Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. He led his family to worship God each year in Shiloh in the context of declining and wicked spiritual leaders. Beyond this, his wives were in conflict because Hannah had no children and Peninnah had sons and daughters. Elkanah did not allow these conflicts to stop him from being faithful to sacrifice to the Lord in worship. Though Hannah had no children, he loved her expressing this at the feast with a double portion: “…for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had closed her womb.” (5b). Yet this did not ease the pain of Hannah’s barrenness as she was taunted by Peninnah. “Then Elkanah her husband said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I Not better to you than ten sons?” (8) Worship, at times, can be painful even when we receive words of encouragement and love. May God give us grace to worship in our pain!