I have just started the book of 1 Samuel in my daily reading. As I began the book a few days ago it started with the story of Hannah and her request of God for a son.
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 And because the LORD had closed her 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 Elkanah her husband 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?"
As she prayed, the priest at that time, Eli, thought she was drunk. Her response…
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."
Even in those days, someone “pouring out their soul to the LORD” was not seen as the norm.
17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."
What happened next? God gave her a son. What was her response?
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 they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, 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.
She did what she said she would do. She had a son and she gave him up to the Lord. And what was His response?
19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD." Then they would go home. 21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
Hannah had such faith. She wanted a son, yet when she got the son, she gave him up. God response shows us that you cannot out give God. Give me your first, and I will bless you beyond your wildest imagination.
Malachi 3:10 is one of the verses I bank on. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
Nowhere else in scripture does God say test Me – several times He tests us. For those of you that believe in first fruit giving, you know this is true. God has given us everything. We give back so little, even in our tithe – Here God – a dime for every dollar you give me.
Yet we read about people like Hannah – Here God – 100% back to you – and God’s response – you cannot out give me. May we all become people who trust God like Hannah did.
