Thursday, May 3, 2007

The Vow

I was reading 1 Samuel 1 this week and was intrigued by a story that I heard and read many times. Let me set the stage. Elkanah had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah (lets call her Peni). Two wives. What would possess a man to have two wives? Anyway, Peni had children with Elkanah but poor Hannah had none.

Peni was jealous of Hannah because Elkanah loved her more. So, Peni made it her job to provoke Hannah until she cried. Just imagine, someone tormenting you with something you wanted more than anything in the world. Peni knew that Hannah wanted children and wasn’t able to conceive, so I would imagine some of the statements she would have made went something like, “Elkanah only gives you more portions because he feels sorry for you”, or “Too bad you can’t have children so that Elkanah would love you”. Maybe she said, “I wonder how much longer Elkanah will keep you as a wife, since you can not bare him children.” In any event, these words would cut to the very bone to someone with infertility problems.


Hannah didn’t run, but she allowed her sorrow to turn to bitterness. Her husband was distressed and began to question her love for him. Her desire for a child had her so bound, she lost all focus on life and couldn’t eat.

While in the temple, Hannah began to cry out to God in sorrow. I can just image her on the ground weeping before the Lord. Begging Him for a child. Then, she made a vow, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” Well, God did remember her and blessed her with a son. Would she keep her vow to God?

Not only did Hannah remember to keep her vow, she gave Samuel to Eli, the priest, to raise in the temple when he was just weaned. This had to be difficult for her to do. After all, she desperately wanted a child and finally received one. Yet, as she gave him to Eli she said, “As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.”

What vows have you made to the Lord? Have you kept your part of the vow when God answered with a ‘Yes’?