What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 2:19? Each year “Each year” (1 Samuel 2:19a) underscores the steady rhythm of Hannah’s devotion. • Faithfulness is measured by consistency, not flashes of emotion—compare Luke 2:41, where Joseph and Mary made the yearly trip to Jerusalem. • God had answered Hannah’s prayer for a son, and she responded with ongoing obedience, echoing Numbers 30:2 on keeping vows. • Samuel could count on seeing his mother; that predictable blessing mirrored God’s own covenant faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23). His mother would make him a little robe Hannah “would make him a little robe” (v. 19b). • The robe reminds us of the linen ephod Samuel already wore in ministry (1 Samuel 2:18); Hannah’s gift complemented his priestly service. • Each year the garment was “little”—tailored to his growth, showing both her attentiveness and the reality that Samuel was still a child (v. 26). • Clothing often signals calling: Joseph’s coat (Genesis 37:3) and Elijah’s mantle (2 Kings 2:13). Hannah’s stitches pointed to Samuel’s lifelong role before the LORD. And bring it to him She “would…bring it to him” (v. 19c). • Love acts, it doesn’t merely feel (1 John 3:18). Hannah’s visits supplied practical needs and emotional encouragement. • Parental investment continues even when children serve far from home—see 2 Timothy 1:5, where Timothy’s faith is traced to his mother and grandmother. • The gift + visit expressed Psalm 133:1 fellowship: family unity around the worship of God. When she went with her husband Hannah traveled “with her husband” Elkanah (v. 19d). • Spiritual leadership operates best as a united front (Ephesians 5:31-33). • Their joint pilgrimage echoes 1 Samuel 1:3, showing that earlier trials had not fractured their marriage; instead, shared worship strengthened it (Ecclesiastes 4:12). • Children notice marital cooperation in spiritual matters—Samuel witnessed a living lesson on covenant marriage. To offer the annual sacrifice They came “to offer the annual sacrifice” (v. 19e). • This likely refers to the Feast of Passover or Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:16); obedience to God’s calendar framed the entire family’s year. • Worship centered on substitutionary sacrifice, foreshadowing Christ’s once-for-all offering (Hebrews 10:12-14). • Samuel grew up connecting worship, sacrifice, and priestly service—foundations for his later prophetic ministry (1 Samuel 3:20). summary 1 Samuel 2:19 paints a tender snapshot of covenant faithfulness in action. Hannah’s annual provision of a growing boy’s robe revealed steadfast love, reinforced Samuel’s sacred calling, and unfolded within the larger rhythm of family worship centered on God’s ordained sacrifices. The verse reminds us that small, repeated acts of obedience—tailored to the growth of loved ones and carried out in unity—carry eternal weight in God’s unfolding plan. |
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