“When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”[c] 23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his[d] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[e] an ephah[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.” 1 Samuel; 1.21-28
What mother could give her son away? As a parent, giving up a child is unthinkable. But not so for Hannah. She had asked the Lord for a son, and He was given to her. Therefore, the child rightly belonged to the Lord. She simply honored her vow when she said, “So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord.”
Now, I don’t know if the child stayed at the Tabernacle day and night for his entire life, but the text says, “he lived there always.” Perhaps there were seasons when he came and went, or maybe his mother stayed close by. Regardless, Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord, and she did so with honor. She brought a three-year-old bull, 36 pounds of flour, and a skin of wine and “brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.” The bull was sacrificed, and the boy was presented to Eli, the high priest. Samuel’s role for the rest of his life was to worship the Lord at the house of the Lord at Shiloh.
We can learn a lot from Hannah—her faithfulness and devotion, certainly—but offering her son to the Lord’s service for the rest of his life is incredible. God blessed her with other children, as we will read, but this dedication shaped Samuel’s life forever.
It makes me ask: How are we raising our own children? Do we commit them to the Lord? Do we realize His ways are best? Maybe we don’t go drop them off at a monastery, but we could still give them to the Lord. I know that with my own children, I have committed them to Christ many times. They were raised in the middle of youth camp worship sessions, local church services, and revival meetings. They too, like Samuel, have been committed and dedicated to the Lord. (Now, what they do with that commitment is up to them!)
It’s not just our kids we dedicate to Christ, but our hearts as well. Each day, we have the opportunity to say yes to Christ. Our “yes” is His desire. When we commit our ways to the Lord, we can be assured that He is guiding and leading our paths, as well as using us to grow and build His eternal Kingdom.
Today, commit yourself and your children to Christ, and you will find health, wealth, and happiness!
“O Lord God, you are good. In my fullness, I bless your name. Come now, Holy Spirit, guide my steps. Allow me to walk according to your ways. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and love, and pour your mercy upon my life. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen