Hannah prays for a son and the Lord answers; Samuel is dedicated to the Lord as a Nazirite.
- What was Hannah promising in verse 11?
- What kind of parents did Samuel have?
Some points to ponder–
- Elkanah’s commitment to the Lord stands in contrast to the spiritual darkness of his times
- Elkanah was a faithful priest even though Eli, Hophni, and Phineas were not
- Though there was division in the family Elkanah still lead them in devotion to the Lord
- Peninnah should have shown love and encouragement toward Hannah rather than treat her as she did. We must bear one another’s burdens, not add to them.
- Hannah’s “prayer came from her heart, as the tears from her eyes,” (Henry)
- “Drunkards are children of Belial, children of the wicked one, children of disobedience, children that will not endure the yoke (else they would not be drunk), more especially when they are actually drunk. Those that cannot govern themselves will not bear that any one else should,” (Henry)
- Through prayer we pour out the burdens and desires of our hearts to God, and as we do so with thanksgiving he gives peace in our hearts, v. 18; cf. Phil 4:6-7
- Consider how young Samuel was when he began his training for the Lord! Children are never too young to learn to love and serve the Lord. We should teach them to worship God and involve them in it.