The Heart of Hannah

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).

In my previous blogs, I’ve frequently used – and reused – this verse, but this time, the written command is weighing heavier on my heart.

Recently, my family participated in our home church’s parent-child dedication. I have often heard them termed as “baby dedications.” But when we arrived at the service, our pastor ensured that we understood to whom we were dedicating our sweet little one and that this service was an opportunity for us, as parents, alongside our church family, to commit to raising our son in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Our pastor then asked my husband and I to choose a verse we wanted to cling to as we raised our little boy. Without hesitation, we decided on Proverbs 22:6.

The more I thought about what this verse represents and what it will mean to us as we (and our son) grow in faith, I couldn’t help but think about the precious heart of Hannah in the Bible and how diligent she was to raise her son in the way of the Lord.

Hannah’s story begins in 1 Samuel, as she was introduced as one of Elkanah’s two wives. More than anything, Hannah longed to have a child – something that Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, did not seem to struggle with. Scripture explains that while Peninnah had children, Hannah did not.

So, one day, while in the city to worship, Elkanah went to the temple to offer sacrifices. Verses 4-7 explain,

When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat (Emphasis added).

Hannah’s husband loved her dearly and was willing to do whatever he could to help heal his wife’s hurting heart, but Scripture shares that year after year, she would enter and leave the city with the same verdict: no baby. Not to mention an unkind woman who continued to remind her of what she was longing for!  

This woman (and her husband, I believe) had repeatedly prayed for the birth of her sweet baby that never came. She awaited the day to scoop him up in her arms, swaddle him, and love him like no other. After waiting month after month, it somehow developed year after year to see if it was the one that would bear a child. I’m sure that to Hannah, it seemed as though that day was never coming.

Until one day, it did.

At the end of herself, Hannah turned to God and asked Him for the baby she so desperately desired. On her knees, she begged the Lord.

She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.  She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head (10-11).

As the story goes, it turns out that Hannah prayed so fervently in the temple that the priest Eli thought that she was drunk with wine. When Hannah explained what she was asking God for, Eli told her to go home and, “may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”

Shortly after this conversation and prayer, Hannah conceived!

In a world without IVF, ultrasounds, and fertility medication, Hannah’s prayers had been answered. I can only imagine that she was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

However, in her joy, she did not forget her promise to the Lord. She knew she would return her son to the temple to be raised there.

Have you ever been where Hannah was?

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you’ve begged God for a miracle or something to happen well for you and your family? If He fulfilled that promise, did you tell Him that you would serve Him wholeheartedly or do tasks like reading your Bible daily?

Did you follow that promise to the Lord when He fulfilled those requests? Or was it just business as usual?

But Hannah?

She did exactly what she told the Lord she would do. After three mere years of childhood, she returned her child to the house of the Lord.

The baby for whom she had prayed so passionately for that the priest thought she was drunk.

The baby whom she waited years and years for to hold in her arms.

The baby she loved more than anything.

I can’t imagine her mom’s heart as she sat, rocked, and held her newborn, knowing she would be giving him back to the Lord in just a short time.

But Hannah knew.

She knew that the center of God’s will was the safest place for her baby to be.

As parents, we have been given the highest calling of all time – to raise our children in the power of the Word and the hope it brings.

We may not be taking and dropping them off at a temple for a priest to raise, but the call is still just as desperate as Hannah’s obedience. Within the walls of our homes, we must be ready and willing to follow the Lord’s call for our children’s lives and train our children in the way they should go.

The question is, will we?

For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there (1 Samuel 1:27-28).

Note: If you or someone you know is in a similar boat as Hannah struggling with the weight of infertility, check out Hannah’s Heart. This American Family Radio podcast covers many issues regarding child loss, infertility, etc.