Dealing With Repeated Provocation

1 Samuel 1:6
Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
1 Samuel 1:7
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.

It is very sad to know that there are people who derive pleasure in provoking others. There are people who you will try avoiding in order to have peace but they will seek you to provoke you. You will be provoked not because of what you have done or said but because of who the other person is- evil. Scripture will let us know how to deal with repeated provocation.

There is a provocation that you can deal with and stop it. Your response to provocation the first time it happens will determine if you have stopped the other person or you have encouraged them. Someone has correctly quipped that – do not let anyone be comfortable with disrespecting you. There is provocation you can address and stop. That is one way of dealing with provocation that could easily turn out to be repeated!

There is a need to be firm and resolved that you are willing to go to any lengths to stop the provocation. Those provoking like testing us to see if they can provoke us and be safe. The provocation gets worse as they discover they are safe from any retaliation or response from us. To therefore stop any provocation that could easily be repeated and intense, be firm, and refuse to bulge on self-defense. Report to the authorities, call them out, etc. Silence and behaving nice will make your situation worse.

Remember that the one provoking us is deriving pleasure from two ends. First, the provocation gives them pleasure. Secondly, our response to provocation delights them. They enjoy our weeping and suffering. Crying and begging for fairness drive their pleasure levels high. If this gives them pleasure, they will seek much more pleasure by further provocations. The provocation we can deal with we should deal with as soon as possible!

However, there is provocation you can’t do anything to stop it. You are helpless as you get victimized. Those who should help you are supporting your tormentors secretly or by their silence and inaction. You suffer as those who should help you watch and do nothing. You suffer and you are too limited and restricted to do anything to your tormentor.

Hannah was barren. Her co-wife Peninnah provoked her to first irritate her and then to see her weep. Hannah’s husband who should have helped her didn’t help her. By his silence and inaction, he supported Peninnah in provoking Hannah. Elkana committed a sin of omission. His sin was not what he did, commission, but what he didn’t do, omission. He didn’t help Hannah he instead kept quiet as Peninnah provoked her. There are many Elkana’s in positions of responsibility today, who could have alleviated people’s suffering by stopping tormentors, but they are diplomatically quiet. Sinning diplomatically. It is still sinning and it is written against them in heavenly records, they are tormentors too!

Peninnah saw Hannah crying and she kept tormenting her. Peninnah was merciless and ruthless. Penninah was not going to stop because she was deriving pleasure in this evil act. To hope and pray that someone deriving pleasure from hurting you will just stop, is to engage in wishful thinking. Unless something drastic happens the provocation will never stop!

Hannah responded to the repeated provocation by earnest prayers to God. She did what she could and kept praying. She kept meeting her husband in order to see if a pregnancy was possible, 1 Samuel 1:19. She did not just sit and wait for a miracle she played her part. We must actively work towards stopping our tormentors, it may take longer but we must never give up and let suffering be our portion. Keep fighting for liberty from tormentors by all means possible. Pray and never ever give up effort towards liberty.

After many prayers and many attempts, God gave Hannah a child, and that drastically silenced Peninnah. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Keep praying and fighting for liberty, freedom is coming. It may take longer but do not give up. Pray and work towards a solution. God will come through, never ever give up!

If provocation will stop if you report it, then go ahead and report it. If provocation will stop if you relocate, go ahead and relocate. If provocation will stop if you get an education or a higher income, go for it. If provocation will stop if you move away from the provoker then move away. It may not be easy to take such actions, but alongside prayer and action, you can place yourself far from further provocation. Do not just pray, but do what it takes. Pray earnestly and work tirelessly until you are liberated from provocation.

Luke 18:1-8 tells us of a lady who, like Hannah, she had an enemy who was provoking her. She went to government authorities to seek protection. She persistently went to the authorities until the judge gave her protection. We should never surrender to tormentors. We should keep agitating and praying. One day we shall be set free. Do not be an accomplice in a crime against you by your doing nothing about it. Pray while doing something. It may seem useless for now but someday freedom will come. Do not normalize provocation, it is not spiritual.

Father God, there is a persistent provocation, give us the patience to abide in prayer about it, and wisdom to do what we should to stop it, come to our rescue, in Jesus’s name, Amen!

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