Hannah wanted a child.An intense woman who goes after what she wants.Not only that ,she also dedicates the child even before he is conceived for the service of the Lord.So Samuel when he is born is a Nazerite.
When he is weaned ,Hannah dedicates him to the temple as she had promised.Visualise a weaned Samuel,a small child dedicated to the Lord helping the priest in his temple duties.A mother whose desire to birth a child burned all the way to the most Holy place to make way for a great man of God.Did Samuel have a choice?No.
So much so that it really touched my heart once more to read the porton where the Lord calls Samuel the first time.He has learnt all his life only to listen to Eli and he thinks it is Eli who is calling him.It is Eli who finally discerns that it is the Lord who is calling him and teaches him to respond and he says the exact thing Eli teaches him.
What an amazing mother Samuel had!
It must have been tough letting go of Samuel especially when he was a much desired child .She had to walk the tough path of separation from something she had desired all her life and had asked of God.She stands faithful,pays the price and makes way for a man of Samuel’s stature who goes on to play one of the most vital parts in the history of Israel and this is the same Samuel who could not even discern God’s voice when he was spoken to.
What amazing things God does through the lives of people who are sold out to listening to the Lord and how we are so quick in forgetting the sacrifices of those who have facilitated the process.Today even as I meditate on this portion my intense respect for Hannah and the tough choices she made for her son is only exceeded by my compassion for the innocence of the boy Samuel even as I see him in my mind’s eye….helping out in the temple,running to Eli when the Lord calls out to him and finally responding to the Lord as Eli teaches him to…..
Samuel came about because of Hannah and later Eli…..
Do we have Hannahs and Elis in our midst today,people who discern the calling of the Lord in other people and facilitate them to the fulfilment of their calling?
When he is weaned ,Hannah dedicates him to the temple as she had promised.Visualise a weaned Samuel,a small child dedicated to the Lord helping the priest in his temple duties.A mother whose desire to birth a child burned all the way to the most Holy place to make way for a great man of God.Did Samuel have a choice?No.
So much so that it really touched my heart once more to read the porton where the Lord calls Samuel the first time.He has learnt all his life only to listen to Eli and he thinks it is Eli who is calling him.It is Eli who finally discerns that it is the Lord who is calling him and teaches him to respond and he says the exact thing Eli teaches him.
What an amazing mother Samuel had!
It must have been tough letting go of Samuel especially when he was a much desired child .She had to walk the tough path of separation from something she had desired all her life and had asked of God.She stands faithful,pays the price and makes way for a man of Samuel’s stature who goes on to play one of the most vital parts in the history of Israel and this is the same Samuel who could not even discern God’s voice when he was spoken to.
What amazing things God does through the lives of people who are sold out to listening to the Lord and how we are so quick in forgetting the sacrifices of those who have facilitated the process.Today even as I meditate on this portion my intense respect for Hannah and the tough choices she made for her son is only exceeded by my compassion for the innocence of the boy Samuel even as I see him in my mind’s eye….helping out in the temple,running to Eli when the Lord calls out to him and finally responding to the Lord as Eli teaches him to…..
Samuel came about because of Hannah and later Eli…..
Do we have Hannahs and Elis in our midst today,people who discern the calling of the Lord in other people and facilitate them to the fulfilment of their calling?
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