Hannah: The Story Of Elkanah In The Bible

We can learn form every character in the bible through their stories. We learned from David that we all have challenges that we must face, even giant ones, and that God gives us the strength to get through those challenges. The story of Ruth and Naomi shows us that having faith and strong friendships can lead us down the right path. The story of Hosea shows us the steadfast and faithful love that God has for us. From every story, we are feed wisdom that are still relevant to this day. The story of Hannah teaches great and powerful lessons that can be used in our lives today.
I. Overview of the Character.
Hannah is one of Elkanah’s two wives. Hannah was unable to have children but Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife, could have children. Hannah desperately desired a child but the Lord had closed her womb. Time after time, Peninnah would tease Hannah because she had the one thing Hannah desired the most. Peninnah made Hannah so miserable that she would not eat. Elkanah would go
(Fee, G & Stuart, D., 2002, p. 83). The events within 1 & 2 Samuel took place over a span of 130 years. In 1 & 2 Samuel, we see Israel’s transition from tribal government to national government. In 1 Samuel, no true political leader existed in Israel. Big decisions were made by clans or a group of ‘elders’ from different clans. During this time, men were the ones who filled the leadership roles within their clans and utilized the primary social power within the culture. Women were not allowed to have more than one husband at a time, but men might have more than one wife at a time. Hannah’s marriage is an example of this, her husband Elkanah had two wives Hannah and Peninnah. This was common among marriages where the first wife was unable to have children. Women were valued because of their ability to produce children, and this wasn’t important so that families would have a male