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A Mother's Prayerful Promise

1 Samuel 1

The period of the judges was a chaotic time in Israel's history. The nation tried to settle into their Promised Land without driving out all the pagan inhabitants and so began to integrate with them spiritually. That caused God to withdraw his blessing and protection and Israel was continually attacked by those nations—especially the Philistines. A succession of judges led the people to repent and repel their attackers, until the people returned to sinful ways. Eli, the last of the judges and the high priest, was an ineffective leader and father of two worthless sons (1 Samuel 2:12, 22-25; 3:13). Having rejected God as her king, Israel was a national ship without a rudder.

A woman named Hannah, wife of Elkanah, had been unable to conceive a child during the period of Eli's judgeship. Year after year, Hannah and her husband faithfully worshiped the Lord at the feasts. One year, out of desperation, Hannah told God if He would grant her a son she would dedicate him to His service. God answered Hannah's prayer and she bore a son named Samuel—"heard from God," because God had heard and answered her prayer.

When Samuel was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle at Shiloh and put him in the care of Eli to be raised in service to God. Hannah was blessed with five more children after giving up her firstborn to the Lord. God called Samuel to be a prophet in Israel: "And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. . . . For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord" (1 Samuel 3:20-21).

Samuel's role as a godly prophet marked a turning point in Israel's history—the result of the faithful prayers and commitment of a godly mother.

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