Hannah’s plan

Every year, Elkanah, Hannah’s husband, went up to the house of the Lord to offer yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. Of course, Hannah went up with him to the house of the Lord, but after the birth of her son, she refrained from doing so. Her intention was to keep her son close until he was weaned and then she intended to dedicate him to the service of the Lord. In those days, it was customary for a child to be weaned around the age of three. Elkanah accepted her proposal and blessed her. For about three years, Hannah kept Samuel close by until he was weaned. For Samuel, who would later become a notable figure of faith, that three years were a period to lay the foundation of his life. How blessed it is to be raised by the love of a devout mother.

Dedication of her son

The time had come for Samuel to be weaned. To fulfill their vow of dedicating their son to the service of the Lord, Elkanah and his household went up to the tabernacle in Shiloh. Hannah approached the priest Eli and conveyed her commitment to dedicate her son to the Lord for his entire life, as she had promised to the Lord. Let’s pay attention to Hannah’s words. “For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request which I asked Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord” (1 Sam. 1:27-28). (1) Hannah recognized that her child was a gift from the Lord. (2) To dedicate the child to the Lord means to return to the Lord what originally belongs to Him. (3) In our case as well, everything that we offer to the Lord, we received from Him. Let’s reflect once again on the act of dedication. Through dedication, Samuel became a Nazirite for life, serving the Lord. In time, he becomes a great priest, prophet, and judge, leading Israel. He also played a role in appointing kings. The training for this significant mission began at this moment. We are reminded of the great importance in the profound influence of a prayerful mother.