Hannah had no children, but one of the greatest desires of her heart was to be a mother. According to 1 Samuel 1:10, she prayed “in bitterness of soul and wept in anguish.” In her desperation, she prayed a vow to God:
“O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” 1 Samuel 1:11
Then, the Lord gave Hannah a son. She called him “Samuel” which means “I have asked for him from the Lord.” True to Her word, after Samuel was weaned (which historical texts indicate was between the ages of 2 and 5) she gave him back to God. When she dedicated him to the Lord she said:
“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:26-28
Hannah’s faith in God was immense as manifested in her actions. She gave God her most precious possession, and I never comprehended how Hannah could give her child over to God’s service until I really read her prayer after she handed him over to the care of the priest:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.
No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty men are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, and she who has many children has become feeble.
The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed.” 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Hannah knew—as much as a human can know—God for who He is. This is incredibly encouraging! In a fallen world, she was a “nothing,” a barren, a useless woman living in a culture which only valued women based on their ability to enlarge the family. But she knew God had a plan for her life.
Her faith in God made her more powerful than the culture which limited her physical opportunities.
She knew God was her greatest strength. He was worth honoring with her most prized possession—her only child. She knew God would take better care of Samuel than she could. Indeed, Samuel heard God’s call to serve him at a young age, and he responded “Here am I!” He served God faithfully as a judge, a prophet, and a military leader. He played a crucial role in the transition of Israel from a tribal society to a monarchy, including anointing the first king, Saul, and later David.
Hannah trusted God and gave her most prized gift to the Lord. She won the greatest prize of humanity—bringing glory to God through the halls of eternity! Wow—what a motivation to give my best to God today. He takes better care of our greatest treasures than we do. We can trust Him.
