King solomon wrote, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he won’t depart from it.” But what goes into building a prophet? It is an awesome gift to raise a child! Can we learn from Samuel’s early life to understand the man he became? First of all, Hannah recognized the great gift he was from God, secondly, he was familiar with the things of God, and thirdly, he learned to hear and respond to God.
A Great Gift
Each child is a great gift. Hannah responded to the birth of her child with joy. He was the answer to her prayers. Her heart rejoiced and she sang praises to God. In the years he was within their home, she knew he was a gift and she prepared to lend him to the LORD. Then yearly, when she went to worship, she took him a little robe.
Familiar With the Things of God
Samuel was familiar with the things of God. Hannah cared for him until he was weaned. Women in Hannah’s culture, weaned their babies later than in our own. Samuel could have been between 3- 5 when he was presented to the priest. These are the years most profound for the child’s growth. I imagine Hannah singing the Song of Deborah or Miriam, or Moses, as she rocked her son or telling him the great stories of Moses and Aaron, of Joshua and Caleb, of their slavery and God’s deliverance. When Hannah presented him as a child to Eli the priest, he ministered before the LORD, as a child wearing the ephod, the clothing of the high priest.
Learning to Hear
Despite the love and care Hannah gave to the child, he still had to learn to hear God’s voice. Samuel, upon hearing the voice of God the first few times, assumed it was Eli. After three times, Eli realized that it was the LORD calling him. He gave him wise instruction. If you hear the voice again this is what you must say. “Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.” There was no widespread revelation in these years but God found a boy whose guardian, taught him to hear His voice.
Receiving the gift of a child is an awesome responsibility. Jesus loved the children and encouraged the disciples to let them come to Him. What can we learn from Samuel’s childhood about building a prophet or at least, a child who can hear the voice of God? First of all, his mother recognized the great gift he was from God, secondly, he was familiar with the things of God, and thirdly he learned to hear and respond to God’s voice.