From Hannah’s consecration of her child we may learn two excellent lessons, embodying the greatest principles that underlie the human side of the redemption of the race: First, the mother’s power; and second, the child’s ability to know God. She had so thoroughly lent Samuel to the Lord that he held true to God in the degeneracy of Eli’s judgeship and the slackness of the priesthood, as illustrated in the family of Eli. The social condition of the age was a shocking exhibition of low sensuality, licentiousness and cupidity that would disgrace even the grossest heathenism. Eli himself, while a just and holy man in his own private character, was weak and inefficient as a judge and a priest, and utterly failed to restrain his ungodly family or exercise any just administration of public affairs. The whole nation was, therefore, in a most pitiable condition, at the mercy of its foreign oppressors and so enfeebled that a few years later we find there was not a sword in Israel, and they had even to go to the grindstones of the Philistines in order to grind their plough coulters for the ordinary operations of husbandry. It was at such a time as this that God called Samuel to be at once the pattern and deliverer of his country.
In the very outset, the Lord had some very unpleasant work for Samuel to do, which must have tested his obedience. While yet quite young he had a hard, sad message to deliver to his old friend and instructor, and it was no easy task to go to Eli and tell him all that God had spoken against his house. It was the hard test which often came again in his later ministry as the messenger of God to sinful man. Again and again did he have to go to those he loved and say to them the thing which nearly broke his heart.
When this child of promise finally passed from under the watchful care of the devoted Hannah, we are told, “the Lord was with Samuel,” and he “let none of his words fall to the ground, and all Israel knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.”
The life of Samuel marks a transition period in the history of Israel from the time of the Judges to the kingdom of Saul and David. His was an epoch life like Abraham’s, Joshua’s and John the Baptist’s.
He also enjoyed the distinguished honor of being the founder of the school of the prophets and the first in that glorious succession of holy men who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and who formed the only unbroken line of truth and righteousness in the history of God’s ancient people. From the days of Samuel the prophets formed a distinct class, and had a regular school of training, corresponding somewhat to our theological seminaries and training institutes, and Samuel had the pre-eminence of being the founder of these prophetic schools. Later in his life he went about the country as a pastor and overseer, visiting the towns and villages, holding conventions, from place to place and instructing the people in the law of God and the schools of the prophets in the principles of the kingdom.
But, above all his public ministries and even his national influence, Samuel was himself a beautiful and spotless character. In an age of almost universal corruption he lived a life of blameless piety, and at a later period, when bidding farewell to the nation as their judge, he could truly call upon them to witness to his uprightness and integrity. “Behold,” he said, “I am old and gray-headed, and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. Behold, here I am; witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it to you.” And they said, “Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man’s hand.”
Samuel stands forth as one of the blameless lives of sacred history; human no doubt in his infirmities, but no fault has been recorded against him, and his personal character is the most eloquent testimony of all his history.
We have been permitted to trace this beautiful life to its source. Some characters, like Elijah’s suddenly burst upon our vision and we only know them in the public and closing chapters of their history. Some, however, are like a beautiful river that you can trace to its crystal fountain and follow all through its winding channel until, like our own Hudson, it pours its volume into the sea. Thus we have been permitted to stand by Samuel’s cradle and even to know something of his prophetic future before his very birth. We enter into the joys and sorrows and the believing prayers of Hannah, the devoted mother, who was the real fountain, not only of his natural life, but also of his piety and holy power. And we walk side by side with him through his childhood and his youth until, at last, we meet him in the busy activities of his manhood and follow him until he lays down his ministry and passes to his honored rest.
What a touching story is the life of Hannah of motherly consecration of herself and her Samuel. If all who wear the crown of motherhood were as noble, as loyal, as self-giving and trustful as Hannah was, and brought up their children to know and obey the voice of the Lord, what a world this would be. O that our land were filled with Hannahs, then would we have more Samuels.