Hannah’s Vow

1 Samuel 1 

We are continuing our look at some people who trusted in God.  We have already seen how Abraham and Noah trusted in God’s promises and were rewarded for their faithfulness.  This week we turn our attention to Hannah, Samuel’s mother.  Let me encourage you to read about Hannah beginning in chapter one of First Samuel.

Hannah was a devout woman who went often to the tabernacle with her husband, Elkanah.  But, the Bible tells us, she was greatly distressed because she was unable to have children.  Not only that but her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, would provoke her bitterly.  We are not told how this was done but the Bible says they were rivals so we can easily see how bad it must have been for Hannah.

Rather than sit around feeling sorry for herself Hannah went to the Lord for help.  We are told that she prayed and wept bitterly to the Lord and that she made a vow.  Hannah vowed that if God would give her a son she would give him to the Lord all the days of his life.  We must remember that making such a vow is very serious business.  For Hannah her vow was not like some of the hastily made promises many of us make today telling God we will “be good from now on” if God will get us out of a bad situation we got ourselves into.  Far from it, one who made such a vow as Hannah was expected to keep it no matter the consequences.  We must never bargain with God!

Now, as it happened, Eli the priest saw Hannah while she was praying and, after some discussion, bid her, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked for.”  We may not assume that Eli spoke these words prophetically but we can be sure that his blessing gave Hannah encouragement.  And, just as Eli said, it came about that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. 

God granted Hannah’s request and Hannah did not forget her vow, she was faithful.  When Samuel was weaned, the Bible tells us, she took him to the house of the Lord and dedicated him to the Lord.  And Samuel stayed with Eli and, when he was grown, became one of God’s greatest prophets.

The story of Hannah and Samuel remind us that faithfulness to God does not only mean waiting for God to fulfill His promises to us, as was the case with Abraham, but it requires us to keep our word to God.  We must remember that our covenant with God requires obedience on our part.  We can trust God but we too must be trustworthy.

In Christ,

Thomas Sneed

Pond Church of Christ