The firstfuits Child
Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.” Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.” So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 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. And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. 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. I Samuel 1:19-28
Hannah was an amazing woman with a beautiful faith. She was barren for many years. Though her husband loved her dearly, nothing could wipe away the void she felt from being childless. A mother’s heart understands this all too well. Children are an important part of our fabric. Hannah grieved deeply over her circumstances. But God, faithful as He always is, saw Hannah’s pain and opened her womb and baby Samuel was born.
What strikes me about this story is how Hannah, though she waited many years to have a child, made a decision to release Samuel back into the hands of God once he was weaned. The baby she waited to hold in her arms was dedicated to God’s service from a very young age. This sacrifice must have been very difficult for Hannah. Yet her faith was greater than her desire to raise the boy under her own roof. And so Hannah brought her beloved child, the firstfruits of her womb, to the priest where he was raised. In time Samuel became one of the most powerful prophets of the ancient world.
True to God’s nature, He opened Hannah’s womb again and gave her three more sons and two daughters. Isn’t our Father’s nature beautiful? When we make a heartfelt offering to Him, He multiplies our sacrifice and returns blessings to us. God always remembers, doesn’t He?