The God who cares about your suffering.
If you haven’t checked the blog in a while, we’re doing a series on stuff you should have learned in Sunday school. But…maybe you didn’t go to Sunday school. Or maybe your Sunday school left out some salacious details. Either way, we’re taking a hard look at key stories you might’ve missed or maybe need a refresher on. This week we’re looking at Hannah.
Hannah's story, found in 1 Samuel, is one of faith, perseverance, and the transformative power of prayer. We’re going to take a deep dive (or maybe just a medium dive) into the dynamics of her story, inspired by the insights of biblical scholar Terence Fretheim.
Before going any further- you may want to read her story. It’s not long. Click here to get caught up.
In short, Hannah always wanted to be a mother, and was mistreated because of her infertility. She cries out to God asking for a child, and promises to dedicate the child to the priesthood (meaning she would not herself directly raise the child) should God answer her call. God does- and she gives birth to Samuel, the man who eventually anoints Israel’s first king. Hannah follows through on her promise and dedicates Samuel to God and always him to be, quite literally, raised by (and in) the priesthood.
God responds to human suffering
There are a few things I want us to pay close attention to in this story. Hannah's story reminds us that God is not distant from, or indifferent to, our pain and suffering. As Hannah experiences the torment of infertility and the taunts of her rival, Peninnah, she turns to God in prayer. God recognizes and pays close attention to her heartache and subsequently answers her prayer because of her heartfelt plea.
And so, one of the traits of God that is on full display in this story is his ability to recognize and respond to our suffering and requests for help. Of course, this isn’t some miracle formula we can use anytime we’re in distress. We can’t always know that God is going to resolve our suffering or our heartache in quick order if we pray that right prayer (or if we pray at all). But what we do learn is that our God is the type of God who cares about our suffering and is moved by our prayers, even if he doesn’t respond to them all equally.
And let’s not forget- when he doesn’t respond…we can also pray about that. We can express our anguish at God for not responding to our anguish. There’s no boundary on what we can take to him. He can take it.
The importance of genuine, honest prayer
Hannah's emotional and heartfelt prayer serves as an example of authentic communication with God. The work of Terence Fretheim (should you want to look him up) emphasizes that God values this genuine interaction and is moved by the feelings expressed by those who seek Him.
This takes us back to the point made a few sentences ago- it’s okay, acceptable, even God to be totally genuine before God, even if that means expressing disappointment with Him. This is neither sacreligious nor a heresy, in fact, it’s quite biblical (see also: the Psalms).
God's active role in human life
A somewhat related point. The story of Hannah demonstrates that God actively engages with humans and their circumstances. In answering Hannah's prayer and blessing her with a son, God shows His involvement in the lives of His people.
While God is not always as active as he is here, we can find comfort in knowing that our God is the type of God who desires to play an active role in the lives of his people. He is not a distant God, watching from afar. He likes to get in there and get his hands dirty.
The wider implications of God's actions in this story
Let’s not forget this story is not just about how God interacts with people. God's response to Hannah's prayer is significant historically, as Samuel plays a critical role in the development of Israel's history. So this is not just the story of God helping one particular person in crisis, it’s also the story of how God continues to carry his entire group of people forward, inching closer and closer to the arrival of Jesus, and slowly spreading the truth of God throughout the world.
Now, I’m not sure what stands out to you in all this, but what always strikes a chord with me in each of these stories is the way they answer the question: What kind of God do we worship? In this case- the answer is a God who is attentive and responsive to human suffering. A God who is active and engaged. A God who desires genuine relationship with his creation. And let’s just be clear- that’s pretty unusual for a God!
