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By His Power
"He settles the barren woman in her home
as a happy mother of children".
-Psalm 113
Infertility in the Bible
Scripture provides numerous interesting accounts of women whose
ability to conceive was miraculously restored.
Sarah laughed incredulously when told that she would bear a son in her old age
(Genesis 17:15-21).
Elizabeth's husband, Zechariah, was told by an angel that she would give birth
to a son. He expressed doubt, and was subsequently unable to speak until after
the child's birth.
In contrast, Hannah responded to the prophecy of her pregnancy with humility,
faith, and praise (1 Samuel 1:6-20).
Hannah
(Mother of Samuel the Prophet)
by Patricia Chadwick
Throughout
all
the
ancient
world,
motherhood
was
the
aim
and
ambition
of
all
married
women.
The
worth
of a
woman
was
determined
by
the
number
of
her
offspring
-
mainly
male
offspring.
If a
wife
was
childless,
her
lot
in
life
was
hard.
If
she
bore
no
children,
she
alone
was
blamed.
A
childless
woman
was
often
divorced
or,
even
worse,
another
wife
was
added
to
the
household
and
the
childless
one’s
life
became
a
bitter
existence.
Hannah’s life was embittered by the taunts of Peninnah, the woman who shared her husband’s name with her. Even though the Bible tells us that she [Hannah] was the best loved wife of Elkanah, Peninnah, would make fun of Hannah because she had no children, making life almost unbearable.
It is recorded in 1 Samuel that at the great religious festival at Shiloh, Hannah prayed earnestly to God for a child. And she promised God that if He gave her a son, she would consecrate him to the Lord’s service all his life. It was in answer to her prayer that Samuel, the prophet-priest of Israel was born to her.
It is certain that most mothers would surely regret making a promise to give their young child to someone else to raise. I’m almost convinced that Hannah must have been tempted to renege on her promise once Samuel was born. To give birth to a child and raise him for 3-5 years and then give him up to be raised by another must have been agonizing. But Hannah was a woman of her word. When Samuel was weaned - which was probably between three and five years of age - she delivered him to the House of the Lord at Shiloh to begin his service to God. He was now to be raised by Eli, the priest of God in that place.
From the time that Hannah gave Samuel to be raised by Eli, she made a yearly visit, bringing with her a coat that she made for him with her own hands. She loved her dear boy, but she gave him over to the God who gave him to her.
We can learn a lesson from the life of Hannah. The vows or commitments that we make to God must be taken seriously. There’s no doubt that Hannah wept when she left her first born at the House of God. But since she had made that vow to God, she kept her promise. As a result, God rewarded her with more children and a first-born son that faithfully served God his entire life, becoming one of the most beloved rulers in Israel.
Hannah’s life was embittered by the taunts of Peninnah, the woman who shared her husband’s name with her. Even though the Bible tells us that she [Hannah] was the best loved wife of Elkanah, Peninnah, would make fun of Hannah because she had no children, making life almost unbearable.
It is recorded in 1 Samuel that at the great religious festival at Shiloh, Hannah prayed earnestly to God for a child. And she promised God that if He gave her a son, she would consecrate him to the Lord’s service all his life. It was in answer to her prayer that Samuel, the prophet-priest of Israel was born to her.
It is certain that most mothers would surely regret making a promise to give their young child to someone else to raise. I’m almost convinced that Hannah must have been tempted to renege on her promise once Samuel was born. To give birth to a child and raise him for 3-5 years and then give him up to be raised by another must have been agonizing. But Hannah was a woman of her word. When Samuel was weaned - which was probably between three and five years of age - she delivered him to the House of the Lord at Shiloh to begin his service to God. He was now to be raised by Eli, the priest of God in that place.
From the time that Hannah gave Samuel to be raised by Eli, she made a yearly visit, bringing with her a coat that she made for him with her own hands. She loved her dear boy, but she gave him over to the God who gave him to her.
We can learn a lesson from the life of Hannah. The vows or commitments that we make to God must be taken seriously. There’s no doubt that Hannah wept when she left her first born at the House of God. But since she had made that vow to God, she kept her promise. As a result, God rewarded her with more children and a first-born son that faithfully served God his entire life, becoming one of the most beloved rulers in Israel.
This article was an excerpt from HISTORY'S WOMEN - THE UNSUNG HEROINES by Patricia Chadwick. To purchase a copy of this book for $15.95 (which includes shipping) visit: pcpublications.org
©
History's
Women.
Reprinted
with
Permission.
About
the
Author:
Patti
Chadwick
is
the
creator
of
History's
Women,
an
online
magazine
highlighting
the
extraordinary
achievements
of
women
throughout
history
and
recognizing
the
obstacles
they've
had
to
overcome
in
order
to
reach
their
goals.
Visit
her
online
at
HistorysWomen.com.