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Internal Conflict
Hello:
Let’s continue our Story. Our text for today is:
I Samuel 1:6 “And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. 7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.” Okay, not only does Hannah have to endure the scrutiny from the community but as you can see in the text, she also has to deal with ridicule and provoke from within her own household. Our home should be our “little sanctuary.” It should be the one place where we can go to and feel safe and supported and loved. This was not the case with Hannah, or with many of us.
Often times our worst enemies can be in our own households. Many of us are dealing with situations now where you can handle outsiders criticizing you but when the torment comes from within your own household and among the people that you live with and share with, that’s a little harder to swallow.
The text calls Peninnah her adversary. That word adversary means to trouble, to distress, to afflict. Maybe Peninnah was jealous that Elkanah loved Hannah more than her, for the text clearly teaches us that his giving Hannah a “worthy” portion to sacrifice at the house of God demonstrated how he favored her over Peninnah. Maybe Peninnah had her own hurts and insecurities that she was experiencing from being the less favored. If scholars are right and Elkanah married Peninnah because Hannah was barren and he only wanted children through her then Peninnah lives a life with out the love of her husband and she may have been acting out her frustrations on Hannah. We do not know the exact reason, but what we do know is that she was her adversary and that she provoked her to the point that it caused her to weep and not eat.
Okay, if you’re reading ahead, you may think that the next part of the text is to bring Hannah comfort, but the event actually has an opposite effect. Let’s look at it:I Samuel 1:8 “Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons? 9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk.”
This part of the story is really personal to me for this is my story. We know that Hannah has to deal with both the scrutiny from the community and her rival Peninnah which is in her household. Her problem is always in her face. She doesn’t get any relief from it. Peninnah has children and I’m sure with every announcement of a pregnancy it was more and more difficult for Hannah to take. In our text today, her husband Elkanah is trying to console her. He tells her; “Hannah, why are you so sad and why does your heart hurt and ache and long for a child when it is clear that it may not happen for you. He goes on to tell her; “Am I not better to you than having ten sons?”
You can see in the text that it is a son that Hannah wants. It was every Israelite woman’s dream to have a son for her husband, to be able to provide an heir to pass on the name, continue the lineage, and possibly to be blessed enough to even birth the “messiah.” This was important to women of the ancient world. Elkanah loves Hannah so much that he simply is trying to ease the pain by telling her can’t you feel the love that I have for you and isn’t it just enough. I understand what Elkanah was trying to do but when you want something from God or when you have a dream or a promise from God, nobody can take the place of it. Nobody can be enough. Some things only God can satisfy. This longing that Hannah has only God can solve. When you want something from God, when other people offer alternatives for your longing, you almost feel betrayed as if they have ceased to believe God with you though you know that they are simply trying to ease the pain. But a desire from God, (that really comes from God), we know it is from God, because we can’t give up on it. We can’t stop thinking about it. We may walk away from it for a season, but eventually we’re drawn back to it and we begin to long for it all over again. Hannah wants a son. God has shut up her womb. God did this. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why Hannah and for what purpose. I tell you that this is my story because for 16 years since marriage I have been trying to have a baby. I always thought I would have kids; I’ve always pictured my life with them. A few years ago, my husband was really talking to me about adopting, while I don’t have a problem with that, in my gut, I almost felt like he had not stop believing God with me, but he was simply trying to ease the pain. Okay, I’m going to stop here, I’m starting to feel it. But the text says after Elkanah has this conversation with Hannah, she gets up and what she does next is powerful. Tune in on Monday for the continutation of our story and remember this is all leading us up to ur first monarch.
Have a wonderful weekend. The weather turned a bit cold here last night in Australia. We went to the city harbor and the wind was pretty intense. It is simply beautiful here and the people are really treating me well. I’ll post some pictures on the web when I return.
God Bless. Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.
25. April 2009 at 16:35
hello there Bless and highly favored woman of God!!!
Internal Conflict/ I just love this story about Hannah.
What a powerful lesson thank you Pastor Davis for
all u do.
Love ya!!!
Crystal/reidsville nc.