Hannah

There are two amazing things about Hannah that makes her one of my favourite Bible characters. Firstly, she was a barren woman who desperately wanted a child and so she prayed to the Lord … “she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head” 1Samuel 1:11. God answered Hannah’s prayer and the result was Samuel, him eventually becoming one of the great prophets, her fulfilling her vow and God giving her five more children. When she handed Samuel over into the custody of Eli the priest, she prayed a remarkable prayer that revealed such a tender heart and a love for the poor and lowly, reminiscent of that of Mary’s Magnificat, likely inspired by Hannah’s prayer: “… My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God … The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them …” (1Samuel 2:1,2;6-8). The second amazing thing is Hannah’s story reminds us of many great men of God down the ages who are indebted to a praying mother.