The Consequences of Prophecy-
The Humble Wife Who Received a Five Fold Blessing
While many people are excited about the concept of receiving a double portion of anointings for their faithfulness, He desires to bless us even more greatly. Cursed with barrenness and taunted by her romantic rival, a desperate woman turned to G3D and was showered with more gifts than she ever dreamed of, but at the cost of her greatest treasure.
Hannah is introduced during the time of the Judges. There was no centralized government at the time and Israel was just a loose association of confederated tribes, which only banded together during military emergencies. This lack of unity unfortunately blended into families and households as well.
Hannah is the wife of Elkanah, but she is not his only wife.
Elkanah has a second wife named Peninnah, and she has birthed multiple children for her husband already, which gives her great pride and status over the barren Hannah. Peninnah would torture and mock Hannah for her lack of children, provoking her severely and making her miserable every opportunity she had.
It is implied, because she is listed first amongst Elkanah’s wives, that Hannah was Elkanah’s first wife, but it is quite clear that he loves and favors Hannah despite having no children by her. When making the yearly trip to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord, Elkanah would give portions to Peninnah and to her sons and daughters, but Hannah would receive a double portion because of his devotion to his adored wife.
Nevertheless this double portion from her husband could not be enjoyed.
Whenever the family went up to Shiloh to offer sacrifices at the Tabernacle, Peninnah would torment Hannah so intensely that, Hannah could not eat the double portion that her husband had especially set aside for her because she was so overcome with grief and wept with an intensity that shook her soul.
Elkanah saw the distress his beloved wife was experiencing and asked why she wailed with such great sorrow and refused to eat the double portion that he set aside to display his favor for her. He asked “Am I not better to you than ten sons?” failing to understand why she mourned.
After the rest of the family finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah went to pray at the entrance of the Tabernacle, where Eli the High Priest sat watching the festivities of the yearly pilgrimage.
Hannah was filled with bitterness in her soul, weeping in anguish, as she prayed to G3D. She made a vow, “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 me a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head”.
Eli, the High Priest, watched Hannah as she prayed to the Lord, and noticed that her lips were moving but she was not saying anything aloud. He didn’t realize that she was praying within her heart so her voice was not heard, and confronted Hannah, thinking that she was intoxicated.
After chastising her, Hannah answered back in tears that she had not had anything to drink, but that she was filled with sorrow in her spirit and was pouring her soul out to the Lord. She was not a wicked drunkard, but was so burdened by her pain and misery that she could not speak till now.
The High Priest was moved by her pain and pitied her, sending her with a blessing: “Go in Peace, and the G3d of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him”.
Rather than continuing in her anguish, she thanked Eli for his sanctifying words and went back to her family and ate and her face was no longer overcome with sadness.
The next day they rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord and returned back to their hometown where Elkanah knew his wife Hannah. The Lord remembered her and she conceived and bore a son whom she called Samuel, because G3d had fulfilled her prayer.
The next year when the family was preparing to visit the Tabernacle at Shiloh to worship, Hannah stayed behind. She planned to finish nursing him before she gave him forever to the Lord.
After Samuel was weaned, Hannah kept her promise and brought him and three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine as sacrifices. After slaughtering the bull, they brought the child to Eli and presented Samuel as a lifelong servant to G3D.
Hannah continued to care for her son after presenting him at the Tabernacle, bringing him a little robe every year when she came up with her husband Elkanah to perform the yearly sacrifice. Eli repaid Hannah’s faithfulness in bringing Samuel with a blessing that “The Lord give Hannah children for the loan that she gave to the Lord”.
And G3D continued to bless Hannah so that she conceived three additional sons and two daughters.
While Hannah was originally ridiculed by Peninnah for not having any children, Peninnah having at least two sons and two daughters, Hannah may have been blessed with more children ultimately with a total of six children, five of which she was able to raise with her husband. In addition, her first son Samuel became the 13th Judge and one of the great Prophets of Israel.
G3D gave excessive blessings to Hannah because she came to Him with an earnest heart, but more importantly, she kept her vow to give her first born son in service to Him. She desired so greatly to simply be a mother, but this yearning was not greater than her devotion to G3D. For this, He gifted Hannah far more than the double portion of food that her husband gave her, she had five additional children in addition to her legendary son Samuel.
We look forward to receiving greater blessings, but often fail to recognize what we will have to give up in the process in order to obtain them. Hannah wanted to be a mother but it also meant that she would have to give up her first born son. By trusting G3D, she not only gave birth to a righteous and great man, she had five more children to bring her great joy. When we are diligent and faithful to Him, He will not stop short by simply giving a double portion, our blessings are often multiplied many times over.
Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator
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