Government Official: Justice Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr.. Rep.Jamaal Bowman (NY)• Country: Iraq (31,858,481) in Southern Asia • Major Languages: Arabic, Kurdish, Turkmen, Assyrian, Armenian • Fierce harassment of non-Muslims • 97% Muslim; 3% Christian/ Other • Prayer Suggestion: Ask the Lord for ways to share His love with others (Heb. 6:10).
Optional Reading:Acts 2