A Dedication…

Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, a man from Bethlehem who was a descendant of Levi—Jacob’s son. Hannah was Elkanah’s first wife, whom he loved dearly, but she was unable to have children. In order to have children, Elkanah married a second wife, Peninnah. Peninnah continually provoked and harassed Hannah because of her barrenness, bringing her sorrow, anger, and joyless days.

At least three times a year, Elkanah took his family to Shiloh, where the temple was located, to celebrate and present offerings during the festivals. All Israelite men were required to attend three annual feasts at the central temple. During one of these festivals, Hannah went to the temple alone and pleaded with God for a son. In 1 Samuel 1:11, Scripture says:

11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

Side Note: When Hannah said, “no razor shall touch his head,” she is committing her son to what is known as a Nazarite vow. This vow set certain Israelites apart as wholly dedicated to God. It included abstaining from wine, not cutting their hair, and avoiding contact with dead bodies. Hannah’s vow meant that her son would take this oath for life—similar to Samson, the powerful judge with long hair.

Eli, the chief priest of the temple, initially mistook her silent prayer for drunkenness and told her to leave. But Hannah explained that she was praying in her heart, pouring out her sorrow to God and begging for a son. Eli then blessed her, saying that God would grant her request. In time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel, meaning “God has heard,” because the Lord had answered her prayer.

In the final verses of 1 Samuel 1, Hannah brings a three-year-old bull, some flour, and a skin of wine to the temple as an offering. She also brings Samuel, now three years old, and presents him to the Lord. In 1 Samuel 1:27–28, Hannah says:

27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.
28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

Hannah left her three-year-old son at the temple to be raised by Eli, the priest. The son she had begged God for was given back as an offering. Hannah understood that what is given to God ultimately belongs to Him. The son Hannah had longed for, she surrendered after just three years. My own daughter, Hannah, just turned three last month. I can’t imagine leaving her with a pastor after nursing her, cradling her, and watching her become the joyful little girl she is. I can only imagine the heartbreak Hannah felt as she said goodbye to Samuel. I’m sure she cried the entire way home—and many days after. Though she and Elkanah visited three times a year, it must have been painful to miss so many of her child’s milestones.

What we learn from Hannah is the importance of keeping our word to the Lord. At New Life, I’ve seen many baby dedications throughout the years. Parents bring their newborns to the stage, the pastor prays, and the church commits to supporting the family in raising the child in God’s ways. But the question is: Are we truly faithful and obedient to the vow we’ve made to God?

To the mothers whose children are now grown—do you believe you were faithful and obedient to your vow? We can say with our lips that we offer our children to God, but it means little if our actions and hearts don't reflect that commitment. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in Matthew 15:8, saying, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

Hannah honored God with both her lips and her heart. Despite the emotional toll of giving her son to God, her obedience was greater than her feelings. In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah offers a prayer of praise to God. From her words, we see that she fully trusted God to care for Samuel. Can we have that same faith—to entrust our children to God, no matter the path He calls them to?

In my own life, I once considered becoming a missionary after going to Thailand in 2016. When I shared this with my parents, they discouraged me, saying it wasn’t safe for a girl to go overseas. They suggested I stick with my job. My father encouraged my brother to be a pastor, but my mother worried about the financial instability of ministry. Both of my parents had dedicated us to God. But were they obedient when their children felt called?

How about you? What have you thought or said when God called your child to Kingdom work? What steps did you take—or fail to take—to raise your child in the faith? How often have we used our lips to dedicate our children to God, but in our hearts, withheld them? To the mothers who have honored their vow, I praise you. Those of you who said, “Despite the salary, despite the danger, despite the heartache, God will have my child”—you are blessed. Just as God blessed Hannah after her obedience by giving her five more children.

Continuing with the narrative…1 Samuel 3:1 tells us, “In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.” This was before Samuel had been given to God. Even Eli, the priest, rarely heard from the Lord. Eli’s sons, the expected successors, were wicked and unfaithful. 1 Samuel 2:12 calls them “scoundrels” who had no regard for the Lord. They used their position to have sexual relations with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting, and treated the Lord’s offering with contempt. God would not speak through them. But because Hannah gave Samuel to God, He began to speak again—to Samuel, and through him, to Israel. Had Hannah not been obedient, it’s possible Israel would have remained in spiritual silence much longer.

It was always God’s plan to give Hannah a son. But it was Hannah’s obedience that allowed Samuel to be raised under Eli and eventually become the prophet who God would raise up, who would anoint King David. And from David’s lineage came Jesus, our Savior. Because of Hannah’s obedience, the redemptive story of Jesus unfolded.

Obedience matters. God didn’t provide the ram until Abraham brought Isaac to the altar. God didn’t part the Red Sea until Moses raised his staff. Our sins weren’t forgiven until Jesus obeyed, saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” Philippians 2:8 says, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Your obedience to the vow of dedicating your children to God is part of His redeeming story. If you haven’t yet dedicated your children to the Lord, I encourage you to do so—and to walk faithfully in that dedication. May we all echo Hannah’s words in 1 Samuel 1:27–28:

“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.
Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

Though I pray nightly that God will use my children for His Kingdom, I confess I don’t yet have Hannah’s level of obedience—to let go completely. Would I be able to give my three children at such a young age, physically to God? I pray I will. And when the time comes, I will let go and trust that God’s plan for them is far greater than mine.

CY