Hannah's Joy-Hannah's Sacrifice...Samuel 1 & 2

• Hannah had no children after years of marriage. Each year at the temple she wept and prayed for a son (1 Samuel 1:1–7). Hannah promised the Lord that if He would bless her with a man child, she would raise him as a Nazarite and dedicate him to the Lord's service. Josephus noted that Samuel was 12, when he was ready to go permanently to the temple. However that doesn't fit with the scriptures, which tell us he was brought to the temple after he was weaned. All mothers who love raising children do as Hannah in some respect, when they spend their time serving, teaching, and raising their children to serve the Lord. However Hannah showed great faith, because she knew she wouldn't get to keep the child very long.
  

• Because of Hannah's great grief during prayer in the temple, Eli, the high priest, thought she was drunk 1 Samuel 1:9–12. When she explained that she was not drunk but praying, Eli told Hannah her plea to the Lord would be granted 1 Samuel 1:17. After hearing Eli’s words, Hannah's feelings of sadness were gone 1 Samuel 1:18.
  

• One of the messages we are supposed to learn from the plight of Hannah seems to be that she “poured out [her] soul before the Lord” 1 Samuel 1:15. This is God's invitation to us to make our prayers more sincere and thoughtful. You must know your soul's righteous desire to pour it out.
  

• Hannah did conceive and bare a son, Samuel 1 Samuel 1:19–20. She keep her promise after Samuel was born, taking him to be dedicated to the Lord and raised in the temple after he was weaned (around age 3 in the Israelite culture) 1 Samuel 1:21–28. Christians make promises to the Lord, too--to keep His commandments and build up His kingdom upon the earth to name just two. Even though it was probably not easy Hannah was diligent in keeping her promise. That is another lesson for us to learn from this story.

• The Lord asks us to sacrifice things of the world for Him willingly, remembering that everything we have comes from Him. This is sometimes not easy. He asks us to learn of Him, which is sometimes not easy in a busy world. He asks us to be witnesses, to be modest, to be charitable, to be forgiving, all of which are not easy in a world filled with selfishness, vindictiveness, and flagrant immorality. These are our sacrifices in general. Some of us have to bare other sacrifices as well.

• Hannah could have brought Samuel to the temple with a mournful heart. Instead, she made offerings and sang praises to the Lord 1 Samuel 1:24–25, 28; 2:1–2. Even during times of sacrifice and hardship it is important to remember to thank the Lord for the blessings he gives us. Without His blessings, we would have nothing and be nothing.

• After waiting many years, Hannah was first blessed Samuel and then with 5 more children 1 Samuel 1:2; 2:21. Patience is another lesson we learn from Hannah. In a world of instant gratification, God wants us to learn to wait patiently for blessings that will come in the His time in His way.
  

• Samuel unlike Sampson fulfilled his calling with God perfectly. He learned from his mother to put God first, to be patient, to be diligent and honorable in keeping one's word, to pray with faith, and to find joy in serving the Lord. We can teach these things to our children. We can embrace the lessons of Hannah and make them part of our lives.