- Hannah, whose name meant "Grace / Favor" and
- Peninnah, whose name meant "Jewel, Ruby, Precious and valuable."
Anytime you have two wives...you know there's going to be trouble.
Hannah was favored by her husband. Although her name meant Grace & Favor - she was unfruitful, barren and her womb was dead.
When Elkanah gave out portions he gave to Penniah and all her sons and daughters portions. But to Hannah he gave a "worthy portion" (DOUBLE PORTION)
Elkanah had come to the conclusion that it didn't matter if Hannah ever bore him any children because Peninnah was very fruitful. So Elkanah was adjusted to the situation and so was Hannah. She was satisfied with the circumstances because she knew she was the FAVORED wife and she had Elkanah's attention and affection.
Everything was FINE.
- They had an arrangement; they had it all figured out (ever been there?) You thought you had everything figured out, you had all your ducks in a row, it was perfect but you knew you could make it serve your purposes.
- Then out of nowhere (SHAZAM!) something happened that messed everything up! All your plans and schemes and networking and tweaking and playing just "aint" working anymore!
- Peninnah starts to PROVOKE HANNAH over her barrenness, her words are harsh and hateful, filled with resentment and jealousy and her words are like arrows that stick in Hannah's heart.
- At first they just seem to bounce off and have no effect, but Penniah does not let up and eventually it becomes clear the arrows have hit their mark.
- Now we see that Hannah is now disturbed over the fact that she is barren and has not borne any children to Elkanah.
- But Elkanah tries to pull her back and get her to settle down...and just enjoy what they have.
- In fact, he says "Am I not better to thee than 10 sons?"
- And now DISCONTENT and DISCOMFORT and FRUSTRATION change into a DESIRE and a CRAVING and EXPECTATION and a need for more!
- Hannah begins to realize..."there's more than this, I was created for more than this!"
- Now she looks past Elkanah, all the love, all the favor, all the material blessings cannot satisfy her, they cannot open her womb, they cannot meet her need!
Friends, inside the womb of every child of God is a cry for the miraculous, for signs and wonders and miracles, a cry from your spiritual womb for the MANIFESTATION of the power of God...to be fruitful, to birth souls into the KINGDOM!
Peninnah provoked Hannah! She was her adversary...her thorn in the side...she made her feel uncomfortable...she irritated her...she couldn't stand her!
Yet, Peninnah provoked Hannah OVER her barrenness! The point is this... Hannah had more in her but she was satisfied to have the love of her husband and be blessed and favored and never reach for more or believe for more to expect more.
UNTIL...SHE WAS PUSHED....UNTIL...SHE WAS PROVOKED!
Friend, the most valuable thing in Hannah's life was the thing that provoked her to CRY out to God for more!
Elkanah loved her but he wouldn't push her...he wouldn't provoke her...he didn't want to upset her. it's nice to be loved and appreciated and pampered...but sometimes you need somebody to PROVOKE you!
Remember...Peninnah's name meant JEWEL. The jewels in your life are the most valuable things in your life...and the people that PUSH you and provoke you to become the best that you can be!
I am what I am by the grace of God. I would not be where I am today if my spiritual leaders and teachers always patted me on the head and agreed with everything I did and never CORRECTED me or REBUKED me.
If it hadn't been for some men and women of God that told me the truth, and corrected me, even when it made me mad, I would have spent my life just going through the motions, holding on and hanging out waiting for the RAPTURE BUS.
But thanks be to God, I had some people that loved me enough to tell me the truth and instruct me in the way of righteousness and PROVOKE me!
Today, there's a SAMUEL in you trying to get out!
- There's a prophet in you trying to get out!
- There's an apostle in you trying to get out!
- There's an evangelist in you trying to get out!
- There's a pastor in you trying to get out!
- There's a teacher in you trying to get out!
- There's a song in you trying to get out!
- There's an author in you trying to get out!
- There's a deacon in you trying to get out!
- There's an elder in you trying to get out!
- There's a businessman in you trying to get out!
- There's a book in you trying to get out!
- There's music in you trying to get out!
PRAYER
Lord, I'm going to thank You for my adversary today! I'm praising You that you allowed me to be provoked...else I'd still be stuck in the land of nowhere! Lord, thank You for believing in me and challenging me to rise above my place of comfort and casualness! Thank you for putting leaders in my life who not only love me but correct me...even when it doesn't feel good. I'm a better person today...because I've been provoked!
