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Ärende: LESSON 3 - Hannah: Learning to Be Someone
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LESSON 3
*October 9 - 15
Hannah: Learning to Be Someone

SABBATH AFTERNOON

Read for This Week's Study:

1 Samuel 1; 2:1-11, 21; Job 2:12, 13; Matt. 6:19, 20; Luke  12:16-21.

Memory Text:

"Then Hannah prayed and said: 'My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the
Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I
delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there
is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God'" (1 Samuel 2:1, 2,
NIV).

One of the great struggles that many people face is the sense of their
own self-worth. What are we worth in this world? What can one life mean
amid teeming billions? We read about wars in which millions have
perished, often without a trace. Every day thousands are born and
thousands die. We sense massive forces over which we have no control,
which can run over us and our dreams as quickly as a truck does a bug on
the road. How, amid such a powerful and overwhelming flurry, can we get
a sense of our own meaning and purpose? Do we even have any?

The Bible, of course, teaches that we do, that we are beings created in
the image of God. We're important because we are important to God. Who
cares what others think of you, if the God who holds the whole world in
His hands loves you? His love, above all, is what counts.

This week, by looking at the life of Hannah, a woman without any claim
to political or religious greatness, we will catch a glimpse of a God
who loves us intimately and personally and of a God who tells us that we
are somebody, even though it's easy to get the message from the world
that we are nobody.

*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 16.
SUNDAY
October 10

What Am I Worth?

Read 1 Samuel 1:1-16. Why was Hannah so distraught over not having
children, even though she knew that her husband loved her?

Hannah's feelings shouldn't be that hard to understand, especially in
her culture, where to have no male child meant to have no security in
one's old age. Having no child at all was understood as a divine curse.
Both in the public and in the family sphere, a woman without a child had
to live with a stigma of supposedly being cursed by God. Obviously, this
affected her value in the eyes of society, her own self-esteem, and her
relationship with God. Hannah must have wondered often what she had done
to deserve this. Why was this happening to her?

To understand the depth of despair that barrenness brought to women in
the world of the Old Testament, look at the actions and statements of
Sarah (Gen. 16:1, 2) and Rachel  (Gen. 30:1). How do they help us
understand how strong that sentiment was back then?

Sarah's action is reasonable in the context of the social and cultural
customs of her time. However, it also provides us with a glimpse of the
despair she must have felt and the burden she must have carried. What
woman would encourage her husband to have relations with another woman
in order to have children? Meanwhile, Rachel's heartfelt cry to Jacob
echoes a bit of Hannah's emotion and the turmoil of her feelings.

For Hannah, jealousy and the sense of "being nobody" created an
explosive mix of emotions that finally blew up when she poured out her
heart before the Lord. What made matters worse was that Hannah was not
getting younger. Time was against her, and, apparently, so was God.

Remember, also, that in Hannah's time, a woman's role in society was
primarily associated with child bearing and rearing. There were no other
career possibilities. A woman could not just change careers and find
fulfillment in another occupation. We have examples of woman judges and
female prophetic leadership in the Old Testament, but these are indeed
limited and depended on God's direct call. It was only through children
that Hannah could count the worth of her life and leave a legacy. To
her, without children her life had no real meaning.
A man had lost his child to leukemia. He told the pastor that he
believed his son died because the man hadn't kept the commandments
faithfully, especially the Sabbath, and so God punished him. What's
wrong with that kind of thinking? How can we protect ourselves from
getting caught up in that same kind of rationale?
MONDAY
October 11

With Friends Like These. . .

Living under the supposed curse of God and feeling that her life had no
real value must have been hard enough for Hannah. What added problem did
she have? 1 Sam. 1:6, 7.

Those who are closest to us often know how to hurt us most. With
Peninnah's constant provocations, it is not surprising that Hannah's
life became bitter. The biblical text emphasizes the repeated nature of
the provocations. Year in and year out, the same old story. It is
interesting to note that the Hebrew word for the action of Hannah's
rival ("provoked" [NKJV], "taunt" [NJB]) often is used in the Old
Testament to describe grave sins that provoke a direct divine reaction
(see Deut. 9:18, 31:29). This was not just a quick, sly remark. This
seemed to have been a premeditated and conscious strategy by Peninnah to
provoke Hannah into doing something stupid. After all, Hannah was her
only rival for Elkanah's affections (1 Sam. 1:5).

Though Peninnah's taunts were meant to hurt, perhaps the worst hurts
come from those who don't intend harm. Who, in the midst of terrible
pain, hasn't been made to feel worse by well-meaning people who just
happened to say or do the wrong thing?

Skim through the first five or six chapters of the book of Job. Job's
friends were truly sorrowful for what he experienced (see Job 2:12, 13).
Yet, how did they make the problem worse for him? Why was  this exactly
how someone shouldn't react to another's grief?

Loss of material possessions or of people close to us causes deep hurt.
Illness or the circumstances of our lives may seem daunting and cause us
to despair. Sometimes it is living with unfulfilled deep longings that
drains our lives of any sense of hope. Things go from bad to worse when
we have to face not only deep hurt or bad circumstances but also people
who seem to specialize in making our life unbearable. This combination
of unfulfilled dreams and constant tensions and provocation triggered
Hannah's cry before the Lord. Sometimes we need to shout out our hurt
and frustrations before God. When we hit rock bottom, we need to search
for answers outside of ourselves.
What are ways that we can encourage and uplift those who are going
through trial and calamity right now? What would you like people to do
for you if you were going through something terrible? Whatever that
would be, why not do it for someone else?
TUESDAY
October 12

Pouring Your Heart Out

Human nature can take only so much. Eventually action must be taken. For
some, this action can be irrational and even dangerous.

How did Hannah handle her pain? Read 1 Samuel 1:9-16 and describe the
steps that Hannah took to deal with her pain.

This prayer was no formal petition or general "please help me" kind of
prayer. The biblical author describes Hannah's prayer as "pouring out
[her] soul to the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15, NIV). The term pouring out
normally is associated with the pouring of liquids, particularly blood
and water in connection with sacrifices (cf. Lev. 4:7, 12, 18, 25,
etc.). It is often used to refer to God's actions. God can pour out
judgment or blessings (Pss. 69:24; 79:6; Isa. 42:25; etc.). It has
connotations of abundance and fullness. In some Old Testament passages,
the term is used in connection with prayer (Pss. 42:4, 5; 62:8, 9; Lam.
2:19). This pouring-out prayer is perhaps the most intimate kind of
prayer. It involves being absolutely honest with God, expressing our
deepest pain and fears. Hannah was so absorbed in her prayer that she
became oblivious to those around her and to what they might think of
her. She was, in fact, clinging to God like Jacob clung to his nocturnal
assailant (Gen. 32:26, 27).

Describe the immediate results of Hannah's prayer. 1 Sam. 1:17, 18.

While God does not always answer our prayers immediately, when we pour
out our hearts before Him we can be assured that He hears and will
answer us (Ps. 37:4) in His own time and way. This can give us hope and
confidence as we wait to see God's leading in our future.

In 1 Samuel 1:11, Hannah makes a big promise. Should God hear and answer
her prayer and give her a son, she would give him back to God. In the
Old Testament we find many people making vows to the Lord. As a matter
of fact, vows are often seen in the context of worship and seem to
belong to the same category as prayer and adoration.

Hannah's vow is huge. The hoped-for son was to be given up. What would
happen to her position as the wife of Elkanah? What would be her
standing in the larger context of the family?
How often do you pour out yourself to God in prayer? Why is that so
important for your spiritual walk? What keeps you from doing this as
often as you need? Why not do it now? Surely you have painful and
pressing needs. Who doesn't?
WEDNESDAY
October 13

Singing His Praises

Are you someone who sings when you are happy? The Bible often records
people bursting into song at key moments in their lives. Miriam and the
women of Israel sing at the shores of the Red Sea after having witnessed
God's mighty salvation (Exod. 15:20, 21). In wonderful poetic language
Deborah and Barak extol God's power over human kings and armies (Judg.
5:1-31). When Mary visits her relative Elizabeth, she breaks out into a
song of praise about God and His  incredible plan of salvation (Luke
1:46-55). All of these songs share one common denominator, even though
they appear in different historical contexts and under distinct
circumstances: they all describe what happens when God intervenes in
human history and responds to the pleas of His children.

Read 1 Samuel 2:1-11. What is the main theme of Hannah's song?


Hannah now knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is fully able to
control the circumstances of history, as well as her own personal
experience. She sees her life from a totally new perspective. Things
that others strive for and take as an absolute are in reality very
flimsy and could be gone tomorrow. In her song, Hannah makes surprising
contrasts to underline the fact that life's circumstances are not always
as they appear. The arrow of the mighty warrior breaks, while the feeble
are "girded with strength" (1 Sam. 2:4). Things we give value to are
often not as permanent as they  appear.

Hannah has found that true security does not depend on circumstances but
on knowing our God, who does not change. He is the One who tells us that
we each are special. He is the One who gives us value.

Some struggle with verse 6 in Hannah's song. How do we understand that?
Is God arbitrary in His goodness or His judgments? In order to
understand these verses, we need to remember the basic Old Testament
premise about life. This is so different from the modern worldview: God
is the Creator of life, and as Creator He has the right to do whatever
He wants with His creation. In other words, nothing on this planet is
beyond His control. This means that in the biblical worldview, even
negative things are subject to God's control. Often the biblical authors
describe this perspective in a way that could  suggest God's active
involvement in the design of bad things happening to humanity. In other
words, what God allows, God "does."
What can you sing about? Write a list of things that you would like to
praise God for. The more you praise God, the more thankful you will
become for what He has done for you. That's why praise is so important.
THURSDAY
October 14

God's Investment Plan

Even though Hannah leaves the tabernacle singing, she also leaves behind
little Samuel. She no longer has the stigma of barrenness, but she still
goes home to an empty house. With her son dedicated to God and working
for Him, who will look after her in her old age? She has, in simple
faith and trust, given her most precious possession to God. In this
sense, Hannah reminds us of Abraham, another hero who was prepared to
offer his son to God. As we already noted, the fulfillment of God's
promise to Abraham and Sarah also involved a long period of barrenness.
However, God "tests" Abraham's faith when the boy is already older,
while Hannah has decided herself to give her son, should she have one,
to God's service,  even before the child is born. After the boy is
weaned, he is brought to Shiloh. Can you imagine the feelings that his
mother must have felt when she waved him good-bye, especially
considering the fact that things were not going that well in the
household of Eli, who would now function as the mentor and guide of
young Samuel?

How does God honor Hannah's expression of faith and love? 1 Sam. 2:21.

Hannah could have refused to give her boy to the Lord and selfishly
clung to him as her only security. However, by giving him to God, she
not only received five more children, but her giving Samuel to the Lord
also had a profound influence on Samuel himself. In time, he became
God's special mouthpiece and one of the greatest educators and leaders
of Israel.

What dangers do we face when we hoard? Matt. 6:19, 20; Luke 12:16-21.

God is in the business of taking whatever we give to Him, multiplying
it, and giving it completely new dimensions that we never would have
dreamed of. Hannah learned that the greatest treasures are only really
secure when given to God. That which we hoard for ourselves here can, in
an instant, be gone.

Hannah knew who she was in God's eyes. This sense of her own worth gave
her the freedom to give.
We must remember that everything we have, all that we are, and all that
we own, is only because of God's grace and goodness to us. How should
that thought help us be more willing to give back to the Lord rather
than hoard for ourselves? What does hoarding tell us about ourselves,
our character, and our lack of trust in God?
FRIDAY
October 15

Further Study:


"Parents, give your children to the Lord, and ever keep before their
minds that they belong to Him, that they are the lambs of Christ's
flock, watched over by the True Shepherd. Hannah dedicated Samuel to the
Lord; and it is said of him, 'Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him,
and did let none of his words [the Lord's words through Samuel] fall to
the ground.' 1 Samuel 3:19. In the case of this prophet and judge in
Israel are presented the possibilities that are placed before the child
whose parents co-operate with God, doing their appointed work."--Ellen G.
White, Counsels to Parents,  Teachers, and Students, p. 143.

"What a reward was Hannah's! and what an encouragement to faithfulness
is her example! There are opportunities of inestimable worth, interests
infinitely precious, committed to every mother. The humble round of
duties which women have come to regard as a wearisome task should be
looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the mother's privilege to
bless the world by her influence, and in doing this she will bring joy
to her own heart. She may make straight paths for the feet of her
children, through sunshine and shadow, to the glorious heights above.
But it is only when she seeks, in her own life, to follow the teachings
of Christ that the mother can hope to form the character of her children
after the divine  pattern. The world teems with corrupting influences.
Fashion and custom exert a strong power over the young. If the mother
fails in her duty to instruct, guide, and restrain, her children will
naturally accept the evil, and turn from the good. Let every mother go
often to her Saviour with the prayer, 'Teach us, how shall we order the
child, and what shall we do unto him?' Let her heed the instruction
which God has given in His word, and wisdom will be given her as she
shall have need."--Ellen G. White, Conflict and Courage, p. 138.

Discussion Questions:

  Who in your church is experiencing difficult circumstances at home or
in their personal life? How can you as a group and individually help to
support these people? How much of yourself  are you willing to sacrifice
in order to help?

   What are some cultural stigmas that abound in your society; that is,
what are things that are deemed terrible by your culture? Ask yourself,
Are these things that God Himself also sees as bad? Are we, as a people,
in danger of stigmatizing, because of culture, things that God doesn't?
What are some examples where we might have done that? How can we know
the difference between what is cultural and  what is biblical?

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