Hanah - Surrendering in Waiting

HANNAH

Surrendering in Waiting

Focusing on the Here and Now

1 Samuel 1:1-20

 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 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.

 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 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. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”



The entrance to the temple in Shiloh



After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.  And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but 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.”




As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 
And Eli said to her: How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.
But Hannah answered: No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation
Then Eli answered: Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.
And she said: Let your servant find favor in your eyes.
Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, 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.”


Pray Teach me Lord to wait for You and to live in the reality of today. Help me to accept how things are right now! Thank you Lord that you always here us when we cry out to you!

Join us in the next few days as we look at other verses to learn more about what it means to wait upon the Lord.

Leah's Story - Overcoming Rejection & Insecurity

 

 

 

 

 

Leah's Story

In Genesis 29 we read about Leah - the oldest daughter of a deceptive man named Laban.   Remember Laban?  His sister, Rebekah, married Isaac and then gave birth to two sons - Jacob and Esau.  Rebekah helped Jacob steal Esau's blessing by deceiving Isaac.

This same Jacob shows up at Laban's door and falls for Rachel, the younger, more beautiful daughter.  He works seven years to earn her hand in marriage and (GASP!) Laban tricks him by substituting Leah for Rachel.  Lies?  Deception?  Not in this family tree, surely!

Leah's marriage arrangement takes a bad turn when the morning after their wedding night, Jacob cries, "Foul!".  A week later, after completing the bridal week festivities with Leah and agreeing to work for seven more years - he marries the woman of his dreams, Rachel.

Ah, finally, the happy ending.  Laban has successfully married off his two daughters, Jacob and Rachel end up in each others arms and they ride off into the sunset (after seven years)..............with Leah tagging along?!?!?

The Invisible Woman

There is another women in the Bible who found herself in a very similar situation.  Her name is Hagar and you can find her story in Genesis 16. 

Hagar was a servant to a woman named Sarai who wanted to have children badly, but wasn't having any success.  So, Sarai told her husband to sleep with Hagar and maybe they could start a family that way.  The plan seemingly works until Hagar begins to despise Sarai and Sarai begins to mistreat Hagar.  The result?  Hagar runs away..........used, unwanted, pushed aside, forgotten.

I imagine that is exactly how Leah felt, too.   In Genesis 29:31-34 we get a glimpse of what was on Leah's heart in her own words: "...my misery"; "...I am not loved"; "Now at last my husband will become attached to me."

Leah's heart ached for the one thing - to be loved by Jacob.  But Jacob couldn't even see her because he only had eyes for Rachel.

Not So Invisible

Both of these woman find themselves, through no choice of their own, in a no-win situation.  Leah is married to a man who loves another woman more.  Hagar is homeless, in the desert of all places.  And to top it all off, no one seems to care.  Where is the Action News at 7 reporter clamoring for an interview? or outrage from a civil rights group or assistance from a social services agency?  It seems like no one see the plight of these women?  But that's not then end of the story.

Genesis 29:31

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless......she named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the Lord has seen my misery."

She (Leah) conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too."

Genesis 16: 7-11

The angel of the Lord found Hagar.....The angel added, "I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count."  The angel of the Lord also said to her;  "You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son.  You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery."

Genesis 16:13

She (Hagar) gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her. "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." 


Can you relate to these women?  Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a situation that is completely out of your control?  You determine to be optimistic about the whole thing, and filled with hope you do what is expected of you and don't even complain.  But, when the dust settles and all is said and done, you find yourself feeling used, unwanted, pushed aside, and forgotten.

My dear, sister, God sees you!  Just as He saw Hagar and Leah in their despair.  He isn't distracted by all the drama, all the busyness or all the deceit.  He isn't wondering where you are.  He is El Roi - God Who Sees. 

Psalm 139:7-12

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

Jeremiah 23:23, 24

“Am I only a God nearby, ”
declares the Lord,
“and not a God far away?Who can hide in secret places
so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
“Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
declares the Lord.


Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

PRAY  Thank you, Father, that no matter how invisible I feel - how used, unwanted, pushed aside or forgotten - You always see me, hear me and love me.

Leah's Story - Overcoming Rejection and Insecurity

Genesis 29

Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.  There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.  When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.


⁴ Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”
“We’re from Harran, ” they replied.

⁵ He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”
“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

⁶ Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”
“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep. ”

⁷ “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

⁸ “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

⁹ While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. ¹⁰ When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. ¹¹ Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. ¹² He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.

¹³ As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. ¹⁴ Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.” 
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, ¹⁵ Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷ Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. ¹⁸ Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

¹⁹ Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her. ”

²² So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. ²³ But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. ²⁴ And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.

²⁵ When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me? ”

²⁶ Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. ²⁷ Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work. ”

²⁸ And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. ²⁹ Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. ³⁰ Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.  ³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,   for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”

³³ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. 

³⁴ Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. 

³⁵ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.   Then she stopped having children.

Genesis 30:1-21

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”
² Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

³ Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”

⁴ So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, ⁵ and she became pregnant and bore him a son. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan. 

⁷ Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. ⁸ Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali. 

⁹ When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. ¹⁰ Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. ¹¹ Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad. 

¹² Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. ¹³ Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher. 

¹⁴ During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁵ But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”
“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁶ So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

¹⁷ God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. ¹⁸ Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

¹⁹ Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. 

²¹ Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

Join us tomorrow as we explore our topic of Overcoming Rejection and Insecurity.

Rebekah
Rejecting Stereotypes -
Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

- Day 7 -

We've come to our last day on this topic, so it's appropriate that the final - and the most important - piece of the puzzle is put into place.  We've learned that God is the Original Source, He made us beautifully and His plans for His kingdom include plans for our lives! 

How is this possible? What do I need to do?

These are two questions that come naturally to most of us.  But before we begin our planning, let's take a look at the Master's plan.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrated his own love for us in this:  while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9

If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Ephesians 2:4-10

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us with with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God - not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We have to understand that even though we are made beautifully we are born sinners.  While sin can be beautiful, enticing, lovely to our earthly eyes, it is the sin in our lives that separates us from God - our Creator - who is Holy.  Habakkuk 1:13  (speaking to God) Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;  you cannot tolerate wrong.

The truth - sin is UGLY.  Once we see that, we can recognize the importance of God's son, Jesus, coming to earth to die as a sacrifice to cover our sin.  As we bring our sin to God, as we repent (turn from sin) and accept that there is nothing we can do to deserve God's forgiveness - He FORGIVES!  Now that's a beautiful plan.

A New Creation!

At first, our body and mind remain the same but, the Holy Spirit now lives in us.  Did you catch that?  The HOLY Spirit lives in US.  From ugly to beautiful.  From sinful to holy.  What does this new life look like?

Romans 6:4

We are therefore buried with him (Jesus) through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may have new life.

Being buried with Him means that the things that used to run our lives are no longer important to us.  This is when we reject the stereotypes from our culture.  They no longer have any control over our lives.  We have a new identity in Christ and we can give up our old self.

Ephesians 4:22-24

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Romans 12:1-2

....sisters, in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old is gone, the new is here!

Philippians 1:6

And I am certain that God, who began the good work in you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

God offers a new life through Jesus Christ and it is God who continues and completes our transformation into a new creation by the work of His Holy Spirit.  Like the caterpillar who becomes a butterfly, we can be confident that God is - right now, today, this very minute - transforming us "into His likeness with ever-increasing glory" 2 Corinthians 3:18...............BEAUTIFUL!

 

Rebekah
Rejecting Stereotypes -
Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

- Day 6 -

Beautiful Sister, I hope your heart is feeling lighter today about who you are, who you can become......let's cotinue to look to the "Original Source" and His Word.

Do you remember how God talked with Adam and Eve in the garden?  God created them to have a relationship with Him.  All through the Old Testament you will read "God said" or "the Lord said."  We were created to have conversation with God and because He made each one of us differently He wants to have a unique relationship with us.

As we read the story of Rebekah we see why God made her.  To give water to a servant with 10 camels; to go to another country and become Isaac's wife; to give birth to two sons;  one of them, Jacob, had many son and is in the geneology of Christ; the other, Esau, was the father of another nation.  She was made to be part of God's plan.

Later God speaks to Jeremiah and says, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11.  In Ephesians 2:10 we read, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Have to ever wanted to be part of a planning process?  party planning?  program planning?  school planning?  Well guess what?  God has a plan!  And you have the priviledge of being included in it!

 

Me? A Mona Lisa?

Now look back at the first part of Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship..." The word workmanship comes from a Greek word meaning, "work of art".  We are works of art!  Let's make this verse even more personal by removing the word "we" and replacing it with your first name.  Go ahead, say it out loud: "For __________ is God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." 

PRAY  Heavenly Father, I am willing to give up the stereotypes of my culture.  I want to become a woman of God to do your will and inspire other woman to do the same.

SHARE  How does God show you His love in your day to day life?