Poking Peninnah
1 Samuel 1:7”It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, Peninnah provoked her; so she wept and would not eat.”
PENINNAHs’ inside the church:
At the outset let me clarify, POKING PENINNAH need not necessarily be only women, since it is an ‘evil spirit’ this operates in both genders, so remember we are dealing with a spirit and not a woman. Look at the drama INSIDE the church between two women who go to the temple of God year after year!!!! Peninnah (evil) provoked her ceaselessly and Hannah wept ceaselessly!! Despite going to the House of God both the women had no transformation in their lives. This is exactly what we see in the lives of many who read the Bible 24 hours, wake up early kneel down and pray; however, they are bitter, angry, envious, murmuring, grumbling, poisonous, fighting and lot more.
James 3: 14 says:” But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
Apostle Paul warns about such people:” They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” (2 Tim 3:5) This crowd are outwardly godly but inwardly worldly and devilish( apologize for the word but that’s the fact) They would slander and gossip about the servants of God and even their own pastor and his family. Did you notice this, that both the women go to the same House of God year after year, pray to the same Heavenly Father( we have only one God not many like the other faith) and plead their respective causes. Peninnah had no remorse or regret about her behavior and Hannah was not anointed enough to deal with the demon behind Peninnah. Anybody listening to me? These are spirits which come against light and work of the Kingdom. There are Peninnah spirits operating inside our homes, family, school, church, the choir, youth group, prayer group, team fellowship and also in offices , their motive is to dominate, boss over, scream, frighten you, irritate, frustrate and kill the anointing in you, in one word – make you flee from God. Ah! Dangerous!
Some people would say, “ I will fast and pray against your family who is coming against me”, ‘I am a prayer warrior don’t touch me”, “ I am a child of God I will pray and destroy you” – all such words they will directly roar against the people. Such words are carnal and these also are proud Peninnah spirits, beware! “’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” said the Lord. (Matthew 15:8)
SPINELESS ELKANAH:
My conundrum is why did Elkanah not shut the mouth of Peninnah? He was able to go and tell Hannah “(darling )Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"(1 Samuel 1:8) but he did not have the guts to go and tell Peninnah to shut up. He allowed the dog to bark! Ah, Elkanah was spineless coward! Anywhere be it at: home, business, school , college or church, where there are no strong, strict leaders, in such cases “Alas, Leadership is unseen, spokespersons are numerous and signals are confusing, net result is chaos.”
Very sad, such systems would collapse one day! Elkanah on the outside looked like a kind man, gentle, very non-interfering, went to the House of God dutifully with his wives; yet, he lacked courage to confront the issue. Did you get me? In our Abide School that we run for the poor children, I had to not only deal with disobedient and rebellious children but also at times parents and teachers too. If I remained silent, hesitant about approaching a teacher who comes late every day then eventually everybody would come late. So I had to put my foot down, speak strongly, close the main gate at a particular time, hang around the school gate like a police dog so that I bring discipline in the school and be efficacious in my work. People may call you an authoritarian, say you are harsh, get offended, hurt and upset with you; however, not everyone will comply with orders, there would be rebellious ones that would resist, you should be ready to face it, this requires determination, grit and consistency. Now our Abide School has very few late comers among students but all our teachers are prompt and punctual. Hallelujah!
We need strong leaders, fathers, mothers, teachers who would keep the house in order!
I am not drunk I am praying:
1 Samuel 1:15” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.”
The above statement kind of captivated me: I am not drunk but I am praying! You pray this kind of prayer when you see your loved one gasping for breath, when they are in death bed, desperate prayer..I am tongue-tied for words to explain this prayer. When the pregnant wife was admitted in the hospital with severe complications and the child was conceived after lot of prayers, the father came with lifted hands in front of our church, knelt down and prayed with tears. He will be able to say,” I am not drunk I am praying!’ Do we have this kind of prayer today in our churches ? I wonder!!!
Instead of going to 1001 people for advice and suggestions, we need to pour out our heart in the presence of God.
HANNAH AROSE & WENT TO GOD: 9 Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10 She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.”
Hannah took the right decision, after lot of pain and humiliation to now go to God rather than rot.
Lamentations 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street.”
Psalm 62:8 “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah
Hey friend, God answers prayers! Matthew 7:7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” That’s the lesson we learn from the awesome story of Hannah, God will change your mourning to dancing. Are you listening? Only believe! Jeremiah 29:12”Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”
Hannah takes a decision to walk into the presence of the Lord and weep at His feet. When ‘she continued praying before the LORD’ (12), did you hear me say ‘CONTINUED’??? Not just for a short while but she kept pressing hard and continued to pray. You need to be persistent in your prayers, while she did so, she received strength to believe for a miracle. Hallelujah! Tears trigger fear, but faith brings cheer! Prayer builds your faith! After wrestling in prayer for a long time, ‘she went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. ‘ That’s powerful! God answered her prayer: 20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of the LORD."
WOW OFFERING!
1 Samuel 1:24 “Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, although the child was young.”
Boy! Look at the offering Hannah made to the Lord, along with three-year-old bull, one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, she packed up her 3 year old kid Samuel also to be offered to the Lord, not for a short period or for a camp meeting but she said: “I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD.” I write this portion with tears brimming my eyes! She kept her vow to the Lord and made a ‘wow’ offering! Have you at any time in your life made a wow offering to the Lord??
Friend, severe afflictions, humiliation, persecutions and loneliness had prepared the heart of Hannah to part with ‘Samuel’ that she had hungered, craved and yearned for. The Bible says: “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.” (1 Samuel 1:10) Thus, Hannah made a strong, focused petition to God for a ‘boy’ child, not to swagger and brag later on but she went on to dedicate the child to be a Nazarite and for the services of the Lord all his life. This was no emotional outburst! This was a wholehearted offering! You would never understand this as long as you calculate your money when you give your offerings. Hannah did not promise to give the child to God for a period, but she vowed:” I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head."
Friend, Hannah becomes a ‘champ’ when she gets her little baby ready to be dropped at the temple ‘for good’. I was touched with her whole hearted offering. Today we have orphanages operating in shabby, over- crowded rooms because people have forgotten to give their wow offerings! Before starting our own free school for the poor , Abide School, I would like to tell you how it birthed. I volunteered to teach English in a Children Home in the locality where we stay. I had the opportunity to see the ‘inside’ of the orphanage which was very pathetic: no lights, no hygiene, it was terrible. We helped in rectifying certain things but then God gave us the burden to start School and Home of our own.
Today, there is NONE, I repeat none to offer their buildings for schools run for the poor and under-privileged, there is so much of struggles, pain, humiliation because people have forgotten to think of the poor and abandoned kids.
Today, we have churches without proper roofs, proper buildings and enough space to run the ministry, because we have forgotten God. God is looking for HANNAHs’ to do a WOW offering for the Lord!
