Living in the Light of God's Goodness
At the beginning of the 1 Samuel, Hannah is discouraged and beaten down by life. Her prayer life makes all the difference as she pours out her soul to the Lord in earnest petition. God answers her prayer and gives her a son. This son was vowed to God's service and Hannah does something important: She HONORS her vow to God and fulfills it.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 (ESV) When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.
It is important to note WHEN Hannah brought the boy to the Temple. It reads,
1 Samuel 1:22 (ESV) she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.”
Hebrew women weaned a child for 3-4 years in the ancient world. This means Hannah has a lot of personal investment in this son. Hannah doesn't want to offer a child that would drain the resources of God's work in the Temple. Imagine a baby dropped off in God's house. That's not necessarily a gift!
Hannah is living in the goodness of God here. She is able to both promise and fulfill her promise to God even with its hefty sacrifice. I wonder how many times she may have felt the temptation to keep Samuel. After all, he was her son.
This is the excuse some use who never give their lives to God. They begin to think their life was their doing in the first place. Or those who do not tithe and support the ministry of the Gospel. They believe their money is their own! To them, God had nothing to do with it. This kind of attitude is sadly disconnected from God's goodness. It fails to believe the first truth stated in the Bible, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." All that there is is because of Him. Your mind which thinks, your heart which beats, your finances which God gave you the power to gain and even the tools you use in your workplace all have their origination in God, not you. God owns it all and it is all for His glory.
Hannah does not let herself forget this. She weans the boy, returns to the temple and sets him apart for God. Notice her firm statement of personal devotion:
1 Samuel 1:27–28 (ESV) For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
I know I'm guilty of this more often than I realize. I pray to God, God answers me and I move on as if nothing happened. This is another way to miss His goodness. Hannah's actions here speak powerfully. Of course, the impact of her answered prayer was far more obvious as it was a child but the point is still fair. Her statements remind us to never forget answered prayer, to fulfill whatever vows we have made to God. To gratefully come and worship Him in that goodness.
There's that one last phrase we should note: "And he worshiped the Lord there." The passage is asking us to see the impact of parenting YOUNG children. Samuel is a worshipper even though he has never been to the temple and was only with Hannah for up to 4 years. No doubt, this child learned to worship from his mother who lived a grateful life for God's goodness to her. No doubt as he nursed on her breast, this child heard her sing and thank God for him. Even at a young age, this had a powerful effect on him. AND Samuel will live an extraordinary life of faithful service to God no doubt because his mother modeled this kind of life for him in his formative years.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 (ESV) When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.
1 Samuel 1:22 (ESV) she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.”
Hannah is living in the goodness of God here. She is able to both promise and fulfill her promise to God even with its hefty sacrifice. I wonder how many times she may have felt the temptation to keep Samuel. After all, he was her son.
This is the excuse some use who never give their lives to God. They begin to think their life was their doing in the first place. Or those who do not tithe and support the ministry of the Gospel. They believe their money is their own! To them, God had nothing to do with it. This kind of attitude is sadly disconnected from God's goodness. It fails to believe the first truth stated in the Bible, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." All that there is is because of Him. Your mind which thinks, your heart which beats, your finances which God gave you the power to gain and even the tools you use in your workplace all have their origination in God, not you. God owns it all and it is all for His glory.
Hannah does not let herself forget this. She weans the boy, returns to the temple and sets him apart for God. Notice her firm statement of personal devotion:
1 Samuel 1:27–28 (ESV) For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
I know I'm guilty of this more often than I realize. I pray to God, God answers me and I move on as if nothing happened. This is another way to miss His goodness. Hannah's actions here speak powerfully. Of course, the impact of her answered prayer was far more obvious as it was a child but the point is still fair. Her statements remind us to never forget answered prayer, to fulfill whatever vows we have made to God. To gratefully come and worship Him in that goodness.
There's that one last phrase we should note: "And he worshiped the Lord there." The passage is asking us to see the impact of parenting YOUNG children. Samuel is a worshipper even though he has never been to the temple and was only with Hannah for up to 4 years. No doubt, this child learned to worship from his mother who lived a grateful life for God's goodness to her. No doubt as he nursed on her breast, this child heard her sing and thank God for him. Even at a young age, this had a powerful effect on him. AND Samuel will live an extraordinary life of faithful service to God no doubt because his mother modeled this kind of life for him in his formative years.
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