Hannah - Blessed By Her Sacrifice

The name “Hannah” has many meanings and interpretations such as beauty or passion. Hannah is one of two wives of Elkanah; the other, Peninnah, who easily bore children to Elkanah, but Hannah remained childless. Nevertheless, Elkanah preferred Hannah perhaps because of her beauty and passion.Shiloh sanctuary. It was during this celebration that Elkanah would present to his wives and his children gifts. Even though he preferred Hannah he could only give her one gift as she was childless. Eli the High Priest was sitting in his usual place on a chair near the doorpost. In her prayer she begs for a child and in return for God’s favor she promises to give the child back to him for as long as the child lives. Song of Hannah. The poem (1 Samuel 2:1-10) was a prayer delivered by Hannah, to give thanks to God for the birth of her son, Samuel. The prayer of Hannah paves the way for the theme of the Book of Samuel, the "power and willingness of God to intrude, intervene and invert.

Each year Elkanah and his family would go out of the city to worship and to offer a sacrifice to our Lord of hosts at the

Every year it was the same but as time passed Penninah began to mock and torment Hannah because she was still barren. Things got so bad that Hannah cried all the time and even stopped eating. Her husband could not understand saying to her “Why do you make such a big deal of having no children?” “Isn’t having me enough”.

On one of their annual outings Hannah went up to the temple, she was feeling deep pain and prayed silently.

The High Priest thought she was drunk as he saw her lips moving but heard no sound from her. He chastised her for drinking and told her to get rid of her drink. Instead of getting angry at him for his assumption she explained her situation. Upon hearing her story he sends her away and effectively says that her prayer will be heard and her desire granted. She immediately was filled with joy. Thanking the high priest, she returned home and resumed eating once again.

On the family’s final day at the tabernacle they worshipped the Lord once more and then returned home to Ramah. That night she went home with her husband, and gave herself to him. The Lord remembered her petition and soon afterwards she became pregnant.

As promised, when the child was born, and she had weaned him she returned to the temple on her family’s next annual trip. She brought her son with her and gave him back to the Lord. Hannah left her only child at the Tabernacle with the High Priest Eli just as she had promised she would.

It was at that time that she prayed a song of praise for his birth - the

Subsequently, when the child (Samuel) proved himself a good worker, Eli blesses Hannah again with prayer asking the Lord to give her more children to take the place of the child she so willing gave to the Lord. And the Lord answered the prayers blessing Hannah and her husband with more sons and also daughters.

Hannah’s faith and trust in the Lord proved to be beneficial to more than just her and her husband. Her sacrifice to the Lord made it possible for her son to find favor with the High Priest and to subsequently bless all who heard his voice. 

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