HANAH: BY STRENGTH SHALL NO MAN PREVAIL

The story of the prophet Samuel's mother, Hannah, is one which reveals much about Christ and the true nature of grace.  The story begins in the first chapters of 1 Samuel.  There we are introduced to Elkanah and his two wives Hannah (whose name means "grace") and Peninnah (whose name means "jewel," or "precious stone").  Peninnah had several children with her husband, but Hannah had none.  As important as child-bearing was in those days, this created an adversarial atmosphere between the two wives.  Hannah felt badly that she could not have children of her own and share that special bond with her husband, and Peninnah used the situation to provoke Hannah and make her feel even worse. 

During this time, the tabernacle of God was in a place called Shiloh, and Elkanah and his family would go up there to worship and offer sacrifices to God yearly.  While they were there, Hannah was in bitterness of spirit over her lot, and she wept before the Lord, and could not eat.  In her prayer she asked that God would give her a son, and promised to dedicate the child to the Lord for the rest of his life.  Eli the priest saw her in anguish and approached her about her condition.  At this time Hannah revealed to Eli the thing for which she had been praying.  He, in turn, pronounced a blessing upon her, saying that God would grant her petition.  Hannah believed God and latched on to this promise.  This is evident because she cheered up immediately, and went and ate something.  Afterward, she conceived and gave birth to a son whom they named Samuel (meaning "asked of God").

True to her word, after the child was weaned, Hannah took him up to Shiloh and presented him to the priest to work before the Lord from that time on.  God blessed her for her faith, and gave her and her husband five more children after Samuel.

We find in this story a striking difference between Hannah and Peninnah.  Peninnah had several children and was confident to the point of arrogance.  Because of her "success," she felt self-reliant, and had no reason to seek God's help and strength.  On the other hand, Hannah felt herself to be poor, barren, and unable under her own power and ability to produce a child.  As a result, God blessed Hannah's humility and dependence on Him, and the son that she conceived by promise became a man of great spiritual power and authority.  Peninnah's children, however, are never named or mentioned again in the Bible.  Her works are forgotten, but Hannah's endure forever because they were wrought in God.  "That which is born of the flesh is flesh [or fleshly]; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit [or spiritual]."  (John 3:6).

The story is allegorical in this way: Peninnah is typical of those who walk in the flesh and trust in their own works.  They are proud (because self-works always produce pride), and self-reliant, and very shallow spiritually.  Like plastic fruit, they appear beautiful and nourishing on the outside, but are hollow and empty on the inside.  Peninnah's very name implies great outward beauty, but a heart that is cold and hard.  Likewise, these have many good works, but lack the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, and so their works will not endure.  Hannah is typical of those who walk in the Spirit.  They are humble before the Lord, knowing that any good thing that they possess is from God the Father, and not from their own strength, wisdom, or ability.  Their works are born out of their faith in the promises of God, and the leading of the Holy Spirit, and will therefore endure forever as treasures laid up in heaven.  Hannah's name means "grace," and it truly defines who she was.  It was by God's unmerited favor - His divine gift of grace - that she prevailed!

It was Hannah's weakness that drove her to the Father in prayer, and it is our weaknesses that bring us to salvation.  When we realize that we can do nothing to save ourselves, then we know that we are in need of a Savior.  It is there that we become willing to dedicate our life and our service to God forever just as Hannah promised her son to God.  This must become our life-attitude, though.  Like children, we must never lose our dependence on the heavenly Father, but know that we need Him to supply all of our daily needs.  God spoke to the apostle Paul and said, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness," and Paul's response was, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."  (2 Corinthians 12:9,10).

The years that Hannah grieved and yearned for a son were to strip her of any self-dependence, and prepare her to believe God for the impossible.  Oh, that we might yearn for the Son of God to be born in us, and mature in us in just the same way!  Many people are like Peninnah, though, and feel that they are rich, increased with goods, and in need of nothing.  (Revelation 3:17).  As long as they can produce fruit of the flesh, they have no need to throw themselves on God.  In their very fruitfulness lies a deception that alienates them from the life of godliness.  Their lives have become like those who Jesus described as being "whited sepulchres."  They are indeed beautiful on the outside, but inside lie only dead corpses. 

With all of her blessings in life, one would think that Peninnah would have been gracious to Hannah; but instead, she provoked Hannah with words that vexed her soul, and caused her to feel worthless.  That is the way it is between those who are spiritual and those who are fleshly.  Just as Cain hated Abel, Saul sought to slay David, and the Jews crucified the Lord of glory, so also do those who walk after the flesh seek to persecute those who are walking with the Master.  "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."  (Galatians 5:17).  "They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service."  (John 16:2). 

Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel chapter 2 is very precious.  She rejoices in the Lord's salvation in verse one, and exalts in God's holiness and His strength in verse two.  In verse three, she condemns pride and arrogance; and affirms the fact that God is One Who does not judge by outward appearances, but instead weighs the actions of the individual.  Verses four and five are an acknowledgment that human might will fail, but God will strengthen the weak and they will prevail.  Hannah declares in verse six that the Lord holds all of our lives in the palm of His hand.  Verses seven through nine speak to God's justice in raising up His saints, but casting down the wicked, ending in the statement that, "by strength shall no man prevail."  Finally, Hannah's prayer ends in verse ten with a prophecy of the Messiah and His ultimate victory over evil. 

 

Are you learning to rely wholly on the Savior of your soul?  Do you yearn for Christ to be formed in you?  Have you discovered that by sheer strength or force of will no man can prevail?  Is it becoming evident that your own works are vain, but the work of God that He wishes to do in you will endure forever?  Then you are in a position to believe the promises of God that He has spoken concerning you, and by believing God will fulfill those promises to you in Christ.  "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."  (2 Peter 1:4).  Like Hannah, you will discover the power of grace over the works of the flesh.