What a scene. She sought nothing from him. She sought not that he have some great career in some big field and be famous or make a lot of money so that she could brag about him. She sought not that he should be put in a situation where he could make sure he had enough to care for her in her old age. No, she gave that child away to God. Never though did she drop her responsibility for him. Look at chapter 2 verse 18. “Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord as a boy wearing a linen ephod.” In other words, he was girded like a priest would be dressed as a little boy. His whole life was ministering before the Lord. “And his mother would make him a little robe,” verse 19, “and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the Lord. And they went to their own home and the Lord visited Hannah and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.”
She never really let go of her responsibility. Every time she came she came with a new little robe for her growing Samuel. That’s the result of godly mothering. And that’s the insight that you never stop being mother, no matter how old they become. God blessed her. I wish we had the time to contrast the rest of the narrative because the rest of chapter 2 into chapter 3 into chapter 4 is the sad pathetic tragedy of the family of Eli. His sons were fornicators. They died and he himself fell over, as I said, and died. It was a tragic ugly scene. And the commentary of Scripture on Eli was that he could not restrain his sons from doing evil. And his wife is never mentioned. I don’t know what part or finish she had, but she was a long way from what Hannah was in producing godly Samuel.
To be a godly mother involves a right husband relationship, a right heavenly relationship and a right home relationship. Hannah had all of that. God honored it. And she gives us a model to follow.
In closing let me ask a couple of questions. What does this say and how do we apply this? First of all, ask yourself, are you a godly mother? Are you a godly mother? Are you preparing to be a godly mother? Are you, if you are already, older preparing younger women to be godly mothers? And to men I say, are you creating the environment in which your wife’s godliness can have its best effect? And are you raising sons who will lead their wives to be godly mothers? And to you young people I say, are you honoring your mother? Are you obeying your mother? If God has given you a godly mother, God has given you the best of gifts. None of the are perfect but when they love the Lord Jesus Christ and have passed that on to you, they have given you the greatest thing they could give. Are you thankful? And there are some who say, “My mother was not godly.” Are you praying for her? Are you praying for her and asking God’s Spirit somehow to bring you under the influence of a godly women who can show you the things your mother never showed you?
The hope for our society really rests in what happens in the next generation and that is so much in the hands of godly women. Let’s bow together in prayer.
Father, we thank You this morning for what You have shared with us again through the leading of Your Spirit in the teaching of Your Word. We’re refreshed. Refreshed again to see how clearly You have given us the pattern to raise a godly generation. Bless the mothers of this congregation. Forgive them, Lord, as I know You do for their short comings, even as You forgive us fathers for ours. Strengthen them all. Those that desire to be mothers, keep them moving that they might be finally in that place where they can be a godly mother. Those that are presently mothers, may they look to the virtues that are exemplified in Hannah and make them their portion daily. To those who are beyond that, their children grown and gone, may they instruct the younger ones. And, God, we just pray that You will give children to godly women, children who will be raised to stand strong, to walk with faith and courage, to raise a yet second generation who will live to Your glory if Jesus tarries. Father, to this end we pray with thanksgiving, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
