https://esv.literalword.com/?q=1+Samuel+1
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 15 July 2025:
Here is a short video overview of 1 Samuel: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/1-samuel/
1 Samuel 1:1–2 — There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim… whose name was Elkanah…. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
The story begins with personal pain and spiritual tension. Elkanah’s household reflects a fractured model—two wives, favoritism, and division. Hannah, though beloved, is barren. In Scripture, barrenness, a curse by God according to popular opinion of the day, often sets the stage for divine intervention (e.g., Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Elizabeth) and revelation. It is in these dry, painful seasons that God’s miraculous purposes begin to unfold.
- Isaiah 55:8–9 — “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.”
- Romans 8:28 — And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good….
1 Samuel 1:3–7 — Now this man used to go up year by year…. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah…. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb…. And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.
Hannah is doubly wounded—not only is she barren, but she is also taunted by her rival. Elkanah tries to comfort her, but even his love cannot satisfy the ache in her soul. Peninnah’s cruelty reminds us that spiritual wounds often come not from enemies, but from within the household of faith. Hannah’s barrenness is not a punishment—it is a preparation. In your trials, wait upon the Lord, despite what others might say about your circumstances – Remember, God is at hand!
- James 1:2–4 — Count it all joy… when you meet trials… that you may be perfect and complete….
- 1 Samuel 1:8 — And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep?… Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
Though Elkanah loves her, he does not understand her grief. His question is well-meaning but inadequate. Sometimes even those closest to us cannot grasp the depth of our longing. This verse speaks to the limits of human comfort. Only God can fill the voids we carry.
- Psalm 34:18 — The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
1 Samuel 1:9–11 — She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow…. “O LORD of hosts, if you will… give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
Hannah’s prayer is desperate, raw, and heartfelt. She doesn’t run from God in her pain; she runs to Him. She calls God “LORD of Hosts,” recognizing His sovereign power. Her vow is not a bargain but an act of humble submission. She longs not just for a child but to offer something back to the Lord, to parent for the Lord, to raise up godly offspring for His glory. Her prayer prepares the womb through which God births His greater redemptive plan for Israel.
- Philippians 4:6 — …in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
- Romans 12:1 — …present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
1 Samuel 1:12–16 — As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart…. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman…. But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit…. I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.”
Hannah is misunderstood in her worship. Even Eli, the high priest, mistakes her heartfelt, silent prayer for drunkenness. Eli made judgments based upon outward appearances. Generally, Eli will prove to be a poor judge of character. This moment reflects the spiritual dullness of Israel’s leadership, but also the sincere, Spirit-led prayer of a woman in anguish. God hears not the volume of our prayers, but the genuineness of our heart. According to outward appearance and social acceptance, Eli was closer to the Lord than everyone else and most equipped to be used mightily by God through God’s power and authority; according to the Truth and invisible reality, Hannah was closer to God than Eli and was ready to be used by God in an amazing way through God’s power – her key qualifications were humble, dedicated submission and commitment, not education, status, wealth, or position.
- Romans 8:26 — For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
- Ephesians 5:18 — And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.
1 Samuel 1:17–18 — Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition….” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Though her circumstances haven’t changed, her countenance has. She has cast her cares upon the Lord, and now she walks in the peace of trust in Him. True prayer doesn’t just change situations, it changes hearts. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5), which is naturally produced by the branch connected to the Vine (John 15), the person who truly “abides” in the Lord (do a word search for “abide” in the Bible, focusing on the writings of John, to understand what that means). Don’t seek merely to change your circumstances; seek rather to learn how to abide in Him through all of your circumstances.
- 1 Peter 5:7 — Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Samuel 1:19–20 — And the LORD remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the LORD.”
God responds to Hannah’s faith and fulfills her request in His perfect timing. The name Samuel means “God has heard.” Her testimony becomes part of Israel’s history, a reminder that God hears and acts in response to the cries of His people. Hannah was a socially insignificant person who God is going to use in a most significant way to mother one of Israel’s greatest prophet judges, the one who will anoint Israel’s kings, Saul and David. What made her different? God heard her persistent prayers. Why? She placed her hope and trust in Him alone and prayed to Him genuinely and wholeheartedly.
- Luke 1:13 — Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard….
- James 5:16 — Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
1 Samuel 1:21–28 — And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her… and said to Eli, “I am the woman who was standing here…. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me my petition…. Therefore, I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.”
Hannah keeps her vow. She offers her son—her long-awaited joy—back to God. This is worship in its truest form: to give back to God what we hold most dear. Hannah doesn’t merely give thanks with her words, but with sacrificial action. Samuel becomes not just her child, but a servant of the Lord who will usher in a new era in Israel’s spiritual life.
- Luke 2:22 — And when the time came… they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord….
- Romans 11:36 — For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 15 July 2025: Like Hannah, bring your deepest anguish to the Lord in prayer—not with a bargain, but in trust and surrender. When God delays, it may be because He’s preparing to do something greater than you can imagine. And when He answers, hold your blessings with open hands. Today, practice sacrificial trust: take something precious to you—your time, resources, or plans—and offer it fully to God’s purposes. Trust that He can do more with your surrender than you could through your striving.
Pray: “Lord, thank You that You hear the cries of the brokenhearted. Teach me to pray with honesty, faith, and surrender. Help me to walk in peace even before I see the answer. And when You bless, give me the grace to hold Your gifts loosely and offer them back to You in worship. Like Hannah, let me live a life of faith that impacts generations. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 