{"id":4050,"date":"2025-07-25T21:15:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T21:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/?p=4050"},"modified":"2025-07-25T21:17:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T21:17:37","slug":"lessons-from-bible-lives-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allthecounselofgod.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/25\/lessons-from-bible-lives-10\/","title":{"rendered":"LESSONS FROM BIBLE LIVES"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HANNAH, THE MOTHER OF SAMUEL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SCRIPTURE: I Samuel 1-2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

INTRODUCTION: <\/strong>Hannah is one of the outstanding women of the Bible. She lived in a time when there was no king in Israel and the priesthood was corrupt, but God was about to raise up a man to lead His people. As always, when God prepares a leader, He starts in the home. For example, in the case of Moses, the book that records his beginnings (Exodus) starts with its focus on the home. Note also that the New Testament begins with a description of the family of Jesus! This underscores the importance of the home, and especially the vital part played by the mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HANNAH COULD LIVE WITH DISGRACE AND OPPOSITION <\/strong>\u2013 I Sam 1:2,6-7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Old Testament times it was a very unnatural thing for a woman not to be a mother. No doubt Hannah was aware of God\u2019s command to be fruitful and multiply, and the economic and cultural advantages of children in an agrarian society further heightened the desire for children. But her greatest source of anguish was the presence of another wife in the home who not only had children, but became Hannah\u2019s \u201cadversary,\u201d provoking her continually because she was barren (see 1:5-8<\/strong>). [This is similar to the situation in Jacob\u2019s household where the loved mate (Rachel) was barren, and Leah was hoping to win Jacob\u2019s love by bearing him children.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Hannah did not <\/strong>fold up under these trials and stop living for God. She is to be commended for her courage. <\/strong>It\u2019s easy for a person to live as a Christian when everybody is on his side and there\u2019s no opposition! But when things are going wrong and people look down upon us, ridicule us and question our faith, it takes real Christian character to stay on the right track and keep living for God. If we are going to be successful for Christ, we must learn, as Hannah did so well, to live with opposition.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HANNAH WANTED TO BE WHAT SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE \u2013 I Sam 1:8<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hannah had the God-given instincts of a woman\u2013she wanted <\/strong>to be a mother. Even her husband\u2019s love and special gifts could not satisfy her with anything less than what God had made her to be! Our culture is rapidly making an unholy mess out of gender. It\u2019s sad that many today, and especially a great number of women, are unhappy with how God made them. It is mild insanity to insist that there are no basic differences between the sexes, and it is simply rebellion against God <\/strong>for anyone to want to be something different from what He made him to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HANNAH WENT TO THE RIGHT PERSON FOR ADVICE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she went to Shiloh she went to the tabernacle and there made known to Eli, the man of God, <\/strong>her agony of soul. Regardless of age we all have the need for going to spiritual people for advice in making decisions. Young people need especially to counsel with their S.S. teachers, the Pastor, and spiritual leaders. And all of us need to be reminded never to accept advice from ungodly people <\/strong>\u2013 Psalms 1:1-3.<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ADVERSITY BROUGHT HANNAH CLOSER TO THE LORD \u2013 I Sam 1:10<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How good it was that all the opposition, personal turmoil, and bitterness of soul brought Hannah to fervent prayer. Adversity happens for many reasons, but when we respond to it as God would have us to, it will bring us closer to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HANNAH KNEW HOW TO PRAY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little children should be able to hear their parents praying for them. Hannah. prayed until the answer came. She did not just go through a little routine, but she prayed until she knew that God would give her \u00a0request. See I John 5: 14,15.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHE PROMISED TO USE THE GIFT FOR THE LORD \u2013 I Sam. 1:11<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She promised God that when He gave her the son she wanted so badly, she would give him back to the Lord. <\/strong>We dare not use any special gift from God in a way that would fail to bring honor to the One Who bestowed it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HANNAH REMEMBERED HER VOWS \u2013 I Sam 1:24-28<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the time came that Samuel was old enough to be out from under his mother\u2019s care, Hannah fulfilled her promise to God and brought her young son to the house of the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HANNAH GAVE GOD CREDIT FOR THE VICTORY \u2013 I Sam 2:1-10<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the greatest victory songs of the Old Testament. (Compare Hannah\u2019s song with that of Mary in Luke 1:46-55.<\/strong>) What a wonderful thing for children to be able to remember Mother as one who sang the praises of God and knew victory <\/strong>in her daily life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHE GAVE HER BEST TO THE LORD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Samuel was born, he was Hannah\u2019s greatest and most precious possession, yet she still gave him to God! <\/strong>How we need to learn the joy of giving our best, <\/strong>and then teach this principle to our families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GOD REWARDED HANNAH\u2019S SACRIFICE \u2013 I Sam 2:20-21<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a \u201creturn on the investment\u201d Hannah experienced! She gave her firstborn to God, and He gave her five more children\u2013 three sons and two daughters. Here is another illustration of the fact that you cannot out-give God. Consider the promises of Luke 6:38<\/strong> and Malachi 3: 10-11<\/strong>. The promise of Phil 4: 19<\/strong> is often claimed out of context, for it is actually given to those Philippians who had sacrificially supported Paul in his missionary labors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LESSONS FROM HANNAH\u2019S LIFE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFair weather\u201d Christians are a dime a dozen. <\/strong>How we perform in the face of adversity and opposition will reveal the \u201cstuff\u201d of which we are made. Knute Rockne said, \u201cWhen the going gets tough, the tough get going.\u201d Paul put it this way: \u201cI can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this day of gender confusion and dissatisfaction, we ought to be thankful for how God made us. We need to remember that each of the 5.5-plus billion people in the world is unique, and that God made each of us for a specific purpose. Consider the joy of Mary expressed in the Magnificat \u2013 Luke 1 :46ff<\/strong>. Compare that with the feminists today who are angry over their God-given role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suffering <\/strong>will either make us bitter <\/strong>or better. <\/strong>Thank God for those Christians who have the wisdom to let their suffering bring them closer to God. It would help us all in this connection to remember that I Thess 5: 18<\/strong> is a command, <\/em><\/strong>and, therefore, the only correct response to an apparently tragic event is to thank God for it and to allow Him to accomplish His purpose in our life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything <\/strong>we have is on loan from <\/em>God\u2013even our family! Thus, everything <\/strong>ought to be dedicated to God, <\/strong>nothing held back <\/em>from Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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