《聖經中的母親》Day 02
哈拿 ── 撒母耳的母親
10 哈拿心裏愁苦，就痛痛哭泣，祈禱耶和華，11 許願說：「萬軍之耶和華啊，你若垂顧婢女的苦情，眷念不忘婢女，賜我一個兒子，我必使他終身歸與耶和華，不用剃頭刀剃他的頭。」⋯⋯ 19 次日清早，他們起來，在耶和華面前敬拜，就回拉瑪。到了家裏，以利加拿和妻哈拿同房，耶和華顧念哈拿，20 哈拿就懷孕。日期滿足，生了一個兒子，給他起名叫撒母耳，說：「這是我從耶和華那裏求來的。」⋯⋯ 26 婦人說：「主啊，我敢在你面前起誓，從前在你這裏站著祈求耶和華的那婦人，就是我。27 我祈求為要得這孩子；耶和華已將我所求的賜給我了。28 所以，我將這孩子歸與耶和華，使他終身歸與耶和華。」於是在那裏敬拜耶和華。(撒母耳記上一10-11、19-20、26-28)
10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 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.” …
19 Early the next morning they 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. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” …
26 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. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. (1 Samuel 1:10-11, 19-20, 26-28)
19 Early the next morning they 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. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” …
26 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. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. (1 Samuel 1:10-11, 19-20, 26-28)
分享：與昨天分享相同，這又是一個沒能陪伴孩子長大的母親，但這次卻是哈拿將孩子歸與神。
哈拿多年來一直無法生育，更因此經常遭到丈夫另一任妻子嘲笑。哈拿雖然無比愁苦，甚至丈夫的偏愛也未能讓她得著安慰，但她知道唯有耶和華才是她依靠，她向耶和華禱告，還向主許願：「萬軍之耶和華啊，祢若垂顧婢女的苦情，眷念不忘婢女，賜我一個兒子，我必使他終身歸與耶和華，不用剃頭刀剃他的頭。」(撒母耳記上一11)
因著哈拿的苦況，我們總是將她的祈求單純視為對兒子的渴求，甚至視之為一個向神討價還價的祈願：「祢若⋯⋯，我必⋯⋯」。然而，細心看哈拿的禱告，她可是求神的賜予，然後又將得來的歸與神。「不用剃頭刀剃他的頭」是作拿細耳人的規例，表達離俗歸耶和華為聖的記號 (參民數記六5) 。哈拿所求的不是為自己得著兒子，而是求神的顧念，故願意將神的賜予分別為聖歸回耶和華。正如哈拿懷孕得子後，她給孩子起名撒母耳，意思是「這是我從耶和華那裡求來的」；又在撒母耳斷了奶後，將孩子帶到耶和華的殿，使他終身歸與耶和華。
對哈拿來說，她的身份並不單單是一個母親。作了父母，若事事以孩子為重也無可厚非。但哈拿的故事提醒我們重視神的賜予之餘，也不要忘記了賜予的神，以神的事為念。要知道除了作為父母之外，我們也是神的子民，神喜悅我們與祂建立親密的關係。今天，就讓我們看重祂的賜予和看顧，同時又甘心樂意地回應，將最好的呈獻予神。
反思：作父母的，我除了盡心盡力教養孩子外，又有沒有忘記自己也是神的兒女呢？沒有兒女的，我是否重視賜予的神多於神的賜予呢？
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢透過母親哈拿的故事提醒我們不要忘記我們也是祢的兒女，求祢讓我們更有智慧地看重賜予的祢，以祢為滿足、快樂，又願意將最好的呈獻給祢。奉主名求，阿們。
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