32. Hannah’s Special Son

Samuel

Hannah was terribly sad. She wanted to be part of the way God kept his promises to fill the world with people and make Abraham’s family huge. But she could not have any children.

One day, Hannah went to the tabernacle, the special tent where God lived among his people. Hannah cried. And Hannah prayed: “Lord, I am so upset. Please give me a son, and then I will give him to you, to serve you for his whole life.”

Eli worked in the tabernacle as the chief priest. He saw that something was wrong with Hannah. When she explained how sad she was, Eli said, “I hope God gives you what you have asked for.” Hannah felt much better when she had prayed.

God gave Hannah what she had asked – a son, called Samuel.

And Hannah gave God what she had promised. When Samuel was three years old, she took him to live with Eli and work with him in the tabernacle. When Samuel grew older, he became God’s messenger to Israel.

Hannah prayed again:

“God, you have made my heart feel happy. There is no one else like you. You are kind to everyone who knows they need you.”

33. We Want a King!

1 Samuel 8 – 13

Nahash was the fierce king of Ammon. The Israelites were scared of him and his army.

So they said to God’s messenger Samuel, “We want a king to fight for us! We want a king like everyone else has!”

Samuel reminded the people that God was their king.

“If you choose a king like everyone else has, he will take your children to serve him and he will take your land and animals to make himself rich,” Samuel warned them. “You will soon be sad to have chosen a king who isn’t God.”

“No!” they insisted. “We want a king like everyone else!”

So God gave them what they had chosen. He gave them a king called Saul.

Saul was very tall – and the people were pleased about that. Saul defeated Nahash – and the people were pleased about that too.

But Saul did not obey God – and God was not pleased about that.

God decided that Saul would not be king much longer. Instead, he would give Israel the king they needed, instead of the king they wanted. Who would he choose?