God in Times of Crisis

1 Samuel 1:1-20 

When you look at the state of our country and culture, you can't help but see a crisis. We have a crisis of unemployment, a high crime rate, lawlessness, and people doing as they please, an illegal immigration crisis, and corruption in both the government and private sector. Just listen to the Madlanga Commission; it spells out how much of a crisis our country is in 

The book of 1-2 Samuel was originally a single book, and in the Hebrew Bible it followed the book of Judges. This is how Judges 21-25 says, “ In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.” This statement is repeated four times in Judges 17:6,18:1,19:1, and 21:25. 

In IsiXhosa we say  “kukwa vule zibuqwe,” and in isiZulu, “Gogo wenza unothanda.” It reminds me of when my nephew was 5-6 years old, and when you reprimanded him, he would say, “You're not the boss of me,” when he wanted to do whatever he liked, even though it was wrong. Similar to my nephew, the nation of Israel had no king, so everyone did as they pleased, which is a disaster when a people in a nation act this way, as it would lead to all kinds of moral and ethical degeneracy, and God does not tolerate such behavior for long from his people. 

The leadership was corrupt, and the people were wicked. It was obvious to the author of Judges that the nation was headed for total disaster unless God provided a righteous king to lead the people. 

Similar to the world we live in today, where people do as they please and you can't tell them anything, as they will call you a bully when you call them out for their behaviour and will say "engena phi?" The book of 1 Samuel will seek to address this issue of Israel having no king, and who will this king be? 

In verses 1-2 we are introduced to a certain family ‘’ 'There was a man from Ramathaim-Zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. 

We are introduced to this family who has a crisis, as the first wife, Hannah, is childless. A barren wife was seen as an embarrassment in the ancient world. Children were a gift from God; they were also important economically in the ancient social structure. 

They contributed to the family wealth through work, and they cared for their parents in old age. They ensured the continuation of the family by inheriting the family wealth. Hannah not having children was a real crisis; this put her in a very delicate position. 

This crisis was sort of a picture of the nation of Israel, who were in a crisis just like Hannah's name, which means favoured. In this way, Israel is favoured in the sense that they were God’s chosen nation, but were not favoured; they were in a crisis, as people were doing as they pleased. Just as Hannah is barren, the nation of Israel was barren as well; they were not bearing fruit. 

In her crisis of being childless, in 1 Samuel 1: 10-11 we are told, 'Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.'Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut. 

In her hurt, Hannah turned to the Lord, who can help her in her time of distress, as  the one who closed her womb, and he is the only one who can open it. She pours out her soul to the Lord. We should never underestimate the power of prayer and its importance when we share our thoughts, feelings, miseries, and joys with the One who understands them all. When you experience misery and bitterness, you are in a good place to pray as well. In prayer, we are pouring out our souls to the Lord. 

The main image that Jesus gives us of prayer is a child asking a father for help. When they ask their father, they shout and are persistent. 

While Hannah was praying this prayer, Eli the Priest came because her mouth was moving, and yet words were not coming out of her heart. He thought she was drunk, and she rebuked her to not consume wine anymore and to get rid of it, as she was already wasted 

She objects to the accusation of being drunk and denies that she had either drunk wine or beer, but she is just a broken-hearted woman who is pouring out her broken heart to the Lord. 

'Eli responded, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him. 

It is most likely this assurance that gave her peace rather than the conviction that this time she would have a child. Prayer is relational. Prayer is about a relationship with God. God often uses the sharing of prayer with others to bring reassurance and comfort to a grieving heart 

1 Samuel 1:18 says, “May your servant find favor with you,” she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent. God finds favour on Hannah; like her name, she is favoured, and she gives birth to a boy, Samuel, as she asked God for him. 

This broader, national significance of the passage is apparent from its location at the beginning of 1 Samuel. The book of Judges had concluded with accounts of moral disobedience and the nation needing a righteous leader. The birth of Samuel is cast against this shocking backdrop. Israel is barren like Hannah; each has a desperate need that only God can satisfy. 

The chapter opens with the account of God’s intervening on behalf of both Hannah and Israel. He delivers Hannah from her barrenness and intervenes in the history of Israel. The deliverance is the same for Hannah and Israel, that is, the birth of a weak and innocent child. 

In the New Testament, Luke 1:5-21, Zachariah and Elizabeth’s situation of childlessness was a reflection of the nation of Israel, who was desperate for a new lease on life, as they have been waiting for a savior for a longtime and this good news of the birth of the child is not just for the household of Zachariah it was for the whole house of Israel as this child in verse 14 we are told that he will bring joy to many and many will delight because of his birth as he will later announce the coming of the Savior that Israel has been waiting for. 

Like Samuel, who would be instrumental in God's anointing of God’s king, the birth of John the Baptist would be crucial in anointing God’s promised king, the Messiah, Christ Jesus, who would bring salvation to the nation and beyond Israel.