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'...