In the first chapter of the book of 1 Samuel, we are introduced to a woman named Hannah who was married to a man named Elkanah. Hannah was barren and deeply distressed about her inability to have children. Elkanah loved Hannah dearly, but he also had another wife named Peninnah who had children.
Every year, Elkanah would take his family to the tabernacle to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord. During one of these visits, Hannah went to the temple and fervently prayed to God, pouring out her heart’s desire for a child. She made a vow, promising that if God granted her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service.
Eli, the high priest, saw Hannah praying silently and observed her moving her lips but not hearing any sound. Thinking she was drunk, he approached her and rebuked her. Hannah explained her situation, and Eli blessed her, saying, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you the request you have asked of Him.”
Hannah left the temple with a renewed spirit, and in due time, God remembered her prayers. She conceived and gave birth to a son named Samuel, meaning “heard by God.” True to her vow, when Samuel was old enough, Hannah brought him to the tabernacle and presented him to Eli, dedicating him to God’s service.
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