Hannah

MEMORY VERSE: “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” —Proverbs 22:6

I SAMUEL 1:1,2,10,11,20-48

HANNAH was one of the two wives of Elkanah, but more importantly the mother of Samuel, one of the Lord’s holy prophets, and the last judge to serve in Israel during the period of the judges. The custom of Elkanah was to go up each year to the house of the Lord which was in Shiloh. Hannah made these pilgrimages with her husband, and on the occasion mentioned in our lesson was very heavy of heart because she was childless.

She prayed to the Lord about this, and made a vow that if the Lord would give her a son she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service. Hannah prayed very earnestly, but silently, and Eli, the priest, observing her from a distance, concluded that she was intoxicated. But Hannah denied this, and explained the situation to Eli, who sent her away with his blessing.

In due course the Lord answered her prayer, and she gave birth to a son whom she named Samuel. This is another of the Old Testament miracles which the Lord performed for the accomplishment of his purposes. After Hannah had weaned the boy Samuel, she again went up to the house of the Lord in Shiloh and presented her son to Eli for him to use in the Lord’s service as he saw fit. This was a fitting token of her appreciation to the Lord for enabling her to bear a son in answer to her prayer. Samuel, as we know, became an outstanding servant of the Lord.

Hannah’s love for the Lord, and her appreciation of his greatness, are reflected in a prayer or hymn of thanksgiving recorded in I Samuel 2:1-10. She said, “My heart rejoiceth in the Lord; … my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee, neither is there any rock like our God.”—vss. 1,2

Describing some of the works of the Lord, Hannah said, “The Lord killeth, and he maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.” (vs. 6) In the Garden of Eden, when our first parents disobeyed the divine law, they were sentenced to death, and their entire progeny came under this condemnation. But this is not the end of human experience. As Hannah reminds us, the Lord also maketh alive. He accomplishes this through Christ, the Redeemer and Savior of the world. Paul wrote, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”—I Cor. 15:22

Amplifying the thought of death and the resurrection, Hannah said of the Lord that “he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.” Here the Hebrew word translated “grave” is sheol. This is the only word in the Old Testament which is translated “hell.” It is translated “hell” thirty-one times, “grave” thirty-one times, and “pit” three times. It is descriptive of the only hell mentioned in the Old Testament. It literally means “the state or condition of death”

Both the Old and New Testaments assure us that the dead are to return from hell. This is what is involved in the resurrection of the dead. In Revelation 20:13 we read of the time when death and hell will deliver up the dead which are in them. This will be another outstanding miracle in the furtherance of God’s loving plan of redemption and recovery of the human race from sin and death.

Our memory verse contains good advice for parents. A proper religious training for children is very important if they are to become good men and women. Samuel was dedicated to the Lord and his service by Hannah, but it was essential that Samuel, as he matured in years and experience, should concur in his mother’s action to become the truly faithful servant of the Lord which he was. Without doubt this proper decision by Samuel was greatly influenced by the instruction and example of his godly mother and father.

Elkanah and Hannah continued to make their yearly pilgrimages to Shiloh to offer sacrifice to the Lord, and each year Hannah brought a little linen coat for Samuel to wear as he assisted Eli the priest. Her heart was with the boy, which emphasizes the great sacrifice she made in permitting her firstborn and miracle son to remain in Shiloh, where she could see him but once each year.

QUESTIONS

Who was Hannah?

Relate the circumstances in connection with the birth of Samuel.

Explain Hannah’s statement that the Lord killeth and maketh alive.

Is it important that parents give wholesome religious instruction to their children?

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