Hannah’s Story: Bullying, Infertility, Sacrifice

Momma, is your heart hurting because you are being bullied? Bullying isn’t a new problem and doesn’t just happen among adolescents. People of all ages can be bullied, living in constant turmoil because someone is provoking them. Regardless of whether the problem is physical or emotional bullying, it’s torture. Hannah, a strong woman whose story is recorded in 1 Samuel, went through it. Not only that, but her bully was her husband’s other wife. How much hurt her heart must have been feeling… You are not alone. And Hannah gives us incredible encouragement through her story of bullying, infertility, bargaining with God, and sacrifice.

1 Samuel 1:1-28

1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on 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.”

12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”

23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah is a remarkable woman. As was common in Biblical times, her husband had two wives. Even though it was common, it caused so much heartache. The Bible tells us that she was provoked by the other woman, her “rival” (1 Samuel 1:8) many times. Hannah became so upset that she wept and would not eat. 

You see, Hannah was being bullied because she couldn’t get pregnant. She desperately wanted a child and had been waiting for so long. Maybe she wanted a child to quiet “her rival,” or maybe she was tired of being looked at like she had a third eye because she was barren. We have to remember that in that time, childbearing was one of the few roles women had in society. No child meant you were failing as a woman. Perhaps she wanted a child to call her own, to love and care for. Whatever the reason, “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.” (1 Samuel 1:10) Then she started making promises to God.

1 Samuel 1:11

And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on 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.”

Have you ever made promises to God out of desperation? I have. Crumpled on the floor, sobbing so hard that I couldn’t breathe. The only words I could muster out loud were, “God…please.” But inside my heart, I was pleading.

Please get me out of this situation and I’ll make more time for you.

Please save my mom, bring her back to me, and I’ll do whatever you want.

Please reverse time so that this never happened, then I’ll make a better choice.

In the midst of bullying, infertility, or any number of issues we deal with as moms, bargaining with God is common. The thing is, when we bargain with God, we don’t always live up to our side of the deal. Either we get what we want and forget all about the promises we’ve made to God, or we don’t get the answer we want and slink back into our selfish ways. Hannah did neither. God heard her prayer and gracefully blessed her with a baby boy. And she followed through with her promise to give him back to the Lord. She gave up her precious boy, Samuel, so that he would be raised in the temple serving God all of his days. Her dedication and selflessness resulted in a godly man who anointed the first King of Israel and followed God faithfully. God bless the legacy she left!

I know that some of you reading this have been bullied, even in youth or as an adult. Maybe you still are. Some of you are struggling with infertility. Some of you have given up a child for adoption. Some of you have lost a child because of divorce, domestic issues, or death. Things get complicated when children are involved – our emotions, our hearts, our lives. Hannah left a legacy that we can all look to, to learn how to handle these situations.

First, when Hannah was bullied, she turned to God. She was in despair and couldn’t eat. Maybe she had suicidal thoughts or a secret plot to get revenge on her rival – we don’t know. But we do know she didn’t give into the temptation despite her circumstances. She fell on her knees in desperation and prayed to God for help. He not only heard her, he remembered her and provided for her.

Secondly, the Bible doesn’t tell us that she cried when dropping off three-year-old Samuel at the temple, or that she looked back about 100 times after leaving him. Knowing the instinct of a momma’s heart, I’m sure she did. And she probably cried every day after that for quite some time. But here’s what the Bible does tell us: After giving up Samuel, Hannah praised the Lord through prayer.

1 Samuel 2: 1-10

1 Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. 2 There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. 4 The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.  5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away. 6 The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. 7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world. 9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. It is not by strength that one prevails; 10 those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Hannah’s heart rejoiced in the Lord – worshipped and praised him – despite having just given up her son. After waiting for so long to finally have a child, she faithfully gave him back to the Lord. We can learn so much from this sweet mother in the Bible. Her troubles are so relatable and relevant to our lives. And how she handles her circumstances is a great example to follow. Although she isn’t listed in the genealogy of Christ since she isn’t a direct descendent, her legacy is a part of the gospel story. Her decision to dedicate her son to God cultivated his heart to be the priest who not only anoints King David (an important man in Jesus’ ancestry) but is an integral part of that royal story.

If you are hurting because of bullying, infertility, or any other tough circumstance, you are not alone. Turn to God first, then seek the companionship of a trusted believer in Christ. Your story is so important – and so are you.

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