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Would You Trust Eli With
Your Only Son?

Hannah was in pain. She had a good home. She had a loving husband. But her heart’s desire was for a son, and yet she was unable to have any children.

“Her rival wife taunted her cruelly, rubbing it in and never letting her forget that God had not given her children. This went on year after year. Every time she went to the sanctuary of God, she could expect to be taunted. Hannah was reduced to tears and had no appetite.” [The Message]

No one could help her, no one but God.

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God had a special plan for Samuel. He was to become a great judge, prophet and kingmaker. His every word was to carry weight [1 Sam. 3:19]. Yet for this special ministry, he needed to be raised and trained in the house of God so the very Word of God would form his life. How was that to be? Only as one Godly woman became so desperate that she would think of what no one had ever thought of before. If God gave her a son, she would return him to God by letting him live in the tabernacle. She would trust God completely by releasing her son into His loving hands.

And so Hannah made her vow. If God gave her a son, he would belong to God. God heard…and took her seriously. In less than a year, Hannah had her firstborn son. What a joy! All the love of her mother’s heart went out to her son.

Probably when Samuel was between the ages of two and four, the time came when Hannah knew she had to keep her vow. There is no evidence that she resented or regretted her decision, as difficult as it must have been. Her son, while away from her, would be living in the presence of God. It was a privilege and an honour as well as being a sacrifice. She would need ultimate trust. She would have to trust God to look after her boy. As a mother, she wanted to do that. She wanted to care for and look after him. But she would have to take her hands off his young life and trust God to protect him and work His will in Samuel’s life.

As any parent can imagine, that would have been difficult enough, but there was Eli…

Eli was the chief priest. He was the one in charge of the tabernacle. He was the one who physically would be looking after Samuel. Yes, he was a nice enough old man, but he had failed miserably with his own family. His own sons were not only a disgrace to Eli’s family, but they were also a shame on God’s family.

The sons of Eli were wicked men. They did not recognize the Lord’s authority. 1 Sam. 2:12, NEB

The sons of Eli violated the sacrifices offered to the Lord, threatening violence if the worshippers objected. They had sex with the women serving in the tabernacle. They showed no respect for God or the people they were supposed to serve.

Eli knew this. And although he warned them, he did not stop them. In fact, Eli and his family, for generations to come, were fast approaching God's judgment.

And to this man, Hannah was going to trust the care and training of her precious son?

Trusting God, Not Man

Obviously, Hannah trusted not in Eli, but in God. It was the ultimate trust and test of faith: to look past the outward situation and trust God to protect and keep Samuel for His purposes. Hannah serves as an example for all Godly parents.

This story is often read at Protestant Baby Dedications, where parents give their child to God and promise to do their best to raise their child to love and serve God. Often the congregation also makes a pledge to assist them in this task. It should be a solemn event not to be entered into lightly or out of tradition or family expectation. The parents are, in fact, saying, “Jesus, we recognize that this child is Yours and we are loving and caring for him or her on Your behalf. And we will answer to You for our actions which affect this child for better or worse.” It is also a trust that Jesus will enable them, as parents, to meet the challenges that arise and will be at work in the child’s life to bring him or her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and fulfill the purpose for which they were born.

As many parents, especially mothers, can say through their tears, things do not always work out as expected. Parents can do the best they can; none of us are perfect, and yet a child can still reject the faith and walk away from what they have been taught. In some cases, they may even reject their own parents despite the love they've been given.

And this is where Hannah’s level of trust again comes in. We must trust that God is still in control. Sometimes, as difficult as it is, we have to “remove our hands” from an older teenager or adult child and let them go their own way and face the consequences of their bad choices. Through persistent prayer, we never give up on them, no matter how far they may stray or how deeply they hurt us. We trust that God is sovereign and Jesus will not lose a single one whom He has chosen.

And for those of us outside the situation who think we “know what went wrong,” it is better to offer support and comfort to parents in anguish than theorize on what could have been done differently. We are all imperfect. And we all need to move forward humbly and prayerfully. And if our own children never go into rebellion, we need to be grateful for God's grace and have compassion for those who have a different experience.

Glenn Davis is a Christian author and Bible teacher whose work draws on more than 40 years of study, writing, and local church teaching. He has written 700+ articles, created five Bible courses, published three books, and shared 100+ Bible videos on YouTube. Readers can find his books on Amazon, follow his teaching on YouTube or visit Glenn Davis Books. Away from the keyboard, he enjoys time with family, reading, walking, and board or card games.

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