SATURDAY September 15, 2018
Obedience
Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli.
1 Samuel 1:24-25
Hannah did not go up to the temple until Samuel was weaned. Hebrew children were normally weaned by their mothers by the age of two or three, but it may have been that Samuel’s mother continued to train her son spiritually and physically. The word translated weaned means “to deal fully.” If you study Hebrew culture, mothers would be responsible for their children until the age of 12; then they would be turned over to their fathers until 18, and then to the state––interesting. Hannah willingly and obediently brought Samuel to the tabernacle, and he may have been as old as twelve.
During the time Samuel was with his mother, Elkanah took the rest of his family and continued to worship the Lord yearly at the tabernacle in Shiloh. It seemed as if Elkanah and Hannah grew even closer to the Lord. They were in the will of God; there was no disagreement between them. They both knew God had a purpose for Samuel’s life.
Hannah obediently followed through on her vow to the Lord. Samuel was to be consecrated to God––set apart for Him. God later blessed Hannah with other children, three sons and two daughters (1 Samuel 2:21).
It is important for us as believers to understand that we are set apart for the Lord. The Greek word hagios means to be separated––to be consecrated to God. It is also used in reference to the saints, those who are set apart––Christians. We need to realize the importance of being consecrated and separated to God. Have you really, truly given your life to Jesus Christ for Him to do a work?
Consecration is resolution that is not afraid of sacrifice.
~Anonymous~
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