The Story Of Hannah In The Bible

The Bible recorded the story of Hannah in the first 2 chapters of 1 Samuel. In fact, that is the only place she is mentioned in the entire Bible.

In our verse for today, she fulfilled a promise she made to God. Hannah made that promise before the conception of her son Samuel.

I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life.” And they worshiped the LORD there. 1 Samuel 1:27-28

This Bible story began when Hannah bitterly wept as she pleaded for God to give her a son. During her prayer, she made a very serious vow to the Lord.

And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. 1 Samuel 1:11

This prayer she prayed revealed her desperation for God to give her a son.

A Prayer of Desperation

Now, there are two things we need to understand about praying a prayer of desperation.

First, when a person prays that type of prayer they often make commitments to God that they don’t fulfill. The Lord does not look lightly upon unfulfilled promises.

When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

Second, if another person hears your prayer of desperation, they often won’t understand. Thus, they might make fun of or almost always respond in the negative as Eli did.

As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” 1 Samuel1:12-14

As the story in the Bible continued, Hannah assured Eli that she wasn’t drunk. Then she explained her dilemma to the priest.

I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow. 1 Samuel 1:15-16

Eli the priest, the very person who accused Hannah of being drunk confirmed God’s answer to her prayer. Then she returned to the feast.

“In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad. 1 Samuel 1:17-18

The Story of Hannah Ended on a Good Note in the Bible

As we finish the story of Hannah, The Bible says she fulfilled her vow to God. And even though she is never mentioned again in the scriptures, Samuel her son became a significant biblical figure.

Hannah along with her husband went to the feast each year. And each year Eli offered a blessing to them. And God did bless them with five more children. Eli said . . .

May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. 1 Samuel 2:20-21

Commitments Made in Desperation

Have you made promises to God out of desperation? Maybe you found yourself in a situation that seemed hopeless. People have called them foxhole promises.

In that circumstance you find yourself making commitments to God you would have never made in other settings.

Sadly promises like that are just as easily broken as they are made. As we saw earlier in Ecclesiastes, It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.

I wrote a post about a man named Jephthah called When You Make A Vow To God. This man made a very unwise promise to God. A promise he was obligated to fulfill.

Are You Fulfilling Commitments You Have Made

We have all made commitments or promises. Some we have never considered keeping. And some we wanted to keep but didn’t.

Some of our unfailed commitments are irreconcilable. One such commitment is a failed marriage resulting in a remarriage.

These are all too common in both the Christian and non-Christian worlds. Seek forgiveness for your past failure and remain faithful to your present commitment.

Another commitment that is reconcilable is our commitment to Jesus. Live for Him and obey His Word. Do everything you can to become and remain a fully devoted disciple of Christ.