Suffering Turns to Good (1 Samuel 1:1-20) | Food for Thought

 

1 Samuel 1:1-20

BACKGROUND: Where does 1 Samuel fit into the big picture of redemptive history (the story of God saving his people, from creation to new creation)? It might not hurt to spend a couple of minutes giving folks an overview of the bible’s overarching narrative.

Need help? Want some visuals? Check out the Bible Project’s page on the books of Samuel for some information and helpful video overviews.

We’ll be in 1 Samuel for awhile, so don’t hesitate to take some time to set the stage!

Questions

  • First Impressions: Knowing that this book is “supposed” to be about kings and kingdoms, is it surprising that it starts with a story about a bullied wife who longs to have a kid? Why or why not?

    • “Hannah shares in a fellowship of barrenness [with women across the OT]. And it is frequently in this fellowship that new chapters in Yahweh’s history with his people begin - begin with nothing. God’s tendency is to make our total inability his starting point. Our hopelessness and our helplessness are no barrier to his work. …Yahweh’s work, however, began not only in barrenness but also in distress. Childlessness was stigma enough for Hannah, but having it rubbed in was intolerable. Peninnah apparently used special worship occasions for getting Hannah’s goat.” -our commentary

  • Getting “Inside” the Narrative: Can you relate to Hannah in any way here? Do you feel like you carry a stigma of sorts? Have you been picked on - especially for things you have no power over? What’s that like?

    • On the flip side, have you ever been the bully? What was that like?

    • Have you ever been so desperate as to make a “vow” (…a plea? …a bargain?) with the Lord? What do you think about that?

    • What did you think of Elkanah’s (her husband’s) attempt at “checking in” on her? Helpful? Unhelpful?

    • What about Eli the priest? Have you ever been misunderstood in your desperation with the Lord? How so?

    • Have you ever had a prayer answered in a pretty direct way? What was that like?

  • What We Get to See: Consider the way that Hannah responded over the years to suffering - from unfulfilled hopes, stigma, and the torment of a competing wife. Would you say she handled it well? What does it look like to not handle suffering well? Can we sin in our suffering?

    • Consider that a lot of what we see happens at the house of the Lord during unique opportunities for worship. How does Hannah’s suffering shape her worship? How is God uniquely glorified by Hannah coming to Him in the midst of her hardship?

      • How has suffering shaped the way you worship? Can we (as a group or individually) uniquely honor the Lord today / this week by approaching the Lord in the midst of unsolved problems, suffering, etc.?

    • In response to Eli, she says, “Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” How does her suffering shape [and not shape!] the way she sees herself? (…she doesn’t see herself as worthless, even though she’s barren and distraught!)

      • How does God’s truth and the gospel underpin her continued worth, even in the midst of stigma and suffering?

    • Hannah’s sadness ceases before her prayers are answered. How does that work? How can God heal our sadness before our hope has been fulfilled? Discuss!

      • How does this play out in our lives, as people who have been promised so much by Jesus? How does the gospel free us to be honest about hardship and find comfort that makes a tangible difference?

    • How does Hannah use God’s answer to her prayer (she bore a son!) as another opportunity to glorify him?

      • Are there prayers that God has answered that you can share with the group / use in some way to point to God’s goodness, power, and faithfulness?

    • When we consider Elkanah and Eli, what can we learn about the ways we get to respond to people who are suffering? (…and maybe some ways we shouldn’t respond!)

      • What should our aim be in approaching / comforting someone who’s suffering?

      • What should we expect (or not expect!) when approaching / comforting someone who’s suffering?

      • How does the gospel both empower and free you to step towards those who are hurting?

 
1 SamuelScott O'Donohoe