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1 Samuel 1 – Praying through the Bible #82 – A Prayer of Emptiness and Dedication
There is an emptiness that consumes. When this emptiness is God absent, we can hunger and thirst after righteousness and be filled. When an unhealthy emptiness is like a black hole, it swallows everything around it into non-existence. Sometimes the pressure is self-inflicted, at times forced on us by family; even society can be guilty of making us feel inadequate and incomplete. Welcome to the life of Hannah.
Hannah feels cursed being childless. In her society, self-worth is determined by bearing children. Poor Elkanah tries to fix things (1.5). Doesn’t work. Like most husbands, he is confused. He can’t figure this woman out. “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled?” He even asks, and I picture him smiling confidently and naively, “Am I not better to you than 10 sons?” (1.8). I then imagine he gets a silent stare, or else Hannah bursts out of the room and bursts into tears. Poor Elkanah.
Poor Hannah is deeply hurt, so she prays and weeps (1.10). She prays a promise to give back what God gives to her (1.12). Imagine being so empty, you allow yourself only a momentary fulfillment that will last a lifetime. Although praying silently, Hannah’s lips are moving (1.12-13). Her mind is soaring, her eyes are welling, tears are flowing, and her lips are silently echoing her pain word for word. Eli the priest thinks wrongfully she is drunk and accuses her (1.14). Instead of comfort, she gets more pain. Apparently in her grief, Hannah is quite demonstrative while praying. In a spiritual sense, prayer is losing control to give up control to God. Here her physical, emotional and spiritual self appears out of control. Pain will do that and God hears our hurts.
God answers her prayer, and she keeps her promise. She brings young Samuel to Eli the priest. Gifts are given and a sacrifice made (1.24-25). To sacrifice does not mean to give up as in to lose; but to give up to God as in to make holy. To sacrifice is to sanctify. Samuel will be a living sacrifice; he will be given up to God for a life of holiness. “I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD gave me what I asked for, I now give the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is given to the LORD” (1 Sam 1.27-28). The Hebrew “asked” is the same as “give/given.” What is given down is given up to God. “Given” is also translated as, “lent” (ESV); and “dedicated” (NASB). Purpose is found.
Is this how we view our children and ourselves? Have we given and lent these lives to God? Are these lives dedicated? Becoming living sacrifices will help us and our children not be consumed by emptiness. The chapter ends, “Then he bowed in worship to the LORD there” (1.28). God gives meaning to our existence and fills our emptiness.
Prayer Challenge: Do not allow not having children or not being married cause emptiness. Give yourself to God. If we have children, dedicate them by raising them to serve God.
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