A little robe
But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. Moreover, his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “The Lord give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the Lord.” Then they would go to their own home, and the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord
1 Samuel 2:18-21
After Hannah fulfilled her vow and expressed the joy that was in her heart in worship to God, she and Elkanah returned home to Ramah. But Samuel is not alone. God protects him from the evil influences of Eli’s sons and quietly prepares him from childhood for a ministry that would benefit a whole nation.
The corruption of Eli’s sons and their plundering of what was sacrificed to God is described in verses 12-16. Their behaviour led the people to despise “the offering of the Lord”. It is an extreme example of how unholy actions by spiritually responsible leaders undermine people’s faith in God.
But whilst this wickedness continued unabated, “Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod” (v18). God’s care for him was constant, and each year Hannah, Samuel’s mother, would visit Samuel and she did not come empty-handed but with a new robe. Samuel may have left Ramah, but he never left his mother’s heart. I feel certain Hannah, who had prayed for her son before he was born, never ceased to pray for him the rest of her life. The little robe became larger every year as he grew in stature, body, soul and spirit. Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and “the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters” (v.21). God rewarded Hannah’s faith and sacrifice, and she had the joy of seeing Samuel growing before the Lord.
In contrast to the holiness and sacrifice of one woman, we are reminded of the utter failure of the Aaronic priesthood at a time when “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Joshua 21:25). Eli was old and could not control the utter wickedness of his sons who ignored their father’s warnings of God’s judgment (vv.22-25).
But with each solemn reference of failure and promised judgment we see God working in Samuel’s life, “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favour both with the Lord and men” (v.26).
Our children live in a dark world. Hannah’s little robes bear testimony to her prayerful and practical devotion to her child's spiritual welfare and the complete confidence she had in God’s power to protect and develop her son into the person God wanted him to become. May the Saviour keep before us the spiritual well-being of our children and young people. The prayers and actions of us all are vital to the encouragement and guidance of precious lives and the fulfilment of their potential before God and in testimony to the world.