LESSON 3   
   *October 9 - 15   
   Hannah: Learning to Be Someone   
      
   SABBATH AFTERNOON   
      
   Read for This Week's Study:   
      
   1 Samuel 1; 2:1-11, 21; Job 2:12, 13; Matt. 6:19, 20; Luke  12:16-21.   
      
   Memory Text:   
      
   "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. There is no one holy like the Lord; there   
   is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God'" (1 Samuel 2:1, 2,   
   NIV).   
      
   One of the great struggles that many people face is the sense of their   
   own self-worth. What are we worth in this world? What can one life mean   
   amid teeming billions? We read about wars in which millions have   
   perished, often without a trace. Every day thousands are born and   
   thousands die. We sense massive forces over which we have no control,   
   which can run over us and our dreams as quickly as a truck does a bug on   
   the road. How, amid such a powerful and overwhelming flurry, can we get   
   a sense of our own meaning and purpose? Do we even have any?   
      
   The Bible, of course, teaches that we do, that we are beings created in   
   the image of God. We're important because we are important to God. Who   
   cares what others think of you, if the God who holds the whole world in   
   His hands loves you? His love, above all, is what counts.   
      
   This week, by looking at the life of Hannah, a woman without any claim   
   to political or religious greatness, we will catch a glimpse of a God   
   who loves us intimately and personally and of a God who tells us that we   
   are somebody, even though it's easy to get the message from the world   
   that we are nobody.   
      
   *Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 16.   
   SUNDAY   
   October 10   
      
   What Am I Worth?   
      
   Read 1 Samuel 1:1-16. Why was Hannah so distraught over not having   
   children, even though she knew that her husband loved her?   
      
   Hannah's feelings shouldn't be that hard to understand, especially in   
   her culture, where to have no male child meant to have no security in   
   one's old age. Having no child at all was understood as a divine curse.   
   Both in the public and in the family sphere, a woman without a child had   
   to live with a stigma of supposedly being cursed by God. Obviously, this   
   affected her value in the eyes of society, her own self-esteem, and her   
   relationship with God. Hannah must have wondered often what she had done   
   to deserve this. Why was this happening to her?   
      
   To understand the depth of despair that barrenness brought to women in   
   the world of the Old Testament, look at the actions and statements of   
   Sarah (Gen. 16:1, 2) and Rachel  (Gen. 30:1). How do they help us   
   understand how strong that sentiment was back then?   
      
   Sarah's action is reasonable in the context of the social and cultural   
   customs of her time. However, it also provides us with a glimpse of the   
   despair she must have felt and the burden she must have carried. What   
   woman would encourage her husband to have relations with another woman   
   in order to have children? Meanwhile, Rachel's heartfelt cry to Jacob   
   echoes a bit of Hannah's emotion and the turmoil of her feelings.   
      
   For Hannah, jealousy and the sense of "being nobody" created an   
   explosive mix of emotions that finally blew up when she poured out her   
   heart before the Lord. What made matters worse was that Hannah was not   
   getting younger. Time was against her, and, apparently, so was God.   
      
   Remember, also, that in Hannah's time, a woman's role in society was   
   primarily associated with child bearing and rearing. There were no other   
   career possibilities. A woman could not just change careers and find   
   fulfillment in another occupation. We have examples of woman judges and   
   female prophetic leadership in the Old Testament, but these are indeed   
   limited and depended on God's direct call. It was only through children   
   that Hannah could count the worth of her life and leave a legacy. To   
   her, without children her life had no real meaning.   
   A man had lost his child to leukemia. He told the pastor that he   
   believed his son died because the man hadn't kept the commandments   
   faithfully, especially the Sabbath, and so God punished him. What's   
   wrong with that kind of thinking? How can we protect ourselves from   
   getting caught up in that same kind of rationale?   
   MONDAY   
   October 11   
      
   With Friends Like These. . .   
      
   Living under the supposed curse of God and feeling that her life had no   
   real value must have been hard enough for Hannah. What added problem did   
   she have? 1 Sam. 1:6, 7.   
      
   Those who are closest to us often know how to hurt us most. With   
   Peninnah's constant provocations, it is not surprising that Hannah's   
   life became bitter. The biblical text emphasizes the repeated nature of   
   the provocations. Year in and year out, the same old story. It is   
   interesting to note that the Hebrew word for the action of Hannah's   
   rival ("provoked" [NKJV], "taunt" [NJB]) often is used in the Old   
   Testament to describe grave sins that provoke a direct divine reaction   
   (see Deut. 9:18, 31:29). This was not just a quick, sly remark. This   
   seemed to have been a premeditated and conscious strategy by Peninnah to   
   provoke Hannah into doing something stupid. After all, Hannah was her   
   only rival for Elkanah's affections (1 Sam. 1:5).   
      
   Though Peninnah's taunts were meant to hurt, perhaps the worst hurts   
   come from those who don't intend harm. Who, in the midst of terrible   
   pain, hasn't been made to feel worse by well-meaning people who just   
   happened to say or do the wrong thing?   
      
   Skim through the first five or six chapters of the book of Job. Job's   
   friends were truly sorrowful for what he experienced (see Job 2:12, 13).   
   Yet, how did they make the problem worse for him? Why was  this exactly   
   how someone shouldn't react to another's grief?   
      
   Loss of material possessions or of people close to us causes deep hurt.   
   Illness or the circumstances of our lives may seem daunting and cause us   
   to despair. Sometimes it is living with unfulfilled deep longings that   
   drains our lives of any sense of hope. Things go from bad to worse when   
   we have to face not only deep hurt or bad circumstances but also people   
   who seem to specialize in making our life unbearable. This combination   
   of unfulfilled dreams and constant tensions and provocation triggered   
   Hannah's cry before the Lord. Sometimes we need to shout out our hurt   
   and frustrations before God. When we hit rock bottom, we need to search   
   for answers outside of ourselves.   
   What are ways that we can encourage and uplift those who are going   
   through trial and calamity right now? What would you like people to do   
   for you if you were going through something terrible? Whatever that   
   would be, why not do it for someone else?   
   TUESDAY   
   October 12   
      
   Pouring Your Heart Out   
      
   Human nature can take only so much. Eventually action must be taken. For   
   some, this action can be irrational and even dangerous.   
      
   How did Hannah handle her pain? Read 1 Samuel 1:9-16 and describe the   
   steps that Hannah took to deal with her pain.   
      
   This prayer was no formal petition or general "please help me" kind of   
   prayer. The biblical author describes Hannah's prayer as "pouring out   
   [her] soul to the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15, NIV). The term pouring out   
   normally is associated with the pouring of liquids, particularly blood   
   and water in connection with sacrifices (cf. Lev. 4:7, 12, 18, 25,   
   etc.). It is often used to refer to God's actions. God can pour out   
   judgment or blessings (Pss. 69:24; 79:6; Isa. 42:25; etc.). It has   
   connotations of abundance and fullness. In some Old Testament passages,   
   the term is used in connection with prayer (Pss. 42:4, 5; 62:8, 9; Lam.   
   2:19). This pouring-out prayer is perhaps the most intimate kind of   
   prayer. It involves being absolutely honest with God, expressing our   
   deepest pain and fears. Hannah was so absorbed in her prayer that she   
   became oblivious to those around her and to what they might think of   
   her. She was, in fact, clinging to God like Jacob clung to his nocturnal   
   assailant (Gen. 32:26, 27).   
      
   Describe the immediate results of Hannah's prayer. 1 Sam. 1:17, 18.   
      
   While God does not always answer our prayers immediately, when we pour   
   out our hearts before Him we can be assured that He hears and will   
   answer us (Ps. 37:4) in His own time and way. This can give us hope and   
   confidence as we wait to see God's leading in our future.   
      
   In 1 Samuel 1:11, Hannah makes a big promise. Should God hear and answer   
   her prayer and give her a son, she would give him back to God. In the   
   Old Testament we find many people making vows to the Lord. As a matter   
   of fact, vows are often seen in the context of worship and seem to   
   belong to the same category as prayer and adoration.   
      
   Hannah's vow is huge. The hoped-for son was to be given up. What would   
   happen to her position as the wife of Elkanah? What would be her   
   standing in the larger context of the family?   
   How often do you pour out yourself to God in prayer? Why is that so   
   important for your spiritual walk? What keeps you from doing this as   
   often as you need? Why not do it now? Surely you have painful and   
   pressing needs. Who doesn't?   
   WEDNESDAY   
   October 13   
      
   Singing His Praises   
      
   Are you someone who sings when you are happy? The Bible often records   
   people bursting into song at key moments in their lives. Miriam and the   
   women of Israel sing at the shores of the Red Sea after having witnessed   
   God's mighty salvation (Exod. 15:20, 21). In wonderful poetic language   
   Deborah and Barak extol God's power over human kings and armies (Judg.   
   5:1-31). When Mary visits her relative Elizabeth, she breaks out into a   
   song of praise about God and His  incredible plan of salvation (Luke   
   1:46-55). All of these songs share one common denominator, even though   
   they appear in different historical contexts and under distinct   
   circumstances: they all describe what happens when God intervenes in   
   human history and responds to the pleas of His children.   
      
   Read 1 Samuel 2:1-11. What is the main theme of Hannah's song?   
      
      
   Hannah now knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is fully able to   
   control the circumstances of history, as well as her own personal   
   experience. She sees her life from a totally new perspective. Things   
   that others strive for and take as an absolute are in reality very   
   flimsy and could be gone tomorrow. In her song, Hannah makes surprising   
   contrasts to underline the fact that life's circumstances are not always   
   as they appear. The arrow of the mighty warrior breaks, while the feeble   
   are "girded with strength" (1 Sam. 2:4). Things we give value to are   
   often not as permanent as they  appear.   
      
   Hannah has found that true security does not depend on circumstances but   
   on knowing our God, who does not change. He is the One who tells us that   
   we each are special. He is the One who gives us value.   
      
   Some struggle with verse 6 in Hannah's song. How do we understand that?   
   Is God arbitrary in His goodness or His judgments? In order to   
   understand these verses, we need to remember the basic Old Testament   
   premise about life. This is so different from the modern worldview: God   
   is the Creator of life, and as Creator He has the right to do whatever   
   He wants with His creation. In other words, nothing on this planet is   
   beyond His control. This means that in the biblical worldview, even   
   negative things are subject to God's control. Often the biblical authors   
   describe this perspective in a way that could  suggest God's active   
   involvement in the design of bad things happening to humanity. In other   
   words, what God allows, God "does."   
   What can you sing about? Write a list of things that you would like to   
   praise God for. The more you praise God, the more thankful you will   
   become for what He has done for you. That's why praise is so important.   
   THURSDAY   
   October 14   
      
   God's Investment Plan   
      
   Even though Hannah leaves the tabernacle singing, she also leaves behind   
   little Samuel. She no longer has the stigma of barrenness, but she still   
   goes home to an empty house. With her son dedicated to God and working   
   for Him, who will look after her in her old age? She has, in simple   
   faith and trust, given her most precious possession to God. In this   
   sense, Hannah reminds us of Abraham, another hero who was prepared to   
   offer his son to God. As we already noted, the fulfillment of God's   
   promise to Abraham and Sarah also involved a long period of barrenness.   
   However, God "tests" Abraham's faith when the boy is already older,   
   while Hannah has decided herself to give her son, should she have one,   
   to God's service,  even before the child is born. After the boy is   
   weaned, he is brought to Shiloh. Can you imagine the feelings that his   
   mother must have felt when she waved him good-bye, especially   
   considering the fact that things were not going that well in the   
   household of Eli, who would now function as the mentor and guide of   
   young Samuel?   
      
   How does God honor Hannah's expression of faith and love? 1 Sam. 2:21.   
      
   Hannah could have refused to give her boy to the Lord and selfishly   
   clung to him as her only security. However, by giving him to God, she   
   not only received five more children, but her giving Samuel to the Lord   
   also had a profound influence on Samuel himself. In time, he became   
   God's special mouthpiece and one of the greatest educators and leaders   
   of Israel.   
      
   What dangers do we face when we hoard? Matt. 6:19, 20; Luke 12:16-21.   
      
   God is in the business of taking whatever we give to Him, multiplying   
   it, and giving it completely new dimensions that we never would have   
   dreamed of. Hannah learned that the greatest treasures are only really   
   secure when given to God. That which we hoard for ourselves here can, in   
   an instant, be gone.   
      
   Hannah knew who she was in God's eyes. This sense of her own worth gave   
   her the freedom to give.   
   We must remember that everything we have, all that we are, and all that   
   we own, is only because of God's grace and goodness to us. How should   
   that thought help us be more willing to give back to the Lord rather   
   than hoard for ourselves? What does hoarding tell us about ourselves,   
   our character, and our lack of trust in God?   
   FRIDAY   
   October 15   
      
   Further Study:   
      
      
   "Parents, give your children to the Lord, and ever keep before their   
   minds that they belong to Him, that they are the lambs of Christ's   
   flock, watched over by the True Shepherd. Hannah dedicated Samuel to the   
   Lord; and it is said of him, 'Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him,   
   and did let none of his words [the Lord's words through Samuel] fall to   
   the ground.' 1 Samuel 3:19. In the case of this prophet and judge in   
   Israel are presented the possibilities that are placed before the child   
   whose parents co-operate with God, doing their appointed work."--Ellen G.   
   White, Counsels to Parents,  Teachers, and Students, p. 143.   
      
   "What a reward was Hannah's! and what an encouragement to faithfulness   
   is her example! There are opportunities of inestimable worth, interests   
   infinitely precious, committed to every mother. The humble round of   
   duties which women have come to regard as a wearisome task should be   
   looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the mother's privilege to   
   bless the world by her influence, and in doing this she will bring joy   
   to her own heart. She may make straight paths for the feet of her   
   children, through sunshine and shadow, to the glorious heights above.   
   But it is only when she seeks, in her own life, to follow the teachings   
   of Christ that the mother can hope to form the character of her children   
   after the divine  pattern. The world teems with corrupting influences.   
   Fashion and custom exert a strong power over the young. If the mother   
   fails in her duty to instruct, guide, and restrain, her children will   
   naturally accept the evil, and turn from the good. Let every mother go   
   often to her Saviour with the prayer, 'Teach us, how shall we order the   
   child, and what shall we do unto him?' Let her heed the instruction   
   which God has given in His word, and wisdom will be given her as she   
   shall have need."--Ellen G. White, Conflict and Courage, p. 138.   
      
   Discussion Questions:   
      
     Who in your church is experiencing difficult circumstances at home or   
   in their personal life? How can you as a group and individually help to   
   support these people? How much of yourself  are you willing to sacrifice   
   in order to help?   
      
      What are some cultural stigmas that abound in your society; that is,   
   what are things that are deemed terrible by your culture? Ask yourself,   
   Are these things that God Himself also sees as bad? Are we, as a people,   
   in danger of stigmatizing, because of culture, things that God doesn't?   
   What are some examples where we might have done that? How can we know   
   the difference between what is cultural and  what is biblical?   
      
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