Thursday 28 November 2024
Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord”; and then they would return to their home. (v. 20)
Background
For the past few days we have been reading Samuel’s origin story. Today we read the final section where we hear of Hannah’s story.
In this section we hear how each year Hannah and her husband Elkanah went up to the Temple to bring their sacrifice, but at the same time they would meet their son, whom Hannah had given up to to live at the Temple. (1 Samuel 1:21-28) Each year Hannah would bring her son a new simple garment to wear.
Eli, the priest at the Temple, was clearly aware of the absolute sacrifice that Hannah had made which is why he blesses them each year in the way he does.
I am struck by the emotion that lies within this passage, which we often lose on a superficial reading of the words.
Imagine how hard the scene would be, particularly as Samuel gets older. His mother who clearly loves him gives him the garment, as a way of maintaining the bond with her son.
The family meet once a year but are then torn apart again as Hannah maintains her faithful action and her son remains in the Temple. There must have been pain in the eyes of all those involved, and this definitely stirs the compassion in Eli.
The passage concludes by telling us that God did bless Hannah with more children. However that cannot have made up totally for the pain she must have felt each time she left Samuel.
To Ponder:
- Are there people you know who have made sacrifices in their life to whom you need to show particular compassion?
Bible notes author: Sally Rush
Sally is a Learning & Development Officer in the Methodist Connexional Team.