Barren to Fruitful: Women in the Bible Who Overcame Infertility (Part 3)
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we discussed the principles of promise and prayer as they relate to overcoming infertility and becoming fruitful. As we move to Part 3, we will discuss the principle of prophecy and learn how this special gift of the Spirit also enables us to rejoice in the Lord and overcome infertility of any kind in our lives. Unlike the first two posts, this one will discuss infertility, specifically in childbearing, to a greater degree. I pray it blesses you as you receive from the Lord and your heart becomes established in the revelation that He wants you to be fruitful and flourishing. His will is for you to "be fruitful and multiply." He wants you to conceive and become the mother you yearn to be. The provision for your miracle has been provided by the perfect work of Jesus at the cross. We'll dive into this and much more as we examine the life of Hannah, the wife of Elkanah.
Let's look briefly at the story of Hannah...
The first thing we learn about Hannah is that she has no children. She is married to a man named Elkanah who has a second wife named, Peninnah. Peninnah was able to bear Elkanah children. Although Elkanah has two wives, he favors Hannah over Peninnah because the Bible says "to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb."
Because Peninnah knew her husband loved Hannah more than her, she provoked her to irritation.
"Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat."
Elkanah would attempt to comfort her by asking, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?" He's trying his best to comfort her and diminish her pain, but his efforts fall short. Sometimes it is difficult for a husband to understand the tremendous pain and grief of a barren womb.
Hannah pours out her grief and heartache to the LORD by praying...
"LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life..."
While she is pouring out her soul to the LORD, the priest Eli takes notice of her. He sends her away with a blessing...
"Eli answered, 'Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.' She said, 'May your servant find favor in your eyes.' Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast."
Hannah takes Eli's words of prophecy to heart. The comfort and hope it brings her causes her spirit to revive and her appetite to return. Peninnah could have still tried to provoke Hannah to tears, but now she had a word from the LORD that she was holding onto.
After Elkanah and Hannah return to their home at Ramah, they are intimate and the LORD remembered her.
"Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, 'Because I asked the LORD for him.'"
After her son is weaned, Hannah brings him to the house of LORD to be dedicated to Him. She brings him to Eli, the priest, and says to him:
"'Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD...'
Hannah's turmoil and conflict with her "sister wife" may remind you of a pair of sisters who were married to the same man: Leah and Rachel. You might also be confused why God would allow man to have more than one wife in the Bible. The simple answer is He didn't. When we go back to God's original design for the marriage relationship between men and women, we clearly see from Scripture that God created marriage to be a union made between one man and one wife as evidenced by this verse:
"But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, He took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man...That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."
God's original design for marriage is one man uniting to his one wife and the two becoming one flesh. Within each of the seven days of creation, the Bible repeatedly affirms that "God saw that it {His creation} was good." The Hebrew word used for "good" is towb which comes from the root word tob. Towb is commonly translated as beautiful, pleasing, good; but it also means BEST. Marriage modeled after the Lord's original design of one man and one woman is best. The nature of God toward fallen mankind is gracious, long-suffering, and patient, so He is merciful towards man's dysfunction (although He doesn't approve of it). Jesus affirms God's original design for marriage in Mark 10 when He says, "But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
This dysfunctional union of three resulted in bitterness, jealousy, envy, and strife. Although Peninnah was able to bear children, she was extremely jealous of Elkanah's affection, love, and care for Hannah. She relentlessly provoked her to tears. She ridiculed her inability to conceive and deepened Hannah's insecurity that resulted from her barrenness. Elkanah recognized Hannah's deep grief and attempted to soften it by giving her a double portion of meat during the festive celebrations and validating his love & devotion to her, but his efforts fell painfully short.
*side note for context - in this passage of Scripture, Elkanah, Peninnah, their children, and Hannah traveled every year to Shiloh (the place Israelites went to worship the LORD before the Temple was built in Jerusalem), possibly during Passover which took place in the spring. However, the Bible doesn't clearly identify which biblical feast it was. Whenever a man and his family traveled to celebrate a feast of the LORD, they would bring sacrifices to offer to God. After the sacrifices were offered, portions of the meat would be returned to the family so that they could have a big celebratory meal before the LORD and eat it together. Each member of the family would receive an appropriate portion. Peninnah and her children should have received more than Hannah because of their size in numbers, however, because Elkanah loved Hannah and felt compassion for her, he gave her a double portion of the meat (also called the 'choice portion'). While the other families were celebrating and rejoicing together in a festive atmosphere, Hannah was relentlessly provoked to tears by Peninnah who took Hannah's receival of the "choice portion" as rejection from her husband, Elkanah.
However much Elkanah wanted to console her sorrow away, Hannah possessed wisdom to know that her husband can't fix her deepest heart wounds. As nice as his gifts and verbal affirmations were, she knew that only God could answer her prayers and "bind up her wounds" (Psalm 147:3). Not only did Hannah know who to turn to for healing, but she also knew where to physically go for solace - the Lord's Tabernacle (the dwelling place of His Presence). After one of the sacrificial meals she attended with her husband, she got up in deep distress and went to the Tabernacle's entrance to pray. The Bible says that, "Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD" (1 Samuel 1:15). Hannah tells Eli, the priest, that she was pouring out her heart to the LORD. During her prayer, she makes a vow to God (a promise) that if the LORD answers her prayer and gives her a son, he will be dedicated to the Lord for his entire lifetime.
After realizing that Hannah was crying out to God in great anguish, Eli answered her by saying, "'...Go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of Him."
What I am going to explain next regarding Eli's statement to Hannah, I admit, can be a bit ambiguous (open to several interpretations). This is my interpretation and I welcome others' interpretations which may differ. I personally believe that Eli's statement to Hannah was prophetic and I will explain why in a moment.
Let's begin with what prophecy is from a New Testament perspective. Paul writes in great length on the gifts of the Spirit in his letter to the Corinthians. He has this to say about the gift of prophecy -
"Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them...one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church...a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful." -1 Corinthians 14:1,3,6
Just to clarify further, Old Testament prophecy was the authoritative Word of God, directly from the mouth of God, spoken through His appointed prophets as "Thus says the LORD." In the New Testament, the gift of prophesy must be tested against Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). Believers are encouraged by Paul to evaluate what is prophetically spoken and discern if it aligns with Scripture. The gift of prophecy is still revelation from the Spirit of God, but through a human understanding, hence the importance to evaluate and test it. If it is a true prophecy from God, it will be a message that strengthens, encourages, and comforts believers, as well as aligns with Scripture.
Although Eli lived during the Old Testament period (the time of the Judges), he was a priest and was not recognized as operating in the office of 'Prophet' like Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Elisha did. Instead, in the context of his encounter with Hannah, I believe he is operating under more of a New Testament function of prophecy. His prophetic response to Hannah includes two points -
"Go in peace"
"May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of Him"
As a result of his prophecy, something happens inside Hannah that visibly changes her demeanor and attitude. She responds by saying, “'Oh, thank you, sir!' she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad." Eli's response stirred feelings of hope, expectation, and confidence in Hannah's spirit resulting in her changed demeanor.
Let's unpack Eli's prophetic words to Hannah...
The first comforting thing he tells her is 'go in peace.' This Hebrew phrase is used 13 times in the Old Testament and 9 times in the New Testament. It literally means to 'go towards peace' in the Hebrew language. I discussed the meaning of shalom (Hebrew word for peace) in my blog post entitled, 'How to Make Your Home a Dwelling of Peace.' To recap, shalom means completeness, wholeness in body, soul, & spirit, health, security, rest, and so forth. 'Go in peace' encouraged Hannah to carry forth the peace of God as she left the Tabernacle in Shiloh and returned home with her husband and rival "sister-wife." She was to rest in His all-encompassing provision. He alone could open her womb and enable her to conceive. He would provide the healing and wholeness required for her to bear children. She was to trust in His security even when Peninnah began taunting her. 'Go in peace' was Eli's exhortation (his encouragement and urging) to Hannah to trust and rest in the Lord to provide what she asked of Him.
The second prophetic thing he said to Hannah is, "May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of Him." It sounds generic enough. Maybe a pleasantry on Eli's behalf. A well-wish. A polite thing to say to a grieving woman. However, what he said deeply impacted Hannah. Before this encounter with the Lord and Eli, she was provoked to tears by her rival's taunting. She would weep, be downhearted, and refuse to eat. After Eli's prophecy, however, she went back to the same circumstances (nothing had changed yet), but she began to eat and was no longer sad. Something significant happened in this woman. Especially since her previous state of anguish occurred "year after year" (1 Samuel 1:7) every time they came to Shiloh and went to the Tabernacle.
Eli was not aware of what Hannah prayed for. She never explained to him that she asked the Lord for a son and she had been barren for so many years. He simply saw a woman with a sincere heart crying out to God in anguish. Because he knew the good nature of God as described by Moses in Exodus (“The LORD, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." Exodus 34:6-7), he was convinced that the Lord would grant Hannah's request. His confidence sparked faith in Hannah to trust God in the same way.
Apostle Paul describes the purpose of the gift of prophecy as strengthening, encouraging, and edifying (building up) the faith of believers in their knowledge of the Lord. As Hannah left Shiloh to return home, her experience with Eli strengthened and encouraged her heart. As she meditated on his prophetic words, her faith was edified (built up) that the Lord would surely grant her request for a son. It changed her. It gave her confidence to face Peninnah's ridicule. Hannah disarmed her taunts with the peace of God - that He was working on her behalf. She rested in His provision for her. She was cheerful, not downcast. She was able to eat and rejoice in the Lord. The Bible says that when she returned home to Ramah, she had intercourse with her husband and the Lord remembered her plea. She conceived and brought forth a son named Samuel which in Hebrew means 'God has heard.' He, in the fullness of time, became a great man of God. He took over the priesthood from Eli after his death, faithfully led the people of Israel, and anointed both King Saul and King David. Could it be possible that Hannah's womb had been 'closed' until the perfect moment in history, according to God's prophetic time clock, for him to be born and manifest the purpose and calling God had for his life?
Hannah was able to overcome because she took hold of a word from God, spoken to her by Eli, the priest. The gift of prophecy can change people's lives. I want to end by giving you some practical examples of ways you can receive from the gift of prophecy in your everyday life so that your faith can thrive and you bear fruit in every season.
Prophecy doesn't have to be spooky and weird. The most simple form of prophecy that you receive on a daily basis is from reading your Bible, listening to a sermon, reading an encouraging blog or book, singing a worship song, etc. Whenever God's Word is being presented in an edifying way (true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ), you can grab hold of a revelation that will strengthen, encourage, and build up your faith. The key is to test and evaluate these things by taking them back to Scripture and seeing if they align with God's authoritative Word. I can't tell you how many times I've been reading a biblically-sound book (or listening to a sermon) that spoke directly to my soul and encouraged/built up my faith to the point of breakthrough and revelation in my life. This is what the gift of prophecy is all about!
You may also experience prophecy through another believer who has a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge for you. Again, take everything back to Scripture. Don't blindly accept whatever someone says unless it aligns with the Bible.
You might receive a word of prophecy from the Lord through prayer, either in your own personal prayer time or when praying with another believer.
I hope this post has encouraged and edified your faith. I pray that you will do your own research on the gift of prophecy (especially if you disagree on any points that I've presented here) and ask God what He wants to prophetically speak into your life. The principle of prophecy has the potential to transform your faith. In closing, I would like to take a moment to address any woman reading this who is struggling to conceive a child. Like Hannah, I know your grief, anguish, and distress can be consuming. I ask that you take time to study & meditate on the Scriptures that I've pulled together below regarding childbearing and the motherhood. See yourself in each of these verses as the thriving mother it speaks about until it becomes a reality in your mind. God put these desires of motherhood and family within you. You earnestly desire these things because they are inherent in His design for womanhood. God doesn't lie, nor does He withhold good things from His daughters. It was His idea and plan for mankind to be fruitful and multiply. So, sister in Christ, take comfort in knowing that it is His good desire for you to have a family of your own. Meditate on these Scriptures and prophesy it over yourself until they become more real than your infertility is. "Go in peace," sweet woman of faith.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." -James 1:17
Scriptures on Childbearing -
Psalm 113:9 - "He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the LORD."
Deuteronomy 7:14 - "He will love you and bless you, and He will give you many children...You will be blessed above all the nations of the earth. None of your men or women will be childless, and all your livestock will bear young. And the LORD will protect you from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt..."
Psalm 128:1-4 - "How joyful are those who fear the LORD - all who follow His ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the LORD's blessing for those who fear Him."
Exodus 23:25-26 - "You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives."
1 Timothy 2:15 - "But women will be saved through childbearing, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty."
1 Timothy 5:14 - "So I advise these younger women to marry, have children , and take care of their own homes."
References -
The Gift of Prophecy -
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