It's obvious…you should love ME!

Here is someone you don't hear a lot about…Peninnah. She was one of two wives in a relationship. I sometimes think Peninnah is misunderstood because of her choice of actions toward Hannah. However if we look at what she was living in, I think we may understand, not agree with, but understand where she was coming from.

Peninnah was married to a wealthy, God-fearing man. He was generous with his wealth towards his wives and his children. She clearly lived well and did not want for anything. Her children were taken care of very nicely. Every year the head of the house led his family to worship. Now for most women, this would be a great situation. Not the two wives thing, but the wealthy, generous thing. However, both women were miserable.

Peninnah was in a relationship with someone she pledged her life too, unfortunately he was not in love with her. She was tied to him forever by the children, but he would never love her like she wanted. Can you imagine being married to someone who takes you in his arms and the embrace is empty? Who has obligation sex with you, but never make love to you? In biblical times, the woman's ability to have children was her key to everything. Elkanah should have loved Peninnah like he never loved anyone else, yet there WAS someone who he loved more, his other wife Hannah.

Her inability to have children automatically put her in a serious situation. It was viewed as a curse not to be able to bear children, yet she was given more than Penninah and she had Elkanah's heart.

What do you do when he should love you because you have everything he wants, everything he needs, yet he can not commit to you but on a surface level? How do you react when you would do anything to have him look at you the way he looks at her? Peninnah did what most of us would probably do…She took her frustrations out on Hannah. She probably looked at Hannah and wondered, "What is it? Why is he in love with you and not me?" Her anger at not knowing the answer caused her to "provoke Hannah sore."

I think it would be rough living in this type of situation. Living with someone who wants you for what you can do, but never love you to his very soul…what do you think?