welcome
How would your life be different if you knew Jesus was returning at the end of the month?
worship
read
Deborah’s song together in Judges 5.
What strikes you about it? What does it tell you about God?
word
read
Hannah and her priest husband, Elkanah, were childless. No doubt they prayed and believed, but when their prayers evoked no response from God, Elkanah did the logical thing: he took a second wife, Peninnah. It worked! She bore him sons and daughters.
question
How long do we wait for God to answer our prayers before we take matters into our own hands and come up with a human solution?
We read that Elkanah loved Hannah deeply (1:8). Peninnah must have felt used. She was there to produce children that would secure the priesthood. She fought back with a verbal attack that wounded Hannah (1:6). It was at the annual festival at Shiloh that Hannah broke down. Unable to eat, unable to stop crying, she fled to the place of prayer and poured out her soul to the Lord in soundless praying.
discuss
- Have you ever found yourself in a position of silent prayer?
- How do you think it differs from word-based prayer?
- How does God use it?
Eli, in all his years as High Priest, had not witnessed this travail of soul before and concludes that Hannah must be drunk and accuses her.
Imagine yourself in Hannah’s position.
question
What would you do in the face of an accusation like that?
question
Would you be silent, self-defensive, angry, insulted?
Hannah, with courage and respect, speaks the truth and corrects her High Priest. Her response brings a benediction from Eli.
A son, Samuel, is born to Hannah and Elkanah. She decides not to go up to the festival with the baby and Elkanah trusts her judgement: “do what seems best to you” (1:23).
question
What does this tell us about God’s intention for marriage?
We see here a glimpse of what God intended marriage to be: husband and wife serving and loving God and trusting one another’s judgement with a mutual sharing in decision making.
After weaning (probably aged 3) Hannah honoured her vow to God and took Samuel to Shiloh. Instead of weeping with pity and loss she sings a song of worship and praise. Her song
1 Samuel 2:1-10 becomes the model for Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55.
application
It is exciting to think that your life might influence another life, maybe generations later. Think about that for a moment and share how it makes you feel.
Samuel, unique in Israel’s history, combined the offices of priest, prophet and judge. His mother allowed him to grow before the Lord (2:21). In return, God gave her five more children – quins perhaps!
questions
What has struck you most about Hannah? What can you learn about her for your life at university?
witness
We have seen how Hannah used silent prayer before God. It is a discipline that many people practice and is a well-recognised form of Christian meditation.
Take time as a group now to bring your friends before God in silent prayer. Whilst it may not be what we are used to, don’t be afraid to try new things. Is there anything that God wants to say to you through it?
