Hannah

1 Samuel 1-2

The story of Hannah is an inspiring tale. The passage above displays her character in many ways leaving behind an example for us to follow. Some Christians may discount stories of influential women because the Bible speaks of women being submissive and the man being the head of the household, under Christ in the hierarchy, but there are lessons that can be taken from this account.

Reaction to provocation

In verses 6 and 7, the passage says that Hannah had a rival that would provoke her because she was barren and that it went on year after year – every time she went up to worship. However, Hannah reacted in a way that Christians should aspire to. After weeping a great deal, she went to God in prayer and made her request to bear a child. The idea of not reacting in anger to provocation is a theme spoken of throughout the Bible.

Colossians 3:8 Amplified Bible (AMP)

8 But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth.

Paul wrote to the church in Colassae that they should rid themselves of sins and included anger among them. He listed them in two groups, the first list being sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed – noting that, because of these since, the wrath of God is coming. But the list in verse 8 was given seemingly apart from the others hinting that they were to be avoided on top of the other list as if to say that they could be overlooked. Anger is one sin that everyone on God’s green Earth could fall prey to being that it is a natural emotion. I do not think that God wants us to somehow find a way to prevent our emotions, especially when provoked or hurt emotionally or physically. In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote “In your anger do not sin.” and “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Even Jesus got angry at least once in his life when, in Matthew 21, he drove out those that were selling in the temple turning over the money tables. This all tells me that anger itself is unavoidable. But we must not sin while we were angry. A sin that is listed in Colossians 3:8 is obscene language. I used the Amplified translation for the above verse because it pulls all the translations together to show what the word “obscene” means. Where the NIV says “filthy language” and the NASB uses the word “abusive,” the Amplified translates lists both while adding vulgar. The word to key in on for this particular study is “abusive.” This type of talk can often be seen when someone is anger or in a rage. In Proverbs, this is spoken of.

Proverbs 15 Amplified Bible (AMP)

15 A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath,
But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger.

A big reason why we should not speak in anger is simply because it doesn’t help anything. I use the Amplified translation again because it says “harsh and painful and careless” showing me exactly what happens when someone loses their temper and doesn’t guard his/her tongue. It does nothing but stir up anger in the heart of the person we’re talking to and won’t resolve a situation. There is another reason that is directly tied to righteousness that is mentioned in the book of James.

James 1:19-20 Amplified Bible (AMP)

19 Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; 20 for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us].

I did not think of what type of anger this could be speaking of until I read the Amplified translation. I think it specifically says “resentful, deep-seated” anger to show what kind of attitude we may have when anger with our brother or sister. Not only should we be slow to anger to avoid more anger, but we should be careful in our anger because it “does not achieve the righteousness of God.” He requires a certain behavior from us that does not coincide with being angry with others. In fact, in the Old Testament, there are passages that show us what God thinks of those that are quick to be angry.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 Amplified Bible (AMP)

9  Do not be eager in your heart to be angry,
For anger dwells in the heart of fools.

Proverbs 29:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

11 A fool [a]always loses his temper,
But a wise man holds it back.

According to the Bible, anger is entertained by fools. When looking at the word fool in the bible, it’s used very harshly. It is such a harsh word that in Matthew 5, Jesus warns against its use as a form of abuse. In the “Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible,” the word fool is defined as a “stupid person or senseless act. The bible uses the word in other places for one that does not believe in God as well. So, God does not use this word lightly. Solomon warns against even associating with those that give in to anger.

Proverbs 22:24 Amplified Bible (AMP)

24  Do not even associate with a man given to angry outbursts;
Or go [along] with a hot-tempered man,

I am greatly convicted by this verse given that, when I’m very angry, I tend to have angry outbursts and I’m quite sure I’m not the only one. It takes a great amount of self-control to never have an outburst and we are advised to not even associate with a man that is hot-tempered or quick to get angry.

Doing what you say

Another lesson to take from Hannah is that we should keep our word. After praying fervently, she promised the Lord that she would dedicate the child that she was asking for to the service of God – and she did just that. When I read this story as a child, I did not see how significant this was. But now, after having my own children, I understand how difficult that must have been. I fell in love with my kids even when they were still in the womb. I made plans for them. I bought them things that they would not use for years after their birth. I thought of college funds and savings accounts for them. I started Certificates of Deposits and things like that. All of this because of the great anticipation and the love I felt for them. Giving them up after they were weaned would have been a choice that I don’t know that I could have made. It took great courage and trust for her to do this. We are expected to have the same type of dedication to keeping our word.

Numbers 30:1-2 Amplified Bible (AMP)

30 Then Moses spoke to the leaders of the tribes of the Israelites, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 2 If a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself with a pledge [of abstinence], he shall not break (violate, profane) his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 Amplified Bible (AMP)

4 When you make a vow or a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God takes no pleasure in fools [who thoughtlessly mock Him]. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not allow your speech to cause you to sin, and do not say before the messenger (priest) of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry because of your voice (words) and destroy the work of your hands? 

Making an oath to God is dangerous. In numbers, the description given in the Amplified of how the oath is broken is harsh language. It is not just a broken vow when we do not do what we say before the Lord, but it is profane and a violation. The author of Ecclesiastes says that God takes no pleasure in fools, specifically fools that do not fulfill their oaths. And there’s that word again – fool. God doesn’t think much of those that would make a promise directly to him and not pay up. The passage is pretty direct. “Why should God be angry because of your voice?” We should not allow our speech to cause us to sin or that we should make it out to be a mistake. Later, in the New Testament, we are warned in even giving oaths to each other.

Matthew 5:33-37 Amplified Bible (AMP)

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not make false vows, but you shall fulfill your vows to the Lord [as a religious duty].’ 34 But I say to you, do not make an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’ [a firm yes or no]; anything more than that comes from the evil one.

Jesus told his followers that we are not even to make an oath, but to simply let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. We don’t need to swear by heaven or the Earth, but we do need to give our word and keep it.