Our reading this week in the book of Numbers 30 begins with a discussion of vows, including women’s vows. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss the most famous vow made by a woman in the Bible, the vow of Hannah. Much has been written about Hannah and therefore I have had to be selective in what features of her story I will be investigating. For instance, I will not be analyzing her song though it is a powerful work of poetry and chock full of interesting ideas to explore. Instead, I will focus on her reason for wanting a son and why she vowed to dedicate him to God. So once again, let me introduce another amazing woman of the Bible. Read more…