Hannah's Son

1 Samuel 2:12-36

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit."  Judges 21:25

There was a lack of leadership in Israel at the time Samuel was born.  Everybody was just doing their own thing their own way.  This brought a certain amount of chaos and anarchy to the nation.  It is human nature to do what pleases us, but that doesn't make for a stable society.  The books of 1 and 2 Samuel tell of the transition between the time of the judges and the time of the kings of Israel.  They also show how Israel grew from a loosely joined group of tribes into a unified nation under David's rule.  There are three major characters in these two books--Samuel, Saul, and David.

Hannah was focused on how much she wanted a child, and God repaid her sacrifice of Samuel by giving her more children--three more sons and two daughters.  God saw a much bigger picture.  He saw the need for another godly leader for the Israelites.  Warren Wiersbe wrote,  "It's an awesome fact that, humanly speaking, the future of the nation rested with this godly woman's prayers; and yet how much in history has depended on the prayers of suffering and sacrificing people, especially mothers...Never underestimate the home or the power of a little child dedicated to God."

It is interesting that when God gets ready to do something very special in history, the first phase of His plan has often been to send a particular baby.  Several times these babies were sent to women who had been childless for a long time.  That was the case with Samuel.  Eli was old, and his sons were evil.  God wanted a new leader to shepherd His people, and He sent Samuel to the nation of Israel through Hannah.

Old Eli had not been a very good father to his sons.  People told him about the way they disregarded God's instructions concerning the sacrifices and how they seduced women who were helping to serve at the entrance to the tabernacle.  Eli spoke to his sons about their behavior, but he failed to discipline them or remove them from their duties.

Hannah had left her precious son to grow up in this atmosphere.  She had to trust that God would take care of her child, and He did.  Little Samuel thrived in the temple, helping Eli serve God.  1 Samuel 2:26 tells us,  "And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men."

When God gives people the privilege of serving Him, if they are unfaithful and dishonoring to Him, He will raise up someone else in their places.  God's work will go on, but other people will be doing it.  Samuel was God's replacement for Eli's two disobedient sons.

Father, may we be careful to use well the opportunities You give us to serve You.  May we honor and obey You.  Amen.