A short reflection on Hannah's prayers and actions in 1 Samuel 1

Hannah prays to the LORD for a child:

In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping freely,11and made this vow: “O LORD of hosts, if you look with pity on the hardship of your servant, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life. No razor shall ever touch his head.”

At first glance, this looks like she might just be promising to bring him up as a faithful follower of God.

But no, when she has the child, she takes him to the temple:

She conceived and, at the end of her pregnancy, bore a son whom she named Samuel. “Because I asked the LORD for him. The next time her husband Elkanah was going up with the rest of his household to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows, Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband, “Once the child is weaned, I will take him to appear before the LORD and leave him there forever.”Her husband Elkanah answered her: “Do what you think best; wait until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD fulfill his word!” And so she remained at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

She literally takes her son and leaves him in the temple, forever. She gives him up. And this was her idea; she prayed to the Lord and said, "I will give him to the LORD..." 

From a modern point of view, this whole exchange looks weird. Why would she pray for a child after longing for one for so long, and then just give him up almost immediately? Why would she suggest consecrating him to the Lord? If you give me a baby, Lord, I'll give him right back? I mean, she still doesn't have a son she can raise now. For all intents and purposes, she's still childless. 

So why?

Perhaps the answer is that her understanding of motherhood is much more loving and mature than my gut reaction. 

Her reward lies not in having a child to hold but in being allowed to participate in the bringing forth of new life, to participate with God in creation. 

She willingly gives him up as soon as she has him, because the point was never to "have" him. The point was for him to exist, for his life and hers to bring glory to God.

There is also a parallel between Hannah and Mary. Both call themselves the handmaid of the Lord, and both willingly give their children completely into the service of the Lord, although Mary raises Jesus in her home rather than leaving him in the temple. Hannah asks for the Lord to look with pity on his servant. Mary proclaims that God has looked with favor on his lowly servant. And for both of them, the primary cause of their joy was not that they had a baby to hold or a male heir. Their joy was in participating in the love of God, in fulfilling His will. 

I'm praying for you!

:)