Hannah’s Lament
Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
But to Hannah [Elkanah] gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb (1 Samuel 1:5-6, ESV).
Dear Friends,
Every time I study Hannah’s life or read her story, my stomach clenches a little. For many years Hannah lived with not only a broken heart but also a sister-wife who delighted in poking a stick into the wounds. Samuel, writer of Hannah’s story repeatedly uses words like rival, provoke, and year after to year to pull the reader into the emotional firestorm Hannah frequently experienced. In the middle of a worship celebration, Hannah reaches her breaking point.
Perhaps you are Hannah, weary of trying to respond in a Christ-like way to a never-ending dripping faucet of behavior and words designed to destroy any hope of experiencing peace and joy. You want to be a faithful follower of Jesus so you examine your heart. You ask a trusted friend if you brought this hurt on yourself. You wrestle with whether you deserve treatment that attacks your identity as a child of God. You feel guilty for your anger and desire to strike back. You search for Scriptures that encourage you to turn the other cheek, to love instead of hate. Maybe you write out those Scriptures to carry with you when you know you will see the person who relentlessly tries to destroy your peace of mind. Nothing changes. You’re tired of trying to be good, or maybe you are like Peninnah. Discontentment and jealousy fuels the bitterness that eats up your soul. You cannot enjoy life because someone else has what you want.
Whether you are Hannah or Peninnah, the Scriptures offer help and hope.
When we meet Hannah, she is childless in a culture that highly valued the bearing of children. Though God condemned polygamy, Jewish men often married more than one woman so that they would have children to carry on their names and build their legacy. It’s interesting that when we read stories about polygamous relationships, the Scripture writer lets the consequences of such choices speak for themselves. Hannah’s story is no different.
Hannah’s husband, Elkanah adored her. Yet, perhaps because she was childless, he marries a second wife, Peninnah, who easily bears numerous children. When you read 1 Samuel, you cannot help but notice that Peninnah was the second choice, Hannah’s rival. No matter how many children she bore for Elkanah, she could not take Hannah’s place in his heart. Pinninah reacted as any second-choice woman. Her jealousy over Elkanah’s love for Hannah ate into the pleasure she might have experienced mothering her children. Year after year Peninnah taunted Hannah, attempting to destroy any joy or peace in life that Hannah might experience with their shared husband. Hannah is on a pilgrimage, and when we meet her, she is desperate for help and hope.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Hannah’s story gives us a glimpse into the hearts of two women on a pilgrimage filled with potholes and 24/7 emotional and spiritual pain. Help yourself prepare to soak in this agonizing but hopeful story by reading 1 Samuel 1 and 2 and allow Hannah’s journey to open your eyes and heart to the meaning of lamentation and intimacy with our heavenly Father. As you read, remember that the writer is Samuel, Hannah’s son. This is Hannah’s story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Sunday, 13 February 2022.
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