A Mother’s Love

“Then she (Hannah) made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” –I Samuel 1:11 (NKJV)

Hannah was barren. She prayed for a male child. In due time, her prayer was answered and Samuel was born. As dearly as Hannah, wife of Elkanah, loved Samuel she was faithful to her vow and took him to the sanctuary at Shiloh and presented him to Eli, the priest, to dwell with him and to learn to be a minister before the Lord.

This morning, I have just read again Hannah’s prayer (Samuel 2) offered before the Lord as she gave Samuel back to the Lord. She told Eli, “ ‘For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.’ So they worshiped the Lord there.” (Samuel 1:27-28).

What a beautiful story of a mother’s love and sacrifice. In order to keep her vow to God, Hannah relinquished all the growing-up years of Samuel’s life, going only to take him garments she lovingly made for him, and seeing him as she and her husband went to worship. We are told the same words about Samuel’s development as we are about that of Jesus as a child: “Samuel…grew both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men” (I Sam. 2:26; Luke 2:52). In many respects, Samuel was a prototype and forth-telling of the Christ, the Messiah.

Samuel’s call is a significant story in God’s plan for His people. Eli’s sons were not worthy to succeed this priest in the work of the Lord before the people. So to Samuel, son of Hannah, loving and giving mother, came the assignment of being God’s spokesman for all of Israel. Samuel was the last of the judges of Israel, the first “king-maker”—to discover and anoint David when he was but a lad—a priest to follow Eli upon his death, and a great prophet who linked the period of the judges with the period of the monarchy in Israel. We are told that “God was with Samuel and let none of his words fall to the ground” (I Sam. 3:19, 9:6). Later, to reward Hannah, she had other sons and daughters. In giving Samuel, as she had vowed, the Lord gave other offspring to Hannah to love and nourish.

We can never underestimate the influence of a praying, loving mother. Hannah stands as a worthy example of a mother’s love. May we be found faithful as mothers.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, February 22, 2010