Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are available here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
God Bless Pope Leo XIV, who we pray will unite the world in Christ!
Happy Mother’s Day! In honor of our mothers in this Bible study, we discuss three famous Jewish mothers whose miraculous babies impacted human history (and one still does forever and ever).
But first, I share an interesting conversation with my Jewish mother, Gloria Cohen Kahn. Around 1995, while visiting Florida, she asked me how I came to believe in Jesus while in college. Then my mother revealed why she and my father were not critical of my newfound belief, saying, “We thought Jesus was just a fad you would grow out of.”
But the Lord had other plans for me, and my faith continued to grow. Note to mothers: Don’t try to predict your children’s behavior.
We begin our study by reviewing Vol. 101, “The Story of Hannah and Samuel.” This Old Testament story is inspiring, dramatic, and marks a turning point in Jewish royal history.
Hannah was infertile, and in ancient biblical times, a “barren womb” meant that God did not favor her. Worse, Hannah’s husband had another wife who was a baby machine, resulting in a contentious relationship between the ladies. Scripture reads:
“Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat” (1 Samuel 1:6-7).
However, Hannah was strong-willed and determined to have a son, so she made a “deal” with God:
Recommended
“And she made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on 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 temple priest, noticed Hannah’s intense but silent prayers:
“Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, ‘How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine’” (1 Samuel 1:12-14).
Despite Eli’s false accusations, Hannah was undeterred. Given the patriarchal society, she was not intimidated by the powerful temple priest and launched into her defense:
“‘Not so, my lord,’ Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.’ Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’ She said, ‘May your servant find favor in your eyes’” (1 Samuel 1:15-18).
The God of Israel granted Hannah’s prayers because the Lord had destined her son for a pivotal role as a great prophet and advisor to the future kings of Israel, Saul and David. We read:
“Early the next morning, they [Hannah and her husband Elkanah] arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So, over time, Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him’” (1 Samuel 1:19-20).
When Samuel was weaned, Hannah and her husband went to the temple to fulfill the vow that she had made to God since He had given her a son:
“When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, ‘Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord.’ And he [Samuel] worshiped the Lord there” (1 Samuel 1:25-28).
After Hannah gave young Samuel to the Lord under Eli’s charge, she prayed “Hannah’s Prayer.” This prayer later inspired two famous New Testament prayers surrounding two miraculous births— Jesus and John the Baptist. Hannah’s prayer begins:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” Skip to the closing verses:
“The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” (1 Samuel 2:1-10).
Imagine having a mother who prayed like that! Be sure to read all ten verses, and when you do, notice the similarities between Hannah’s Prayer and “Mary’s Song,” also known as “The Magnificat,” meaning “Glorifies.” (See Vol. 19.)
Mary prayed The Magnificat when pregnant with Jesus after arriving at the home of her relative Elizabeth, who immediately recognized the Messiah in Mary’s womb. Like Hannah, Elizabeth was thought to be barren, but now, she is miraculously “with child” even though she is older. (See Vol. 39.) The Magnificat begins:
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Skip to the closing verses:
“He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever" (Luke 1:46-55).
Following “Mary’s Song” in Luke’s Gospel, Elizabeth birthed John the Baptist, prompting his father Zechariah to pray “Zechariah’s Song,” or “Benedictus.” (See Vol. 98.) This prayer’s post-birth timing is reminiscent of Hannah’s, but “Benedictus” meaning “Praise Be” is uniquely a New Testament prophecy that begins:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.” Skip to the end verses:
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:67-79).
This study celebrates an Old Testament Jewish mother who kept her word to God and two New Testament mothers who also birthed miraculous babies. But all mothers know every birth is miraculous. Happy Mother's Day! Amen!
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer. Her book, "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible," reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2,” reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
She is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit, dedicated to building a future permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C. Join our effort! Click to attend a major Shroud conference July 31- August 2 in St. Louis. I will be there! Contact: <MyraAdams01@gmail.com>
Join the conversation as a VIP Member