On the crucial day when Hannah returned to Shiloh to leave her son Samuel with Eli the priest, she could have focused on her loss. Instead, she prayed. I smile at my enemies, she said, because I rejoice in Your salvation. (I Sam. 2:1 NKJV)
God did something special for Hannah that day. He gave her a vision and she prayed prophetically. She looked beyond the painful task at hand and looked into the future. In that moment, because she had released her son, she understood God’s plan for Israel and all humanity. She prophetically proclaimed the Second Coming of the Son of God. For by strength no man shall prevail, she declared. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces . . .The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed. (v. 10)
We could gloss over Hannah’s trauma, decide it would be easy for her to leave her little Samuel with Eli because he was in God’s care. The Bible gives us a glimpse of reality. As the family continued their yearly pilgrimages to Shiloh, Hannah continued to provide for him. She took robes that she had painstakingly made for her son so he would have something to wear during the coming year.
Can you imagine those yearly meetings?
We don’t know if Hannah asked for more children, but God gave her three additional sons and two daughters. No longer barren, she walked in His blessings. God honored the woman of faith who rejoiced in Him.
Originally published June 4, 1993.
Picture: Como Park, St. Paul, MN, 2009. Photo by Solveig.
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