Hannah’s circumstances hadn’t changed, her longing remained, and her prayer had not yet been answered—yet something inside Hannah changed. In Part 2 of Hannah’s Hope, discover the turning point that transformed her sorrow into peace and revealed where lasting hope is really found.

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Welcome to the Fortifying youg Family podcast.

It can be daunting to navigate through an anti marriage and family culture.

Our teacher will expound biblical principles to help fortify our families and keep these sacred institutions strong.

And now, here's this week's teaching from Sam Wood.

Folks, we all must be careful that we're not treating others around us who are experiencing suffering like Hannah, whatever that suffering may be, that we don't treat them like Peninnah was treating Hannah.

And listen, you may not literally have a visible paninnah in your life that's doing this, but we have an enemy who will come to you and whisper in your ear.

The devil will come to you and whisper in your ear and, and tell you continually that you're nothing.

You're a nobody.

You'll never amount to nothing.

He delights in doing that and inflicting that kind of pain, certainly in our life.

So what could Hannah do?

How could the hurt and pain be relieved?

This brings us to Hannah's husband.

You might be thinking, yeah, what a husband.

He's a polygamist.

He wasn't much of a husband.

I mean, he had two wives.

Now, certainly, as I've stated, her husband's practice of polygamy was a big source of her pain and the hurt that she was experiencing.

We might rightly conclude that Elkanah was less than a perfect husband.

But even though his cultural practice of polygamy hadn't been overturned yet, at least we see that his heart in this passage is inclined toward God.

And because his heart was inclined towards God, he was a husband who did two very significant things.

Things with Hannah.

They're an example for every husband that desires to help his wife be a godly mother and a godly wife.

The first thing he did is he led his wife spiritually.

He led his wife spiritually.

Look with me at verse three.

And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh.

Look down at verse 21.

We didn't read this morning, but look, glance down at verse 21.

And the man Elkanah and all his house, all his house went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

It was prescribed worship to go to Shiloh three times every year to offer sacrifices and to worship the Lord God.

That was what was required.

And so that is what Elkanah did every year.

And folks, what I'm saying here is this was a church going family who was present at the house of God for the stated times of worship, regardless of the difficulty or regardless of the expense.

Hannah was married to a man who worshiped God and a man who shared his worship with his wife.

Let me say that a godly mother can flourish with an imperfect husband if the imperfect husband is at least committed to believing in and worshiping God in spite of his imperfections.

Listen, ladies, if you're looking for a perfect husband, you might as well give up because there are not any.

You know, that you've been living with that man you standing beside many years probably, and you realize that there are no perfect husbands.

Elkanah was not perfect.

I'm almost glad in the scripture it shows that he was not perfect because there are no perfect husbands.

And listen, ladies, if you're single, you need to look.

If you're single here today, you need to look for a husband who knows God and loves God and obeys God.

Elkanah was not a perfect husband, but he was leading his family spiritually.

He was leading them in times of worship.

And men, listen, husbands, listen.

This morning it's your responsibility to be the spiritual head of your wife, to be the spiritual leader in your home.

One of the greatest presents you can give your wife today on Mother's Day is not flowers, is not a box of candy, it's not taking her out to lunch after this service, but the gift of spiritual leadership in the home.

That's the greatest gift you could give your wife and the mother of your children here today.

Maybe your wife and mother here this morning and saying to yourself, I was converted after I got married.

I wasn't saved, but I got saved after I got married.

What do I do about my unbelieving husband that I'm living with?

Or maybe you're here a wife to here today and you're saying, oh, my husband, he's a Christian.

He claims to be a Christian, but he isn't leading our home spiritually.

What do I do?

You need to do what it says in first Peter, chapter three and verse one, and that is you're not going.

Listen, ladies, you're not going to win him by nagging him.

You're not going to win him by trying to make him into what you want him to be.

You win him by him observing your godly life, by him observing you full of Jesus Christ that he can see Jesus in you.

And listen, husbands, a godly mother grows best in the soil of a Christ centered marriage where the husband is leading his wife and his family spiritually.

And young people, it's clear when the Bible talks about the will of God and who you should marry, Let me say it's not God's will, regardless of the infatuation you might have with him or her.

If they're not a Christian and you are a child of God, it's not God's will that you marry that person.

But not only did Elkanah lead her spiritually, but he loved her sacrificially.

Elkanah sacrificially loved Hannah.

And notice that this sacrificial love was evidenced first by his actions.

Look at verse five.

But unto Hannah, he gave worthy portion.

That word worthy means a double portion.

He gave twice as much or he gave a huge portion to Hannah.

He gave a single portion to Peninnah, but he gave a double portion to Hannah.

For he.

Look at the words.

He loved Hannah.

It's obvious that Elkanah empathized with Hannah's hurting soul.

He knew how distressed she was.

He knew how perplexed she was.

He knew how distressed she was about not having children.

And he empathized with her and every husband.

Listen, husbands, here today, this is Mother's Day, but I'm speaking to you right now about your wife and the mother of your children.

You need to be sensitive to your wife and the hurts in her life.

You need to be sensitive to what she's going through.

You are her head.

She is your body.

And you need to empathize.

You need to know what's going on in your wife's life, and.

And you need to stand beside her and you need to encourage her.

He wanted her to understand that despite in the culture that she lived in, in the day and time where that having children was everything and meant everything, that despite that, he still.

He still loved her.

But not only did he do it with his actions, but he loved her sacrificially with his words.

Look at what it says in verse eight.

Then said Elkanah, her husband, to her, Hannah, why weepest thou?

And why eatest thou not?

And why is thy heart grieved?

Am not I better to thee than ten sons?

Elkanah is saying to Hannah, it doesn't matter that you don't have children.

I still love you.

In fact, if you had 10 sons, which be the ultimate in that day and time to have 10 sons.

He said, if you had 10 sons, I would listen.

I couldn't love you more than I love you right now, even without any children, I still love you.

He was trying to relieve and replace her pain with his words and how he spoke to her and how he Talked to her.

And before I leave this point and move on, let me stop and remind you, dads that the soil from which godly children grow is a spirit filled atmosphere in the home.

Where they see their father love loving their mother and loving them.

They see their father filled with the spirit of God.

That's why it says in Ephesians 6, it says, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.

Here it is.

But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The words bring them up refers to a spirit filled atmosphere in the home.

And it's our responsibility as a husband to make sure that our home is that spirit filled atmosphere.

That is the soil that nurtures godly motherhood.

That is the soil from which we produce godly children.

We've seen for a few minutes Hannah's hurt.

We saw that she was distressed because she was barren, because she was belittled.

We see Hannah's husband.

God gives us these pictures in this passage right here, and they're beautiful pictures for us to look at.

And we see Hannah's husband that although he wasn't perfect, he.

He was a man who was leading her spiritually and loving her sacrificially.

But now I want you to look at Hannah's hope.

Listen, Hannah's at a crossroads in her life.

You see, her culture, as I said, was saying, put your hope.

Put your hope and your meaning in life in having children.

And her husband, whether unintentionally, and I'm sure it was unintentional, was saying, replace that hope with.

Of having children, with finding your hope and your identity in my love as your husband.

Robert Alter, who is a great Jewish expert in Hebrew literature, says that Elkanah was saying to Hannah, build your life, Hannah, oh my love, build your life and identity.

Get your sense of worth, knowing I love you more than Peninnah.

Elkanah was doing what he should do, that is, he was trying to encourage her, he was trying to love her.

But we might say unknowingly, he was saying, take the meaning of life that you tried to have and the sense of significance that you would have in children, and put it in me, put it in my love, put it in the love of your husband.

So we might say that Hannah was facing two alternatives.

She could find her meaning in life or significance in the hope of having children, or she could find it in her husband's love, in her marriage.

So what does she do?

Where does she find her hope?

We're given the answer in verse nine.

Look at it.

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk.

Now, Eli the priest, sat upon a seat by a post of the Temple of the Lord, verse 10.

And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore.

In verse nine, those words rose up are very interesting words in the Hebrew.

It indicates that she is no longer thinking about what to do.

She has made a choice.

She has made a decision in her heart to act.

She's made a decision to do something about her situation.

She decided to reject the hope of building her identity, self worth in her husband's love.

And she had decided to reject building her hope and her self worth in having children.

She realized that both of these options would still leave her empty inside.

Instead, listen, folks, she decided to go where we need to go in times like this.

She decided to go to God.

In fact, Robert Alter says it's a narratively significant that though Paninnah speaks to Hannah, and though Elkanah speaks to Hannah in verse eight, she never answers them.

She only speaks to God.

Because this is what she has decided to do.

She's decided to take all of her hurt.

She's decided to take all of the humongous mess in her life and take it to God.

Look at verse 11.

And she vowed a vow and said, o Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

Hannah is saying to God, God, I still want a child.

I'd still like to have a son, but I've totally changed my reason for wanting a child.

She is saying, I'm not going to build my life on having a child.

You say, how do you know that?

Because she is saying in verse 11, if I do get a child, that child will not be in the home where I raise that child and where everybody can see me raising that child and where I'll get social significance to that child.

He will be a Nazarite, he will be totally devoted to God.

He will be away from me.

He'll be in the temple with Eli.

She correctly realizes that she cannot build her identity and meaning in her life through her marriage with Elkanah.

And so many marriages need to remember that.

So many.

We see husbands and wives so many times who try to get their significance and meaning in life from their husband, from their wife.

And look, listen, if you try to do that, they will crumble under that divine pressure that you're putting them on, because only God can give you that.

Only God can meet this need.

Hannah's saying, lord, I want to build my life on you and your mission for my life.

She knew what every Israelite woman knew that was living at that time.

She knew from the promise given to Abraham that if she bore a child who was given over to the Lord's service, she would be participating in God's program for the salvation of the world.

She is saying to God, God, I no longer want to have a child for me.

God, I want to have a child for you.

Hannah was putting her hope.

Hannah was putting her trust in God and God alone.

And listen, whatever your hurt may be this morning, whatever pain you may be going through, whatever disappointment you may be experiencing, whatever distress may be in your life, you need to put your hope where Hannah put her hope.

You need to put your hope in God.

Now, listen, tonight I'm going to talk about the prayer that she prayed.

It's a transformative prayer you don't want to miss.

Tonight I'm going to talk about some of the rich characteristics of that prayer.

So I'm going to invite you to come back tonight.

But I don't have time to go into it this morning.

But please come back tonight.

Don't miss it.

This brings us to Hannah's healing as I close, after explaining in this passage in verses 12 through 16, and convincing Eli, the priest who doesn't have a clue about spiritual things, that she's not drunk.

Eli's looking at her and saying, you must be drunk.

What's wrong with you?

He has no spiritual discernment, and he's the priest that shows you what kind of condition this country was in that time.

But after she convinces him that she's not drunk, it says in verse 18 these words, so the woman or Hannah went her way, and notice what it says, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

Something happened at that point, then in verse 19, and they rose up in the morning early and worshipped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house in Ramah.

And Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife, and the Lord remembered her.

Wherefore it came to pass when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son and called his name Samuel, saying, because I have asked him of the Lord.

Now, I hope you notice something in those verses that's very, very significant.

It doesn't say that she prayed, she got pregnant, then she had peace.

It says she prayed, she had peace and then she got pregnant.

I want you to notice that that's very significant.

In this passage right here.

It says she prayed and then she ate.

She couldn't eat before because she was depressed.

And now she can eat.

She's no longer depressed.

Her countenance is no longer sad.

Her countenance now has a glow about it.

After she's been with God.

While she had peace before ever receiving the promise.

Did you get that?

She had peace in her heart before she ever received the promise of having this child.

Why she could have peace.

Why could she have peace without knowing whether she would have a child or not?

Listen, folks, Hannah had shifted her hope from getting her meaning and significance, her identity, her self worth, life, from everything in life.

From having a child, having a husband, whatever it may be.

She totally shifted it away from that to getting total meaning in her life from God and God alone.

And listen, folks, because of that, she was totally set free.

She was totally set free.

And Samuel was born as much through her faith as he was through her body.

He was born as much through her faith as he was through her body.

Hannah became a mother by faith.

Samuel, you say, preacher, what does the name Samuel mean?

The name Samuel means good looking child.

Now, I say that because my name's Samuel.

Amen.

Obviously not.

No.

Samuel means asked of God.

It also means God hears or God hears my prayers.

As I close out this morning.

Listen.

I stated at the beginning of this message.

The picture of Hannah's barrenness is a picture of Israel's spiritual barrenness in that day and time.

But not only is it a picture of Israel's spiritual barrenness, but also a picture of the spiritual barrenness of every man and woman who places their hope in getting their meaning in life, their worth in this life outside of God.

Listen.

God saves as he did through Hannah.

Not by human ability, not by human achievement, not by human effort or human works.

God saves by grace and by grace alone.

God calls us the barren womb to conceive and bear children.

Just like he causes the lifeless, barren heart to conceive and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Hannah's affliction, like ours, is a call to faith in God.

Hannah was experiencing the truth that the psalmist exclaims in Psalm 116 that says, I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice and my supplications.

Because he hath inclined his ear to me.

You know what that means?

It means God bends over to hear what you're saying to him, isn't that wonderful?

Because he inclines his ear to me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I shall live.

Our true hope in all of our trials, and especially the burden of the guilt of our sin is in God, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Whatever your situation, folks, this morning, call out to him today.

Whatever affliction you're going through, whatever trial you're going through, that God knows your heart, God knows your pain, he knows your distress, this world is not the answer.

You won't find it in something else.

Just like Hannah couldn't find it in having a child or in her husband, you can't find it.

Listen, in sports, you can't find it in money, you can't find it in your job.

You can find it while place and one place alone.

And that is in God and only in God.

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