God may close one door to open another.

The setup for a good story is in the foundation. There are subtle clues meant to be built on later on. A clever writer connects the dots in unexpected ways, and is intentional with every word, every phrase. In the Old Testament, Hebrew is much like this – subtle, yet intentional in its brief statements of introduction before telling the “main point.”  

1 Samuel chapter 1 begins with two paragraphs that set the stage for the section, chapter, and ultimately rest of the two-book story. First paragraph is solely contextual – names and linage, who the players are. There's a man named Elkanah, and he has two wives. Then there's the subtle yet intensely emotional statement “And there was for Peninah, children. And for Hanah, there was not children.”  (My translation)

Easy to overlook in reading, not at all in real life. Competition between the wives? Jealousy? Grief? Soul-wrenching sadness at being unable to produce offspring?

The story begins with “year after year...” in a summary of ongoing faithfulness of Elkanah to the Lord. Faithfully he goes....1) to worship (the Lord) and 2) to sacrifice to the Lord. “Worship” in Hebrew is in an obscure structure I've never seen for any other word. From “to bow down,” the verb structure it appears in inherently has three aspects:

1. Passive – the action “bowing down” is done to the person, as if someone kicked their knees and forced them.
2. Reflexive – the action is done to the person, by the person. They are the ones forcing themselves to bow down.
3. Causative – there is an inherent sense of causing the action to happen, of being the person to cause the action of bowing down.

All three lumped, together, this is an exceptionally theological phrase. Sure, it means to bow down. Sure, it means to worship [the Lord]. But there's additional depth to the phrase that can't be ignored. So, Elkanah goes to worship, but he also goes to sacrifice to the Lord Almighty.

The story continues, and we we learn that God has “closed the womb” of the wife Elkanah loves. The other wife has an abundance of children, and provokes and irritates the loved wife. We also find the phrase “year after year” connecting the story together. Year after year Elkanah goes faithfully to sacrifice and worship / bow down before the Lord. Year after year, Elkanah's beloved wife suffers the anguish of barrenness, and it is all the Lord's fault! He's the one who has closed her womb! In addition there is the year after year torment by the other wife. Often the other wife is so oppressive that Hanah weeps and at times stops eating out of her grief.

It is any wonder she weeps as she prays for the Lord to remember her? Is it any wonder a woman weak from grief, torment of barrenness might pray at an altar for a long period of time? What is amazing is even in being “rebuked” by the priest, we see the soft, gentle answer of a woman in deep distress and grief. She explains how she was merely pouring out her soul to the Lord.

Often the story centers on Eli the priest and his assumption she was drunk instead of praying. Perhaps rather it should focus on why she was there in the first place, pouring out her soul to the Lord. It is this “Lord Almighty” who is the one who closed her womb to being with. We can see her deep, profound dedication in the midst of an extended, year-after-year crisis of faith when God seems to ignore and not answer her prayers.

Perhaps in taking a closer look at the setting we can learn more about the character of this woman. In light of her character, principles and thus applications to our lives today are obvious. God will eventually answer those who steadfastly seek his face, even when it takes 3,4,5 or even ten years. “Don't give up” is not the answer, but rather worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty. God may in his wisdom decide to “close” the “doors” of the single thing desired in life, however noble. The Lord opens and closes at his choosing, for his purposes, and in his timing.

Ultimately, Hannah's dedication leads to a son entirely dedicated to the Lord. It is in the foundational years of Samuel's life that he hears the voice of God audibly, and becomes a priestly leader to a nation straying from the Lord. Eli the priest had two sons, but they were both wicked and should not have been priests. Had Hannah simply had a child, she would not have suffered – but her child would not have grown up in the temple, and lived to serve God's purposes. God closed the door of her womb so that he could open the door  to Samuel being a priest for Israel.  

Much like he so often does in our lives...