People Of the Old Testament
Hannah - Study One
Read 1 Samuel 1:1-20
Background: Hannah is the first wife of Elkanah and lived in Ephraim. 1 Chronicles 6:22-27 explains the genealogy for Elkanah, who is descended from Levi in the line of Kohath.
1. What kind of marriage did Hannah and Penninah have with Elkanah?
2. The times of worship and sacrifice in Shiloh would also have been opportunities for festival and feasting. Why, then, was Hannah weeping and refusing to eat?
3. What vow did Hannah make in verse 11? Why?
4. How did Eli, the High Priest, react when he witnessed Hannah praying in the Temple?
5. What did Hannah's response to Eli reveal about her character and her relationship with God?
6. How did God bless Hannah?
Read 1 Samuel 1:21-28
7. How does Hannah fulfil her vow to God?
8. What can we learn from Hannah's example as a mother?
Hannah - Study Two
Read 1 Samuel 2:1-11
1. What does Hannah's prayer reveal about her understanding of:
a. God's character
b. God's power
c. God's relationship with people
d. God's relationship with creation
e. God's judgment
2. How did waiting on God strengthen Hannah's faith?
Read Luke 1:46-55
3. In verse 10 Hannah makes the first reference in the Bible to God's "anointed" one that is the Messiah or Christ. What hope does Hannah claim that God's anointed will bring to a world where the wicked seem to prevail?
4. How is Mary's song (sometimes called the "Magnificat") similar to Hannah's prayer? What is celebrated in each?
Read 1 Samuel 2:18-21
5. What has Hannah sacrificed? What has she gained?
6. What can we learn from Hannah's relationship with God?