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Have you ever wondered if God truly hears your prayers and cares about your pain? Hear the story of a desperate woman named Hannah, whose heart-wrenching plea to God sets the stage for a powerful journey of faith, conflict, & redemption in the writings of 1 & 2 Samuel.

In the original Hebrew Bible, this writing is a single book, not two. It’s simply called “shemū'ēl” (שְׁמוּאֵל).

The division into 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel came later, when the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (the Septuagint, LXX) about 200 years before the ministry of Jesus. Since Greek required more space due to longer word forms and script style, the book was split into two scrolls for easier handling. This two-part division continued in the Latin Vulgate and was retained in most Christian Bibles today.

This entire writing spans less than 100 years, compared to many of the historical writings the cover hundreds of years and many leaders. This writing highlights the lives of 3 leaders: Samuel, King Saul, & King David.

Catch the Context

Samuel is written on the heels of JUDGES, where the Hebrew people’s relationship with Yahweh was up and down.

Yahweh had not given them a human king because HE was the One in charge. When the people will disobey Him He would bring discipline, the people would repent and call to Him for help, and Yahweh would raise up a judge to guide them back to following Him. They would respond and do right during the life of the judge, but the next generation would go off track and this cycle continued over and over.

Look at how the writing called “Judges” concludes.

That sounds like anarchy, determining for oneself what is right and what is wrong. That’s the context in which we open the writing called “Samuel.”

Elkanah (el-kay´ nuh) = “God has created”. Elkanah was from the tribe Levi - the priestly tribe of Israel. He had two wives, and that’s NEVER a good idea. The Scriptures often describe those who had more than one wife, but it never prescribes more than one spouse. Having more than one spouse at a time never turns out to be a good thing.

Elkanah’s first wife was named Hannah meaning “grace” or “favored”, although she doesn’t feel favored as she was childless, unable to have children. This was a great embarrassment in their culture. Hannah’s story is similar to Sarah - Abraham’s wife, and Rachel - Jacob’s wife - BOTH whom gave their handmaids to their husbands to bear him children.

• Jewish rabbinic tradition says that Elkanah was married to Hannah for 10 years before marrying his second wife.
• As Abraham & Jacob had done before him, Elkanah married a second wife who could give him children. Her name was Peninnah, likely meaning “pearl” or “precious stone.”

Shiloh is the town where Joshua had set up the tabernacle (the mobile temple) after conquering the Promised Land (Jos 18:1). The temple isn’t built until almost 100 years later. For now, the tabernacle in Shiloh is where the priests served and the sacrifices were made. Hophni and Phinehas were ungodly priests, as we will see next week. Elkanah would make this annual 15 mile journey to worship and sacrifice to Yahweh. Jewish males were required to attend 3 annual feasts (Deut 16:1-17), and this was likely one of those.

Elkanah was a man who consistently made this annual trip to sacrifice to Yahweh, and provided for his family’s sacrificial needs as well. This was likely a peace offering where the Elkanah would bring an unblemished animal (ox, sheep, or goat) based on Leviticus 3; 7:11-21. Certain fatty portions were cut out and burned on the altar to Yahweh. The family was then given the other parts to participate in a feast. So, Elkanah gave portions of the meat to Peninnah & her children.

Elkanah showed his deep love for Hannah by giving her a double portion (or a special portion) of meat. Even though Hannah means “grace” or “favored”, she sure doesn’t feel that way. This is why her husband gave her double portion - to communicate that she IS favored. Elkanah would have honored her publicly in this way.

Elkanah’s noble attempt to comfort Hannah by pointing to how he loved/served her didn’t seem to help.

Hannah is hurt, but not hateful toward God. She knows the Creator could change things at any moment, and she cries out for Him to do it.

Eli, the elderly priest, sees her praying, but her emotions are so raw that he misinterprets what is going on.

Hannah commits to give back the son she asks God to give to her. Being in the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe of Israel, she is committing her son’s life to serve Yahweh at the tabernacle, a 2-day journey AWAY from her home. She vows to never cut his hair - like Samson. This is a Nazarite vow - not to be confused with Nazareth - the place where Jesus grew up.

The Nazarite vow (Numbers 6:1–21) was a vow that involved 3 main restrictions:

1. No alcoholic drink nor grapes/raisins.
2. No touching dead bodies
3. No cutting of hair - a symbol of separation to God.

The Nazarite vow was sometimes voluntary & temporary (Paul - Acts 18:18, 21:23) and other times a LIFELONG commitment from birth to death (Samson, Samuel, John the Baptist).

No longer fasting, Hannah’s belly is full, and so is her heart, after she has poured out her anguish to her Creator.

After seeking the God Who hears & cares, Hannah’s face now carried a countenance of HOPE!

Yahweh has heard Hannah’s prayers and answered her prayers! They name the boy Samuel (shemū'ēl) meaning “His name is El [God]” (shem = name; el = shortened Elohim), but it is a wordplay on the Hebrew word for “heard” (shama) that sounds very similar. Every time his name is called, Hannah remembers that God HEARS & God CARES.

We don’t know Samuel’s age at this point but many scholars think he would likely have been between 3-5 years old - able to eat on his own, walk on his own, and able to talk.

Hannah fulfills her vow.

Samuel knows he is loved. And…Samuel has been trained by his parents to worship Yahweh, and this is the place he will learn to lean on the Lord of Creation for the rest of his life.

• Hannah was barren & in desperate need for God to intervene in her life.
• Israel was barren, with no spiritual leadership & in desperate need for God to intervene in her life too.
• And this young son born to Hannah was to be the God’s ambassador to lead the nation of Israel back to Him.

Hannah was able to dedicate her child to Yahweh because SHE was dedicated to Yahweh.

• Are YOU giving your life to the LORD, as a “living sacrifice, holy & pleasing to God” (Rom 12:1)?

These open-ended questions are designed to help you LIVE what you LEARN with your Family, Friends, or Small Group.

1. Personal Reflection: Have you ever experienced a time when you felt God wasn’t answering your prayers? How did you respond to that feeling?
2. Hannah’s Faith: In what ways does Hannah’s persistence in prayer despite her heartache challenge our own approach to prayer?
3. God’s Timing: How does Hannah’s story remind us that God’s answers don’t always align with our expectations or timing?
4. Sacrificial Faith: What can we learn from Hannah’s willingness to dedicate Samuel to the LORD despite her longing for a child?
5. Spiritual Parallels: How does Hannah’s story of barrenness and God’s intervention reflect the state of Israel during the time of the Judges?
6. Parental Dedication: In what ways can parents today dedicate their children to the LORD, similar to how Hannah dedicated Samuel?
7. God’s Care: How does the name "Samuel" ("God has heard") reflect God’s character and care for His people?
8. Leadership and Legacy: How does the birth of Samuel mark a turning point for the nation of Israel? What does this teach us about God’s provision of leaders?
9. Learning from Elkanah: What can we learn from Elkanah’s consistent worship and his care for both wives, even amid family tension?
10. Application: How can we cultivate a faith that trusts God even when His answers seem delayed or different from our expectations?
11. .Are YOU giving your life to the LORD, as a “living sacrifice, holy & pleasing to God” (Rom 12:1)?
12. Share prayer needs and pray for one another.