RESPONSE TO FRUSTRATION [1/12/24]

A study of <1 Sam.1—2:11>

Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah; Peninnah had children but Hannah had none because The Lord “had closed her womb” <1 Sam.1:5>. Because of this Peninnah “kept provoking her in order to irritate her.” <1 Sam.1:6 (NIV)>. Have you ever been frustrated to the point of exasperation? How did Hannah respond? How do you respond to your offender? What did Hannah do with her grief, and how in this is she an example to us today?

There is no indication that Hannah made any angry reply or retaliation, but rather expressed her grief to the Lord, “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.” <1 Sam.1:10 (NIV)>. The natural response to any kind of provocation is for the victim to strike back verbally, physically or both, but God’s true children must turn to Him instead; we need to “Trust him at all times…pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge” <Psa.62:8 (NIV)>; recalling the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ; “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” <1 Pet.2:23 (NIV)>.

Not only was Hannah suffering at the torments of Peninnah for her physical inability, she was also severely misunderstood by Eli the priest who thought she was intoxicated, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.” <1 Sam.1:14 (NIV)>; in this we see how easy it is for others to judge when God is at work in the life of an individual who has no idea why they experience difficulty in life, and reminds us of the life of Job when God allowed him to go through such agony and to be judged by his wife and his three friends <see Job 2:9>. In her response she says to Eli, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” <1 Sam.1:15-16 (NIV)>. She has been pouring out her soul in a prayer of anguish and grief, and there are so many of us today who need to and are doing so because of life’s difficulties. Finally Hannah is at peace with God for we read, “her face was no longer downcast.” <1 Sam.1:18 (NIV)>, she was no longer sad for she knew that God had heard and would answer her prayer <see Mk.11:24; 1 Jn.5:15>.

So, the record shows that in the process of time the Lord remembered her and “Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”” <1 Sam.1:20 (NIV)>. In this we see that God has His purpose and time, for as we will see in the forgoing record Israel was in need of a leader to bring God’s people back to Him, and Samuel was the one that God had chosen. After the child Samuel was no longer needing to be breast-fed she fulfilled her vow to God, “I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.” <1 Sam.1:22 (NIV)> and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. Presenting the child to Eli “she said to him, “As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” <1 Sam.1:26-28 (NIV); cf Psa.116:12-14; Eccl.5:4-5>.

We should note that Hannah’s prayer request was offered many times, she kept on praying to the Lord <1 Sam.1:12>, and in God’s time her prayer was answered; and when her prayer was finally answered she continues to thank and praise God; “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.” <1 Sam.2:1 (NIV)>. Observe the change that occurred in Hannah’s life when faced the torments of Peninnah <see 1 Sam.1:7-10>, ask yourself: Am I joyful in God: if not, why not?

The lesson we should learn from this is that no matter what our circumstances may be as we suffer through our adversities, whatever those difficulties may be, God hears our prayer and will answer in His time, and when the answer comes we should not forget to give Him thanks and praise <see Psa.89:15-17; Isa.61:10; 1 Pet.1:6-8>. Hannah speaks of God and His acts, giving honour to God by expressing “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” <1 Sam.2:2 (NIV)>; she speaks to His Omniscience (God knows and is aware of all things), “a God who knows” <1 Sam.2:3>; she speaks of God’s acts in creation and in the control of His creation <1 Sam.2:6-8; cf. Lk.1:46-55>. She also speaks to the end-result of all God’s care for those that love Him, and his judgment on those that disobey Him: “He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.” It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the Lord will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.”” <1 Sam.2:9-10 (NIV); cf. 2 Thess.1:6-10>.

There is nothing in the record of what became of Peninnah, but we do see the change in Hannah’s life as she put her trust in God to bring her through her ordeal, and her response to God for answering her prayer. How will you respond to similar adversity?