Samuel, the Boy whose Mother Gave Him to God

Samuel, the Boy Whose Mother Gave Him to God

 

The year was around 1085 B.C. and many Jewish people were forgetting their God and worshipping their neighbor’s gods – handmade idols. Israel was the only nation in the ancient world that only worshiped the one God.  All of the neighboring nations were worshipping those popular idols, and it was tempting for the Jewish people to go along with what everyone else was doing – even though God had forbidden them.  God wanted His people to only worship Him. 

 

But Elkanah, a Jewish man, and his family, still faithfully worshipped only God.  Year after year, Elkanahs’ family always walked from Ramah to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord in the temple there. Elkanah had two wives: Hannah was his favorite wife and Peninnah was the other wife.  Peninnah had many children with Elkanah, but Hannah had none.

 

Year after year passed by with Hannah trying and trying to get pregnant.  Year after year of grief and tears and disappointments for her.  In that ancient culture, a woman who couldn’t have children was a disgrace. And Peninnah, the other wife, was always there constantly making fun of Hannah and reminding her of what a failure she was as a woman.

 

 Scripture tells us that one year as Elkanah and his two wives and all their children were traveling to the temple in Shiloh to worship the Lord, his wife, Peninnah, as usual, started teasing and insulting Hannah.  Peninnah always insulted Hannah, but this time Hannah became so upset that she quit eating and couldn’t stop crying. When Hannah got to Shiloh to worship, she kept on crying and crying.  As she knelt before God, tears streaming down her cheeks,  Hannah made this vow or promise to God: “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give me a son, then I will give him back to You for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” (1 Samuel 1:11)

 

Eli, the priest, sees Hannah’s red puffy tear stained face and he hears her sobbing and begging God as she is bent over kneeling before the altar.  So, he thinks she is drunk.  The priest comes over to Hannah and scolds her for being drunk with wine while coming before the Lord to pray. But Hannah assures Eli that she is not drunk with wine! That she had been praying out of her great anguish and grief. (1 Samuel 1:9-16)

 Then Eli, the priest answers Hannah, and with faith he blesses and prophesies over her: “Go in peace and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”  (1 Samuel 1:17)   Hannah joins in on Eli’s proclamation of faith in God with her own proclamation of faith: “May your servant find favor in Your Eyes,” she prays to God. (1 Samuel 1:18a) Faith has caught the joyful sound! Both Eli, the priest and Hannah reach out together to their God in faith with Hannah’s request.

 

There is a spiritual breakthrough! Immediately Hannah stops crying and starts smiling.  She begins eating and stops her fast. (1 Samuel 1:18b) Believing prayer brings ease to the soul.  Hannah has given her sorrow to her heavenly Father and she trusts Him to take care of it.  It is in His Hands.  God knows best and He has heard her prayer. God has promised to hear His children’s prayers and Hannah believes His promise. There is joy in believing!   

 

Several days later Elkanah, Hannah, Peninnah and the children head for home. And very soon after that Hannah became pregnant!  When she gives birth, it is to a son and she names the baby “Samuel” which means “asked of God”.  Hannah did not forget her promise to God to give her son to Him for his lifetime.  After she finished nursing Samuel and when he was just a child, Hannah and Elkanah took Samuel back to Shiloh and gave him to Eli the priest where he would learn to serve the Lord in the temple. Samuel knew that he had been promised to God by his mother and he loved God and whole heartedly gave his whole life to God’s service.

 

Hannah was so thankful to God for answering her prayer that she sang a song of praise to God.  Her song can be found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.  There was music and perhaps dancing as Hannah rejoiced in the Lord.  She sings out that “There is no one besides You.  There is no Rock like our God.”  “For the Lord is a God who knows, and by Him deeds are weighed.”  “The foundations of the earth are the Lords’.  Upon them He has set the world.”  “He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness”.  God also gave Hannah four more children after Samuel was born.    

When Samuel grew to adulthood, he became a priest and a judge of all of Israel.  He served God all of his life.  Samuel was humble. (1 Samuel 3:15-18) He was obedient to God. (1 Samuel 3:10-14) And his life was dedicated to God. (1 Samuel 3) God led the people of Israel through Samuel.   All of Israel repented of their idol worship and came back to God.  (1 Samuel 7:3-4) The whole nation renewed their allegiance to the Lord alone.  (1 Samuel 7:5-9) Under Samuel’s leadership Israel became a spiritually wise people (1 Samuel 7:15-17) And a victorious people!  (1 Samuel 7:10-14)   God used Hannah’s faith and her prayers and Samuel’s dedicated life to bless and change all of Israel.  What can we learn from this story?  Can God use us too if we give Him our lives?            

 

 

             

 

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