Holy Smoke… When prayers get answered!
A long time a go there was a woman named Hannah. She worked hard at being a good wife and home builder. She did her share chores and loved her husband. But there was a problem. She couldn’t bear children. In the Israelite culture ,1100 s BC, it was a travesty if a woman couldn’t have kids especially male children. The line would die out and so in that culture a family was counted blessed if you had sons. Almost, as if God favored you more.
She also had to live with the thought that she shared her husband with another wife that, could have children!? Talk about adding insult to injury. The fact is, in the scriptures, it said that her hubby loved her more that the other. Um, maybe he shouldn’t have married the other woman? Ok I digress but that’s a topic for another day. Guys don’t get any ideas…
Well she travels with old faithful, ahem, to the temple for one of the Jewish feasts (probably the feasts of Tabernacle) and listen to her prayers while there.
“O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” 1 Samuel 1:11 ESV
Would you believe it if I told you she goes home and gets pregnant? So I imagine that the little promise pops up in her head and now she’s probably thinking, “How am I going to get out of this?”
Well, we couldn’t be more wrong…
After she weens him off of her milk she takes him to the temple. Back then that was like three years. No it’s not gross they didn’t have stores with pasteurized milk or formula in cans. She drops him off at the temple and tells the high priest his name is Samuel which means possibly “offspring of God” and leaves him. Whoa!
I wonder how many of us parents are willing to give up a child, even to God himself? Unfortunately, if we say we can’t, then that shows how much we truly hold to the thought of God is sovereign and owns everything anyway.
Really, raising kids to the glory of God has nothing about your desires to love them it has to do with the ability to sacrifice your need for confirmation from them. Let me put it this way. Sometimes we need our kids more that they need us. We use them for emotional stability. I know that I’ve done this. If you are honest I think you’d say you’ve probably done the same thing.
Would you be willing to give God your child if it was a promise to Him no matter the emotional pain? The answer will tell you a lot about yourself, your belief in God and your emotional stability. Try and answer…
August 23rd, 2010 at 8:47 AM
Notice that this had to be a family decision to commit Samuel to God’s service. When Hannah makes the vow, it doesn’t talk about any discussion with her husband. In a culture dominated by the husband, the husband expressed a great deal of faith in his wife to give up the ONE son from his most loved wife. That son represented his most loved heir.
He said this to her, “Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.” The vow is honored by both husband and wife, not begrudgingly, but sacrificially. Amazing picture of Christ who was yet to come.
August 23rd, 2010 at 12:54 PM
I seriously doubt that there is anyone around in this society that would even consider such a promise, let alone, follow through. If someone did take a child to a church and offer their child, in this day and age, they would be arrested for child neglect.