Hannah’s Prayer and God’s Call to Samuel

Context

Before Israel had a king, the people brought sacrifices to the sanctuary at Shiloh, where the ark of God was kept as a sign of his covenant presence. Eli was an aging priest there, and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, also served as priests. The faithfulness of these men affected everyone who came to worship. Into this important public place came Hannah, carrying a private grief that others did not fully understand.

Story

Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, had two wives. Peninnah had sons and daughters, but the Lord had not given Hannah children. Each year the household traveled from Ramah to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices. Elkanah loved Hannah and gave her a special portion of the sacrificial meal, but Peninnah repeatedly taunted her about having no children. Hannah wept and could not eat. Elkanah tried to comfort her, asking why she was so grieved and whether he meant more to her than ten sons.

After the meal in Shiloh, Hannah went to pray. Eli was sitting near the entrance to the sanctuary as she wept bitterly before the Lord. She vowed that if God gave her a son, she would give him to the Lord for his entire life, and no razor would touch his head.

Hannah prayed silently. Her lips moved, but Eli could not hear her voice, so he assumed she was drunk and rebuked her. Hannah respectfully explained that she had drunk no wine. She was deeply troubled and had been pouring out her soul before the Lord. Eli then sent her away in peace and prayed that the God of Israel would grant her request. Hannah left, ate, and was no longer downcast.

After worshiping the next morning, the family returned to Ramah. The Lord remembered Hannah, and in time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, remembering that she had asked the Lord for him.

Hannah nursed and cared for Samuel until he was weaned. Then she brought him to Shiloh with offerings and reminded Eli that she was the woman who had once stood there praying. “For this child I prayed,” she said. The Lord had granted her request, and now she dedicated Samuel to him for life.

Hannah’s praise reached beyond her own joy. She celebrated the Lord as holy and dependable, the God who weighs human actions, brings down the proud, strengthens the weak, raises the poor, and guards those who are faithful to him. Elkanah returned home, while Samuel remained at Shiloh and served the Lord under Eli.

Each year Hannah visited Samuel and brought him a small robe she had made. Eli blessed Elkanah and Hannah, and the Lord later gave her three more sons and two daughters. Samuel continued to grow in the presence of the Lord and gained favor with God and with people.

Samuel’s faithful service stood in sharp contrast to Eli’s sons. Hophni and Phinehas did not know the Lord. They misused their priestly position, taking portions of sacrifices by force before the required offering had been made. They also slept with women who served at the entrance to the meeting tent. Their sin was very great, and their behavior caused people to treat the Lord’s offerings with contempt. Eli rebuked his sons when he heard what they were doing, but they would not listen, and he did not restrain them.

A man of God came to Eli with a warning. God had honored Eli’s family by giving them the priesthood, but Eli had honored his sons above the Lord. Judgment would come upon his household. Hophni and Phinehas would both die on the same day, and God would raise up a faithful priest who would do what was in his heart.

Some time later, while Samuel was still young, messages from the Lord were rare. One night, before the lamp in the sanctuary had gone out, Eli was resting and Samuel had also lain down. The Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am,” and ran to Eli, thinking the old priest had summoned him. Eli told him that he had not called and sent him back to bed.

The same thing happened a second time. When Samuel came to Eli after a third call, Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. Samuel had not yet received a direct word from the Lord, so Eli instructed him to lie down again and, if called, to answer, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

The Lord came and called once more, “Samuel! Samuel!” This time Samuel gave the answer Eli had taught him.

The message was difficult. The Lord told Samuel that the judgment already announced against Eli’s household would be carried out. Eli knew about his sons’ evil and had failed to restrain them. The announced judgment could not be removed through another sacrifice or offering.

Samuel lay there until morning and then opened the doors of the sanctuary. He was afraid to tell Eli what he had heard. But Eli called him and urged him to hide nothing. Samuel told him everything. Eli answered, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

As Samuel grew, the Lord was with him and confirmed the words he gave him. Throughout Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, the people recognized Samuel as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to reveal himself at Shiloh through his word to Samuel.

What We Learned

• Hannah brought her grief honestly before God. Her silent prayer shows that prayer does not depend on being heard or understood by other people.
• Hannah responded to answered prayer with faithfulness. She kept her vow and entrusted Samuel to the Lord.
• Sacred office does not hide corruption from God. He weighs human actions and holds leaders responsible for how they treat both worship and people.
• Listening to God may require courage. Samuel faithfully told Eli the whole message even though he was afraid.
• Samuel’s call began with God’s initiative. In a time when the Lord’s word was rare, God called, guided, and established a servant who listened.