Powerpoint Pictures: Baby

It’s really horrible when people are made fun of because who they are, what they look like, what they can or can’t do, what they have or haven’t got.  I want you to think about which people are the ones that usually are made fun of:

People with a big nose or those with normal size noses? People who are good at sport or those who aren’t that great at sport? People who are fat or people who are thin? People who are ugly or people who are pretty? People who are smart or people who aren’t smart?

In the next part of the Big Bible Adventure, at a time when Israel had no leader, we meet someone who was made fun of.  She was made fun of because she didn’t have any children.

Her name was Hannah and she was married to a man named Elkanah who also had another wife called Peninnah.  Peninnah had children but Hannah wasn’t able to have children because the Lord had closed her womb.

Because Hannah was unable to have children, Peninnah was constantly making fun of her until Hannah was so upset that she would stop eating.  Hannah went to the tabernacle and prayed to God trusting that He would hear her prayer and answer it in the way that is best.

She prayed: “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon 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, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” (1 Samuel 1:11)

Eli the priest was nearby and saw Hannah praying but thought she was drunk because her lips were moving but she wasn’t making a sound.  But Hannah explained that she was crying out to God because she had no children.

When Eli heard this he said “I’m sure God will answer your prayer.”  And do you know what, He did.  Hannah got pregnant and had a son who she named Samuel.  God heard Hannah’s prayer and He answered it, doing something that seemed impossible.

When Samuel grew up he would be given an important job by God to do.  I wonder what that will be?