Archaeological Background on Genesis

Introduction

            Archaeology is a principal support for Theology though it is not found in books, but in

the earth from which man came. Man goes back to the earth to search for the history buried

within, and through his search he finds fragments that he puts together hoping to someday

complete the puzzle, and have a full understanding of God and man’s beginning. He searches for

proof of the truth that already exists. “…archaeology illuminates the text of the Scriptures and

makes valuable contributions to the field of biblical interpretation and exegesis.”[1] Archaeology is

a science that studies cultures that have passed into history by analyzing artifacts and literary

sources that have been left behind, and long hidden from human view.

            When artifacts are found they must be analyzed, and there are certain questions that are

asked. 1) Who was the originator? Who made it or wrote it? 2) Where and when was it made or

written? 3) Who was the audience meant to be? 4) For what purpose was it intended? 5) How

does it enhance our understanding of the past? Very often the archaeologist deals with only a

small piece of the whole. It is from this they search to piece together a complete picture. By

comparing Genesis with archaeological finds it is hoped that light will be shed on the evidence

found that will illuminate those searching for the truth.

            The Mesopotamian area which is considered the cradle of civilization has produced

many archaeological finds that have been of tremendous interest to Old Testament scholars.

“Archaeological research has thus established beyond doubt that there is no focus of civilization

in the earth that can begin to compete in antiquity with the basin of the Eastern Mediterranean

and the area immediately to the east of it-Breasted Fertile Crescent.”[2]  It was here that they found

the Babylonian creation story on seven tablets called Enuma elish. “Because of its bearing upon

the opening chapters of Genesis, few Semitic inscriptions have awakened greater general

interest.[3] .

            The search for Noah’s Ark has always gone on, and will continue, but there have been

archaeological digs that have produced the Babylonian Deluge Story, and the Sumerian Flood.

There have been many different versions of the flood that come from around the world. Each

slightly different and most of them polytheistic. In Genesis we also study the Patriarchs and the

Joseph story.

Creation

Genesis begins with the creation account which is where it all starts. “In the beginning

God” and with that statement we look back at an eternity in which there can be no archaeological

digs. Man has always wanted to know and understand his beginning. The Genesis story is only

one of many creation accounts. Man seeks the answer by creating myths that satisfy the need for

connection to the past. These early creation myths helped man explain the functioning of the

world. Man asked “Why” and seeks to find the answer.

             The Babylonians and the Assyrians had a creation myth entitled Enuma Elish. John H.

Sailhamer says, “Its title is taken from the first words of the epic, which begins, “When on high

(enuma elish) the heaven had not been named, firm ground below had not been called by

name….”[4] Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria reigned from 668-626 B.C. During his reign he created

an immense library that was discovered by Hormuzd Rassam in 1852-1853. It was in this library

that the Babylonian creation accounts were found. They are believed to date from Hummurabi in

 1700 B.C.

“The Enuma Elish consists of about one thousand lines of text on seven clay tablets….comparing it with the Genesis narratives of creation, one finds some interesting similarities. (1) Genesis speaks of seven days of creation; the Babylonian account was recorded on seven tablets. (2) Both describe a time when the earth was waste and void. (3)In Genesis, order follows chaos; in Enuma Elish, Marduk defeats chaos and establishes order. (4) Both accounts tell of the creation of moon, stars, plant life, animals, and man. (5) Man was created on the sixth day according to Genesis; Enuma Elish records man’s creation on the sixth tablet.”[5]

Comparison of Genesis and Enuma elish

The differences are many: (1) Enuma Elish is polytheistic, and there are

many gods working on creating different aspects of creation. (2) Marduk is also a creation as

well as a creator. (3) Genesis is monotheistic with God as creator of all, but he always existed

and will always exist. (4) Enuma Elish has lower morals while the morals of Genesis are

exemplary. (5) Tablets two and three do not deal with creation.

“Tablet 2 describes a counter plot of Ea against Tiamat and his search for a champion to oppose Tiamat. He appoints Marduk to the task. Tablet 3 tells of a great banquet held in preparation for Marduk’s entrance into battle.” [6]

(6) With Enuma Elish matter already exist, but God is the creator of all matter in Genesis.

Enuma Elish was very political, and was created to highlight Marduk who was the main

diety of Babylon. It was to help Babylon maintain her sovereignty. Enuma elish was written to

be a hymn which was later used by the Assyrians by changing the name of the god to Ashur. The

Germans found this version early this century. Other tablets have been found with various

accounts of creation. There is little consistency within the versions of creation found on the many

tablets.  

Genesis was first and foremost a creation account. “The one God, supreme and

omnipotent, is in superb control of all the creatures and elements of the universe There is an

infinite gap between Him as creator and the creature or the creation.”[7] Even though sin entered

the world He is completely in control, and planned a remedy for this from the beginning.

The Genesis account of creation and Enuma elish come from the same area which is

agreed on by both Genesis and archaeologists. It is the area where civilization had its start. It has

been postulated that Abraham may have brought the creation story from Ur, and that it was

passed down through his linage until the time of Moses when he wrote it down in the book of

Genesis. There are similarities in the Genesis and the Babylonian accounts, but when compared

with the difference they become irrelevant.

            The question arises about the parallels of the two accounts. “Both have substantially the

same phenomena to account for; and since men customarily think along similar lines, no

dependence upon each other need be assumed.”[8] There are difficulties with this suggestion due

to the similaries in the two accounts. Merrill F. Unger discusses the fact that there

appears to be a connection between the two accounts. He gives four possibilities. “The Genesis

account is drawn from the Babylonian tradition. The Babylonian is drawn from the Genesis

narrative. These traditions arose spontaneously. The two accounts go back to a common

source.”[9] Both accounts were written to fit within the different worldviews of the two societies.

The Babylonians were polytheistic, so even if they borrowed the outline from the Genesis

account it would never have been written with one God creating all. Their thinking was not along

those lines. One God as God of all would have been incomprehensible. The Biblical view with

its clarity and purity would not have appealed. The Babylonian account has a certain complicated

crassness to it. They were dealing with an attempt to find a way to explain what they experienced

with all their senses. It is difficult for humans to think beyond their abilities, so it is easy to see

why they would create gods that fit within their worldview with many of the same emotions and

actions. Even today we have super heroes to tackle the issues of society that appear to big for a

mere human to be able to rectify. A huge problem is the fact that Enuma elish was written four

centuries earlier than Genesis, but there is the possibility that the Hebrews had an oral tradition

that explained the creation centuries before Genesis was written.  

            If we turn this around and assume that the Genesis account was taken from the

Babylonian account similar issues arise. The Hebrews were monotheistic. They would find the

Babylonian account unacceptable. Once you read Enuma elish it becomes very difficult to see

any possibility of rewriting to create the clarity and purity of the Genesis account. The facts are

laid out in an orderly fashion with God as creator. Moses may have cleaned up the Babylonian

tradition and made it acceptable, or  “… the Holy Spirit could have imparted the revelation of

these events to him apart from any need of oral or written sources.”[10]

            The third idea that Unger put forth was that the ideas were spontaneously brought into

existence, because of the similarity in the thinking of humanity. It would be similar to a universal

mind. The thought appears in the mind of people across the globe simultaneously. He points out

that this is not a rational suggestion.

            The forth suggestion was that they all “go back to a common source.” This is not so far

fetched since man has a tendency to here an idea, and take it and run with it forming it into

something that will align with his interpretation of the world around him. We see two forms of

the creation story in the Babylonian accounts and the Hebrew account. The Babylonian account

is polytheistic and the Hebrew account is monotheistic. The Enuma elish was acknowledged as

being associated with the creation account in Genesis in the late 1800’s. It was considered the

source of the Biblical account and the Near Eastern myth. The fact is Genesis attests to God’s

superiority over all while the Enuma elish intertwines the supernal with the earthly. It reads like

a super hero comic book. Genesis was written with clarity and purity. It is the word of God

revealed to man.

The Flood Epics

            The search for Noah’s ark has been carried on for centuries. Mt. Ararat has been

considered the most plausible area although there are several spots where the landing could have

occurred. John W. Montgomery wrote a book called Quest for Noah’s Ark where he writes of

documented accounts of sightings of the ark from ancient times until today. He also climbed Mt

Ararat in search of the Ark. Russian soldier’s reported seeing the Ark in 1916 when flying over

the area. “The Russian troops claimed to have seen a large ship or barge submerged in a swampy

area on Mount Ararat. The record of this expedition disappeared in the ensuing Russian

revolution, but some of the soldiers involved in it migrated to the United State and spread the

story here.”[11] Many tried to verify the story, but failed. Montgomery felt it was valid. Many have

searched, but at this point there has been no successes.

 In the same library that Enuma elish was found were also found text relating to a

Babylonian deluge story. They were found by George Smith who was part of the British

Museum staff. The text was incomplete. It was reported in 1872 at the Society of Biblical

Archaeology in London. They found a backer who agreed to finance the reopening of the

excavation at Nineveh to search for the missing fragments of the flood epic. They were found

only two weeks in. Several others have found slightly different copies in Mesopotamian cities.

The Sumarian flood version was found at Nippur that was written about the time of

Hammurabi (c. 1700 B.C.). It is felt that it is even older than that.

“As the fragment begins, some of the Gods lament the impending flood which the company of gods as a whole have already decided to send on mankind. The god Enki sought to devise a plan for saving at least one man-Ziusudra, the king and administrator of the temple provisions. Ziusudra was told to stand by a wall, where he was warned of the flood, and instructed to build a boat, though the text is missing at this point. Then a great rain swept over the land for seven days and nights. Afterward the sun came out and Ziusudra worshipped before the sun god and offered a sacrifice of an ox and several sheep. Subsequently the gods bestowed immortality on the hero of the flood story and placed him in paradise known as Dilmun, probably somewhere in the area of the Persian Gulf.”[12]

            There is another work called Gilgamesh Epic. This was written on twelve tablets and also

has a “Babylonian Noah” who gains immortality. In tablet eleven he describes the flood planned

by the gods to destroy mankind. Not all of the gods agreed with this. Ea warned Utnapishtim

telling him to build a cube shaped ship and bring his family, craftsmen and animals onto the

ship. On the appointed day it rained bran in the morning and wheat in the evening. He closed the

door and all fury let loose. It lasted six days and nights and was over. He sent out a dove,

swallow and raven at intervals. They all returned, but the raven. Everything dried up, the animals

were released, and a sacrifice was offered to Enlil who bestowed immortality on him and his

wife. They were assured that such a thing would never happen again.

            One can see several similarities in the Genesis account, and the Mesopotamian account.

The differences are far greater. We find that as with Enuma elish the flood story is polytheistic.

Genesis is monotheistic. Another difference is that the gods were pantheistic. The gods were

manifestation of nature which they controlled. Another difference is the cause of the flood. God

judged man. “The Atra-hasis Epic states that Enlil sent the flood to destroy human beings

because they were so noisy Enlil could not sleep.”[13] There are other differences; 1) God gave a

120 year period for people to repent, and stay judgement. This was not granted by the

Mesopotamian gods. 2) The sizes of the boats were very different. 3) The people and animals

were different. Noah took his family only with two of every kind of animal with seven each of

the clean animals. 4) The physical causes were different. God sent rain and it says the fountains

of the deep broke forth. It was more of a hurricane in the Gilgamesh Epic. 5) the length of the

flood was forty days and forty nights in Genesis, and it was six days and six nights in the

Babylonian, and seven days and nights in the Mesopotamian epic. 6) Noah’s ark landed on

Ararat. Utnapishtim’s landed on Mount Nisir. 7) The birds were different. Noah sent a raven first

and a dove on three occasions.  They sent a dove, then a swallow, and finally a raven. 8) The

effects of the flood were different. Nothing survived unless it was on the ark in the Genesis

account. In the Atrahasis Epic all men did not parish. 9) Noah was not given immortality and

Utnapishtim was.

            The same possibilities exist with the Flood accounts that existed with the creation

accounts: 1) The Babylonians borrowed from the Hebrews 2) The Hebrews borrowed from the

Babylonians 3) The ideas were spontaneous 4) They were taken from a common source, The

theological differences are great between the biblical account, and the Near Eastern accounts.

The Near Eastern accounts vary greatly amongst themselves. “Recent comparative studies of

ancient accounts of the flood suggest that an early Flood story once enjoyed worldwide

circulation.”[14]  The Greeks had a flood story in which Zeus sent a flood to destroy humanity and

rescues one person. Flood stories are found in most cultures. India has several that appear to

have been created from one main story. “In comparing all such stories, the biblical story of Noah

clearly exhibits a premythological stage preceding the known ancient accounts. Moreover, it is

also reasonable to conclude that the Biblical account lies closest to that great catastrophe that

rests at the base of the collective memory of mankind.”[15]

Patriarchs

            It is interesting to wonder if the Patriarchs had any clue as they went about their daily

activities, just living their lives as they felt was best, that they would be written about and studied

in some far off distant time. Would they have done anything differently if they had known? It is

probably no exaggeration to say they have influenced millions of lives through time. Even when

God told Abram that he would be the father of many nations did he fully comprehended the

magnitude of the actuality?  It is something to think about.

            Albright, who was an American scholar, felt that one could verify historical information

by studying the marriage customs, their names, and land purchase laws, etc. “No less important,

the patriarchs were realistically described as carrying on a Bedouin lifestyle, moving with flocks

throughout the central hill country of Canaan, between Shechem, Bethel, Beersheba, and

Hebron.”[16]  Were they placed in their proper historical or chronological time? That became an

important question. There are mentions of camels which creates an issue with time. Through

archaeological research we know that camels were not used in the Near East as beast of burden

until around 1000 B.C.

            Another issue is the Philistines. “They had not established their settlements along the

coastal plain of Canaan until sometime after 1200 B.C. E.”[17] The facts that separate the

patriarchal history from myths is the references to people, places and things. Trying to make

these things align with archaeological discoveries has been difficult.

There was an important archaeological discovery at Ebla. They found one of the largest

collections of third millennium B.C. tablets that had ever been unearthed. After much study of

the tablets they thought they saw a reference to the patriarchs, but it proved to be untrue. They do

tell about the lives of the people in Syria-Palestine in the third millennium which is helpful. It

allows a glimpse of what life must have been like for Abraham.[18]

            The search will continue for the Historicity of the Patriarchal age. At this point it is only

concrete within the Bible, and so as the Bible tells us about Abraham, “ Abraham believed God,

and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). There are times when we walk by

faith, and not by sight.

Conclusion

            It is interesting to realize that man’s history is buried in the earth that God created him

from. It may be fragmented, but with careful study of all evidence man can draw conclusions that

hopefully bring him closer to the truth. It is much like painting a picture each stroke of the brush

by the artists brings us closer to a revelation of what the completed picture will be.

            All agree that Mesopotamian area is the cradle of civilization, and it has produced many

archaeological finds that have been of tremendous interest to Old Testament Scholars. The story

written on the Enuma elish tablets have been evaluated and compared to the Genesis account

bringing man closer to the reality of man’s beginning.  

            It is important that all information be examined and evaluated. The goal is a fuller

understanding of the word, but it is extremely important that it be looked at with a critical eye,

and much prayer. The guidance of the Holy Spirit is essential to all study of the Scripture. The

goal is to find evidence of the truth that already exist in the word. All available information

needs to be evaluated from archeological to historical to arrive at a valid truth.

            There are always new artifacts and tablets and scrolls being unearthed. Even now there

are archaeological finds being studied. Tomorrow the historicity of the patriarchs may be

revealed. All things are done in Gods time.

Bibliography

Arnold, Bill T. Encountering the Book of Genesis. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 1998.

Brenton, Lancelot. LXX Septuagint. United States of America: Beloved Publishing, 2014.

Cocks, H.G. 2010. “Sodom and Gomorrah, 1851.” Victorian Studies Association of Western Canada. Vol. 36, No. 1: 27-31, Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/141039101 (accessed Feb. 5, 2016).

Dolansky, Shawna. 2016. “Biblical Views: The Multiple Truths of Myths,” Biblical Archaeology Review42.1(Jan/Feb):18,60.http://members.bibarch.org/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=42&Issue=1&ArticleD=10 (accessed 2/7/2016).

Finkelstein, Israel and Neil Asher Silberman. The Bible Unearthed. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2002.

Free, Joseph, Howard Vos (revised and expanded). Archaeology and Bible History. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1992.

Moorey, Roger. A Century of Biblical Archaeology. Great Britain: The Lutterworth Press, 1991.

Sailhamer, John. Biblical Archaeology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1998.

Thompson, Thomas L. The Historicity of the Patriarchal Narratives. New York: Walter de Gruyter & Co. 1974.

Unger, Merrill Frederick. 1953. “Archeology and Genesis 3-4.” Bibliotheca Sacra 110, No. 437:11-17, ATLASerials, Religion Collections, EBSCOhost (accessed Feb.7, 2016).

Vos, Howard F. Genesis and Archaeology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1985.

---

[1] Joseph P. Free and Howard F. Vos.  Archaeology and Bible History. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992, 13.

              [2] Merrill F. Unger. 1953. “Archeology and Genesis 3-4.” Bibliotheca Sacra 110, No. 437:11-17, ATLASerials, Religion Collections, EBSCOhost (accessed Feb.7, 2016).

[3] Merrill F. Unger. Archaeology and the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954, 27.

[4] John H. Sailhamer. Biblical Archeology. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan Publishing House, 1998, 23.

[5] Howard F. Vos. Genesis & Archaeology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985, 16.

[6] Ibid., 15.

[7] Merrill F. Unger. Archaeology and the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954, 32-33.

[8] Ibid., 35.

[9] Ibid., 35.

[10] Ibid., 35-36.

[11] Howard F. Vos. Genesis and Archaeology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985,31-32.

[12] Ibid.,35-36.

[13] Ibid., 39.

[14] John H. Sailhamer. Biblical Archaeology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998, 31.

[15] Ibid., 31.

[16] Israel Finkelstein and Neil Ashur Silberman. The Bible Unearthed. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2001, 35.

[17] Ibid., 37.

[18] Roger Moorey. A Century of Biblical Archaeology. Cambridge: The Lutenburg Press, 1991, 139-155. Though not quoted all information on Ebla was found in these pages.

Written by Kathleen Hadley

copyright 2015

Prayer Exposition: Hannah's Prayer (1 Samuel 1:10-18 & 1 Samuel 2:1-11)

History

            Hannah was an ordinary person who was about to become extraordinary. She lived at the end of the period of the Judges in Israel. Hannah was barren. The Bible says that God had closed her womb (1Samuel 1:6). This is very important, because as we read through the Bible we find this also said of other women who were going to produce important men who would be used mightily of God. Some of them were Sarai, Rachel, Samson’s mother who is referred to only as ‘the women’ or Manoah’s wife, and Elizabeth. She was in very good company. It was important to have children and to be a mother, so there was the possibility of being the mother or ancestor of the Messiah who was to come. A promise they all looked towards.

There were cultural pressure on women to bear children. A woman was valued for her chastity before marriage, and her ability to reproduce after marriage.[1] It was their responsibility to produce sons for their own sake as well as the husbands. The eldest son would care for his mother upon the death of his father. The eldest son would have a double inheritance of the family wealth, and he would inherit the position of head of the household. The eldest carried a lot of responsibility. It was important to have children to help with the family business, and with household chore, and even to fight in defense of the family and its properties.

“Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you then ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8).

 Polygamy was very common at that time. It could be difficult on the women. It was not a concern for Elkanah that Hannah had no children, because Penininah had sons and daughters. Failure to have children was a disaster for a family. It was an agrarian culture, and they were needed not only to maintain the work, but to carry on the family name, so they could maintain their position in the tribal allotments. Without an heir this would be lost to them. In fact, if a woman was barren it was considered her fault, and could be grounds for divorce. It was a serious situation which may be the reason Elkanah had two wives assuming Hannah was his first wife which is not specified. [2]

The issues that had arisen between Hannah and Penininah were not uncommon. We see similar situations between Sarai, and the maid that bear children for her. Penininah never missed an opportunity to remind Hannah that she was the one who had produced heirs for Elkanah. Her constant taunting had brought Hannah to the depths of despair and hopelessness while Elkanah gave her a double portion of everything to try to encourage her. She knew that her only hope was in God. The reason that Hannah appears to be mentioned in Scripture is because of her barrenness and God’s resolution of the issue.[3] Her son would be the last judge of Israel, Samuel.

Elkanah was a Levite as we see in 1 Chronicles 6:26, 34 where his sons are listed and his linage given. The Israelite males were required to make three pilgrimages a year to Jerusalem. They did not have to take their families, but could. We see that Elkanah took his family with him. Every year as they went up Penininah would provoke Hannah. They would go to Shiloh which was about twenty miles north of Jerusalem. It was the religious center in the eleventh century although it is thought that 1 Samuel was written in the sixth century being completed in the eighth century B.C.  

This was a hard time. The priesthood was corrupt:

“In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to judge his house for the iniquity which he knew, for his sons brought a curse upon themselves, and he did not rebuke them” (1 Samuel 3: 12&13).

The people had no respect for them, because they caused the people to sin. It was in this environment that Hannah comes to Shiloh with her family to worship God. She went to the temple where Eli was sitting at the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord where he judged the people.

Hannah’s Prayer of Supplication with a Vow (1 Samuel 1:10-11)

10. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 11. Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”

                There are times in life when we stand helpless before God with our distress. The situation

seems hopeless, and we know that without God’s intervention the situation is not going to better

itself. “Jesus prayed with loud crying and tears and experienced heart-wrenching grief and

sorrow.”[4] He was our example, and we are to follow his example. He showed us how to pray.

We fall on our face and weep without words to express our desperation. “In the same way

the Spirit helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit

Himself intercedes for us with groaning’s to deep for words” (Romans 8:26). Hannah had come

to this point. Her only hope was in God. “True prayer, in the prophetic or biblical sense, bursts

through all forms and techniques.”[5] This was a prayer from a heart in anguish. It was a prayer of

supplication. It was a request made for help. “Biblical prayer is crying to God out of the depths;

it is the pouring out of the soul before God.”[6] Hannah was pouring out her distress to the God of

Israel. The all-powerful and all loving God. “It is by prayer that we make contact with God. It is

likewise through prayer that God communicates to us.”[7] Hannah was reaching out and touching

the heart of God. God had a plan for Hannah’s life, and that plan was about to be fulfilled.

            She was going to take her prayer a step further with a vow to God. Before she goes into

the vow she refers to herself as His handmaid and maidservant. These two words are expressions

of humility. They are used to show respect by depreciating oneself. These words were commonly

used when speaking to a prophet or a kings someone in authority. She is recognizing God’s

authority over her life. She approaches Him with humility much as we should do as we come

before God.

            The Levites were usually in service to God from 25 to 50 years old (Numbers 4:3; 4:24-

26). Hannah was going to go way beyond that and vow lifelong service for her son. She would

give him back to God for service for all of his life. No razor would touch his head. This was the

vow of a Nazarite. The Nazarite vow was usually for only a short, designate period of time, but

not in the case of Samuel and Samson. They were Nazarites from birth to death. They could not

drink wine or any strong drink, cut their hair, or touch dead bodies. This was the vow that

Hannah made to God, and she was as good as her word. A vow was considered a solemn promise

to God. The interesting thing about Samuel was that as Hannah’s first born he would already

have belonged to God. I was unable to find any information on this. He would not have been

Elkanah’s first born, so I am unsure whether he would have qualified as a first born.

Breaking a vow could bring dire consequences. It was a serious matter to make a vow,

and even more serious to break that vow. We see Jesus dealing with this issue in Matthew 5:34-

37. He says, “But I tell you do not swear an oath at all, either by heaven for it is God’s throne; or

by the earth for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. Do not

swear by your head, because you cannot make even one hair white or black; All you need to say

is yes or no, anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

            Eli saw Hannah’s mouth moving and assumed she was drunken. She explained to him

that she had poured out her soul to the Lord. Eli told her, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel

grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” Hannah went her way, and she ate and

smiled. There was no more sadness. She knew in her inner most being that her prayer was as

good as answered. Philippians 4: 6-7 tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by

prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the

peace of God which surpasses all understanding , will guard your hearts and minds through

Christ Jesus.”

Hannah’s Prayer of Thanksgiving and Praise (1 Samuel 2:1-11)

1.    And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. 2. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. 3. Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed. 4. The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those whom stumble are girded with strength. 5. Those whom are full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has born seven, And she who has many children has become feeble. 6. The Lord Kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. 7. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. 8. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes and make them the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And he has set the world upon them. 9. He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. 10. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven he will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His kings, And exalt the horn of His anointed.” 11. Then Elkanah went to his house in Ramah. But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

The next prayer we see Hannah praying is a prayer of Thanksgiving and Praise. A son was born, and as Hannah had vowed they took him up to the house of the Lord in Shiloh where they sacrificed to the Lord, and left Samuel there with Eli. He would be lent to the Lord for as long as he lived. Hannah praised God for His answer. This is a thing that must never be forgotten. Our praises should flow from us, because God is worthy of all praise and glory.

Hannah begins her prayer by expressing the rejoicing of her heart.  “We have here Hannah’s thanksgiving, dictated not only by the Spirit of prayer, but by the spirit of prophesy.” [8] When the word horn is used it is referring to power. She can hold her head high and smile at her enemies. She has her strength from God who answered her prayer and is her salvation. She recognizes and speaks of Gods holiness. There is none like God. He is infinite and above all, and yet he hears and answers our prayers. Hannah encourages humility, because it is only God who has all knowledge, and who weighs our actions, and our thoughts, and words. “since God is eternal, He can be and continue forever to be the one save home for his time-driven children.”[9] Like Hannah we realize that we are finite. We cannot always understand why we have to wait. What is the purpose, but through our trust in God we wait patiently before him knowing that his time is best. God supplied Hannah’s need at the appropriate time. Samuel was born to fulfill his purpose before God.

Hannah mentions military power, wealth, and children as Gods way of changing circumstances. God raises up the humble and brings down those who are proud. Mary also mentions this in her prayer in Luke 1: 46-55. God has power even over death and the grave. He lifts up those he will, and brings down those he will. He created all things. God is there for those who call on his name and humble themselves. We must always remember that , “…worthy was the Lamb that was slain to receive power and wisdom and riches and might and honor and glory and blessing…To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever”… ( Revelations 5:12-13b).  

                                  Conclusion

Prayer is an amazing gift that God has given us. So often we forget the power that prayer gives us with God. Like Hannah we may cry out in supplication out of our distress, and then glorify God for the answer to our prayer, but we must never forget that prayer is the way to God’s heart. It is our communication with Him. I chat with Him as I go through the day. He is a friend that is closer than a brother. I use the word chat because it is a conversation more than a prayer. It is wonderful when God gives us little love taps as we go through our day. That is what I call those special little moments that happen that make us smile. “Begin to cultivate the skill of praying in every situation, and you will discover that prayer spiritualizes all aspects of your life.”[10]                                      

                                                     Bibliography

Bloesch, D.G. “Prayer”. Walter A. Elwell. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2001.

Boa, Kenneth. Conformed to His Image. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2001.

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishing Company, 1991.

NKJV Study Bible. “Bible Times and Culture Notes”. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2007.

Storms, Sam. Signs of the Spirit. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2007.

Strong in Faith. “Women and Men Who Overcame Fertility in the Bible”. 2007. Stronginfaith.org/article.php?page=37

Tozer, A.W. The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: Harper One, 1961.

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[1] Strong in Faith. “Women and Men who Overcame Infertility in the Bible”. 2007. Stronginfaith.org/article.php?page=37

[2] NKJV Study Bible. “Bible Times and Culture Notes”. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2007, 543.

[3] Strong in Faith. “Women and Men Who Overcame Infertility in the Bible”. 2007. Stronginfaith.org/article.php?page=37

[4] Sam Storms. Signs of the Spirit. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2007, 51.

[5] D. G. Bloesch. “Prayer”. Walter E. Elwell. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2001, 947.

[6] Ibid., 947.

[7] Ibid., 946.

[8] Matthew Henry. Matthew Henry’s Commentary. Vol. 2. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishing Company, 1991, 222.

[9] A.W. Tozer. The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: HarperOne, 1961, 40.

[10] Kenneth Boa. Conformed to His Image. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2001, 216.