As the time of the Judges were ending, a man named Elkanah (God Has Purchased) lived in the hill country of Ephraim. He had married two women: Penniah (Pearl) and Hannah (Favor). Penniah had several children while Hannah remained barren. Every year Elkanah went to the house of Adonai in Shiloh where he worshiped the Elohim of Isra’el.
When Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he gave Penniah and each of her children portion, but to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her even though Adonai had not given her children. Year after year at the sacrifice, Penniah tormented Hannah until she could neither eat or drink her portion.
One year at the house of Adonai, Hannah made a vow to Adonai. If He would give her a son, she would dedicate him as a Nazirite. This meant that he would be serve Adonai his whole life. He would not be able to eat anything from the grapevine, neither skins of grapes nor seeds. He could not touch a dead body. He could not cut his hair until the end of the vow – his entire life.
As Hannah made her vow to Adonai, Eli, the high priest, watched her lips move and assumed she was drunk. Since it was a sin to approach Adonai intoxicated, Eli became angry. He told Hannah to rid herself of the wine she had been drinking. She replied that she was not drunk, but had been pouring out her soul before Adonai, pleading with Him from the depth of her distress.
Realizing his error, Eli blessed her: “May the Adonai of Isra’el grant you what you have asked. Go in peace.” Adonai did answer her prayer in a supernatural way and brought forth a son for her. After weaning him, Hannah took him along with an offering to the house of Adonai. She brought her child to Eli and ‘lent’ him to Adonai because He had ‘loaned’ him to her. The Hebrew word for ‘lent’ is sa’ul and means ‘dedicated.’
Samuel grew up and became a prophet of Adonai in Isra’el and served Him his entire life. He became especially important during the reigns of King Saul and King David.
1 Samuel 1:12
“She prayed for a long time before Adonai; and as she did so, ‘Eli was watching her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart — her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard — so ‘Eli thought she was drunk.”
Hannah prayed silently. She prayed from the depths of her soul because her spirit was distressed about her barrenness. In Hebrew the word for ‘soul’ is nefesh and means the ‘inner living’ part of a human being, the part of that holds the ‘breath of life.’ It is the place where our deepest desires reside. On the nefesh level, Hannah’s prayer was profoundly personal affecting her very ‘breath of life.’
The Hebrew language implies that Adonai supernaturally brings a child to Hannah as it is through her persistent prayers that the child comes forth.
Hannah also prayed silently because she was making a vow before Adonai. According to Numbers 30:12, a husband could nullify a wife’s vow on the day he hears of it. Whatever she vows before Adonai could become void through Elkanah. She did not want this to happen so she mouths the words of her prayer without speaking them aloud.
1 Samuel 2:1-3
Hannah’s Prayer – Part 1
“My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn [strength] is exalted in the Lord, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our Adonai.”
Hannah’s prayer begins as most traditional Jewish prayers by acknowledging the Elohim of Isra’el. In the Hebrew language, the verse says that Hannah smiles with her mouth. Her mouth no longer quivers through mumbling, but openly and boldly rejoices in the salvation of Adonai, Yeshua! The Hebrew word for ‘rejoice’ is gil and means ‘to spin about.’ With her overflowing heart, she ‘spins about’ and dances as an example to each of us when Adonai answers prayers that filled our nefesh.
The Hebrew word for ‘exalts’ is alats and means ‘triumph.’ Hannah expresses the triumph over her enemies only through the holiness of Adonai. ‘Holy’ in Hebrew is kadosh and means to be ‘set apart.’ Hannah clearly acknowledges that no other Elohim compares to Adonai – He is truly set apart from all other gods.
“Who is like you, Adonai, among the mighty? Who is like you, sublime in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
Her dignity or strength in being a woman has been restored because she trusted in the ‘rock.’ The ‘rock’ is the same ‘rock’ that followed the her ancestors through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. She is worthy of respect because she has given birth to a son, a son named Samuel, who will become a prophet in Isra’el.
“Adonai is my Rock, my fortress and deliverer, my Adonai, my Rock, in whom I find shelter, my shield, the power that saves me, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:3).
1 Samuel 2:4-8
Hannah’s Prayer – Part 2
“Stop your proud boasting! Don’t let arrogance come from your mouth! For Adonai is a Adonai of knowledge, and he appraises actions. The bows of the mighty are broken, while the feeble are armed with strength. The well-fed hire themselves for bread, while those who were hungry hunger no more. The barren woman has borne seven, while the mother of many wastes away. Adonai kills and makes alive; he brings down to the grave, and he brings up. Adonai makes poor, and he makes rich; he humbles, and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust, lifts up the needy from the trash pile; he gives them a place with leaders and assigns them seats of honor. ”
Hannah continues her prayer with a warning to those who speak arrogantly and proudly against others. Adonai knows everything and He judges everyone’s actions according to His knowledge.
She gives examples of how Adonai deals with those who boast about their position in life while raising the lowly. While the bows of the strong men are broken, those who stumbled are girded with strength. While the rich work for bread, the hungry are fed. While the barren woman has borne seven children, the mother with many children becomes feeble.
“Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of Adonai, so that at the right time he may lift you up” (1 Peter 5:6).
Hannah also proclaims Adonai’s sovereignty over each person’s life. He decides who lives and who dies. He decides who goes down to the underworld while raising others to life. He makes some people poor while others He makes rich. Some Adonai humbles while others He exalts. He lifts up the poor from the dust, raises the needy from the ash heap; he seats them among princes and the throne of glory.
“On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as a testimony to them and to the Goyim” (Matthew 10:18).
1 Samuel 2:8-10
Hannah’s Prayer – Part 3
“For the earth’s pillars belong to Adonai; on them he has placed the world. He will guard the steps of his faithful, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. For it is not by strength that a person prevails — those who fight Adonai will be shattered; he will thunder against them in heaven — Adonai will judge the ends of the earth. He will strengthen his king and enhance the power of his anointed.”
Hannah uses a metaphor to describe Adonai’s control over the world: “earth’s pillars belong to Adonai; on them he has placed the world.” The Hebrew word for ‘pillars’ is matsuq and means ‘molten support.’ It is not the word ammud used for ‘pillar’ as in the physical columns used buildings. Yeshua promises that those in the congregation of Philadelphia who overcome what is coming on the world will become spiritual pillars in the Temple of Adonai (Revelation 3:12). Hannah understands this prophetic vision and gives hope for the day of Adonai: He will guard the steps of the faithful. The Hebrew word for ‘guard’ is shomer and means to ‘keep, watch and preserve.’ The word for ‘faithful’ is chesed and means ‘pious.’ From chesed comes the word ‘saint’ which is defined in Revelation 14:12 as “those who observe his [Adonai’s] commands and exercise Yeshua’s faithfulness.” Hannah exemplifies a true saint.
“Adonai’s eyes watch over those who fear him …” (Psalm 3:18).
Hannah warns those who fight against Adonai that they will be shattered or ‘pressed down.’ It is important to stay within the will of Adonai and wait for His plan through His Spirit. These are similar words spoken by the prophet Zechariah: “Then he answered me, ‘This is the word of Adonai to Z’rubavel: ‘Not by force, and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot’” (Zechariah 4:6).
Hannah prophesies that Adonai will ‘thunder’ against his enemies in heaven and judge the earth. The prophet Joel says, “Adonai will roar from Tziyon, he will thunder from Yerushalayim, the sky and the earth will shake” (Joel 4:16). Hannah has become a prophetess proclaiming the coming Messianic Kingdom and returning Messiah.
Adonai will strengthen His King. At this point in history, Isra’el had no earthly king. Adonai will make His King a physical, social, and political fortress. He will enhance the power of His anointed. The Hebrew word for ‘anointed’ is mashiach thus Hannah prophesies the coming of King Messiah.
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