1 Samuel 1:26-28
And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord.
For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.
Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” So they worshiped the Lord there.
1 Samuel 2:1-5
And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
“No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.
“Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.
“The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble.
Bible Gateway link to the story of Samuel
Also barren and appreciate your post. The Lord has placed young people in our lives and I, too, am filled. : ) Hubby did a sermon on 1 Sam 2:5 re: prophetic element of "barren has borne seven". Wives of 3 patriarchs (Abraham, Issac & Jacob) were barren; moms of 3 lifelong Nazarites (Samson, Samuel & John the Baptist) also barren. Pointing to ultimate (7th) barren womb - the virgin Mary. Thought you might find this interesting. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteAlisa
www.faithandfrivolity.blogspot.com
Alisa, that is very interesting. 7 and 12 are such prominent numbers in the bible. I never realized what that line might be referring to. Thank you.
DeleteMom of 2, daughter chose to be single, have friends without children. Noticed in scripture barren women prayed to have children, those born came at extremely strategic time, i.e.in time for unborn John to leap for joy. ( message to ProLife years before sonagrams?) Look @ others who came "in the fullness of time..." God's plan always involves us, sometimes impacts the world. The Lamb Won. Rusty
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment. Bless you
DeleteThank you for a wonderful post. I read the Bible frequently, but have to admit that I have not lingered over the stories of Hannah, Elizabeth, and Sarah, because I thought that their 'happy endings' distanced their experience from mine. Your discussion of Hannah is enlightening, and I will need to go back and read to see what I have been missing. Thank you for providing a lovely witness of the tender mercies of the Lord.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. I learn something new every time I read the bible. I think the Holy Spirit uses it to enlighten us, exactly when we're ready.
ReplyDeleteI think you're absolutely right - the timely revelations we receive are a continual witness of the tender mercies of God. Speaking of which, I thought your insight on ritual versus the heart was interesting. In Psalm 51 v. 16-17 we read "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
ReplyDeleteNow that good is being called evil, and evil called good, it sometimes seems that fewer and fewer value the broken spirit and contrite heart, because they are the companions of humility.