What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 1:3? Year after year • “Year after year Elkanah would go up…” (1 Samuel 1:3). The phrase highlights habitual obedience. Elkanah’s worship was not sporadic; it was woven into the rhythm of life (cf. Exodus 23:14-17; Luke 2:41). • Faith that endures season after season pleases God (Hebrews 10:23-25). Continued faithfulness forms character and testifies to coming generations. Elkanah would go up from his city • Leaving Ramah meant expense, inconvenience, and days on the road—yet he led his household anyway (Joshua 24:15). • Spiritual leadership starts at home. Elkanah models initiative, not waiting for perfect circumstances (Psalm 122:1). • Every believer must “go up” from familiar places when God calls (Genesis 35:3). to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts • Worship and sacrifice belong together: heartfelt adoration expressed through tangible giving (Leviticus 1:3; Romans 12:1). • “LORD of Hosts” underscores God’s unrivaled authority over heavenly armies (1 Samuel 17:45; Malachi 1:11). Elkanah brings offerings to the One who commands all powers. • True worship centers on who God is, not on who stands at the altar. at Shiloh • Shiloh held the tabernacle and the ark in this era (Joshua 18:1; Judges 18:31). God had chosen that locale, so Elkanah traveled there rather than setting up private alternatives. • Our worship must follow God’s revealed pattern, not our preferences (Jeremiah 7:12). • Even when locations change later—eventually to Jerusalem—what matters is God’s presence, not geography (John 4:21-24). where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD • These priests were corrupt (1 Samuel 2:12-17), yet Elkanah still obeyed God’s command to worship. Human failure does not excuse forsaking God’s house (Matthew 23:2-3). • God sees injustice and will judge it (1 Samuel 2:34; 2 Timothy 2:19), but He also honors individual faithfulness amid imperfection. • The contrast between Elkanah’s integrity and the priests’ sin foreshadows God’s choice of Samuel, born through Elkanah’s faithful wife Hannah. summary 1 Samuel 1:3 paints a portrait of steady, obedient worship. Elkanah’s yearly pilgrimage, driven by devotion to the LORD of Hosts, shows that God deserves regular, costly allegiance regardless of flawed religious leaders. The verse invites believers to practice persistent faith, lead their households to God’s appointed place, and trust the LORD to deal with corruption while honoring personal obedience. |
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