Today's lesson is about Hannah who made a promise to God and kept it.  Hannah was married to Elkanah.  In that day, it was lawful for men to have more than one wife.  Elkanah had 2 wives.  His other wife, named Peninnah, had children, but Hannah had no children.  Peninnah made fun of Hannah her for not having any children.  I bet you don't like to be made fun of for not having something someone else has.  Neither did Hannah and this made her even more sad and miserable.  Elkanah loved Hannah even though she had not given him any children, but Hannah was still sad.

Every year Elkanah would take his family to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to God.  When they made this trip Elkanah would always give Peninnah and her children a part of the meat from the sacrifice but he would give Hannah a double part because he loved her so much. This year Hannah felt so sad and picked on by Peninnah that she cried and wouldn't eat anything.

Elkanah tried to comfort her by asking her "Why aren't you eating and why are you so sad and grieving? Don't I mean more to you than to have 10 sons?" But Hannah wouldn't be comforted and when they had finished eating she got up and went to the temple to pray. What should we do when we are sad or have problems? You're right! We should pray to God for help.

At the temple Hannah prayed and wept before God.  She made a promise to God that if he would just give her a son she would give him back to God. She continued to pray and weep and she prayed so hard that her mouth moved but no words came out.
The priest, Eli was watching and when he saw this thought she was drunk, but Hannah told him that she had not been drinking.  Hannah told Eli that she was not a "wicked" person, but that shen had been praying very hard and in sadness. She said that she had been praying from her very soul to God.

Eli then told her to go that God would answer her prayers.  Hannah did something else then that is important for us to do today.  She "believed" that God could and would answer her prayers.  We know she believed this because we read that she went and ate and she was no longer sad.

They left and went home and when it was time Samuel was born.  Hannah loved Samuel very much, but she remembered her promise to God,  and when Samuel was old enough to be eat and dress himself she took Samuel to Eli, the priest, to raise in the service of God.  God then blessed her and Elkannah with 3 more boys and 2 girls to stay at home with them.  Hannah always loved and remembered Samuel. Each year she would make him a coat and which she would take to him when they went to Shiloh.

Samuel grew up to be a great man of God because Hannah kept her promise.

Back to the Lesson Index