Commentary on "Hannah: Learning to Be Someone"

LESLIE MARTIN

 

Day 6: Thursday, October 14, 2010 - God's Investment Plan

 

Hannah and Elkanah conceived, and when Hannah gave birth, she memorialized God’s answer to her prayer by naming her son, Samuel (“heard of God”.) After Samuel was weaned, (possibly around three years of age) Hannah took him to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to dedicate him to the Lord. Orthodox Jewish boys begin their study at three years of age. That is when they get their first haircut and begin to learn the Hebrew Aleph/Bet, the foundation of learning to read the Bible. Hannah brought a three-year old bull, one ephah of flour and a jug of wine as an offering. “No man should appear before the Lord empty-handed: 17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.” Deut 16:16-17 NIV

Hannah brought a valuable and costly sacrifice to show her tremendous gratitude for God’s overflowing grace to her. Levites didn’t begin their service at the tabernacle until they were 25 years old, but Samuel was brought to serve the Lord after he had been weaned. The sacrifice for the consecration of the Levites was a bull and a meal offering. (Numbers 8) Hannah also brought wine for a drink offering. The wine would have been poured out on the altar. As it hit the heated altar it would have turned to steam and ascended heavenward. This would have been a beautiful picture not only of the Messiah’s blood which would be poured out, but Samuel’s life which was dedicated to God. The Levites would shave themselves before their consecration, however, Samuel was under a Nazarite vow and could not cut his hair. Hannah brought these sacrifices for Samuel’s consecration, and Samuel worshipped and served the Lord at the Tabernacle. (I Samuel 1:28; 2:11).

 

Summary

1. Hannah kept her promise to God; she took her weaned son, probably about three years old, to live at the tabernacle and to be taught by Eli as her offering to God.
2. In addition she took a drink offering which would turn to steam when poured on the heated altar, representing both the Messiah’s blood which would be poured out and Samuel’s life which was dedicated to God.
3. Samuel worshiped and served the Lord at the temple.

 

GO TO DAY 7

 

Copyright 2010 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised October 7, 2010. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

Official Adventist Resources

Standard Edition Study Guide Week 3

Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 3

Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Wk 3

Search the Complete Published Ellen G. White Writings