What does "go up year after year" teach about consistency in worship? Setting the scene 1 Samuel 1:3: “Year after year this man would go up from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh…” Elkanah’s family made the uphill journey to Shiloh annually, even before there was a temple in Jerusalem. That repeated trip frames the phrase “go up year after year.” Why the journey mattered - Worship was not optional; God had prescribed specific times and places (Deuteronomy 16:16; Exodus 34:23). - Shiloh was roughly 20 miles from Ramah. The trek required planning, expense, and perseverance—an intentional act of obedience, not convenience. - Their worship included sacrifice, prayer, and family participation (1 Samuel 1:3–7), showing that consistency is both communal and personal. Core lessons on consistency in worship • Regularity reinforces priority - What we schedule reveals what we value. Elkanah’s calendar revolved around the Lord’s appointed times. • Repetition deepens relationship - Each visit built on the last. Over years, Hannah’s desperation became answered prayer (1 Samuel 1:19–20). Annual worship nurtured enduring faith. • Faithfulness invites divine intervention - God met them in their steadfastness, opening a barren womb and raising up Samuel, a prophet who would shape Israel’s future (1 Samuel 3:19). • Consistency witnesses to the next generation - Samuel’s earliest memories were likely formed in Shiloh’s courts. Habits modeled by parents become convictions in children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Supporting Scriptures on steadfast worship - Psalm 84:4: “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You.” - Hebrews 10:24–25: “Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another…” - Luke 4:16: Jesus “went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was His custom.” - Zechariah 14:16: Nations “will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts,” highlighting perpetual, worldwide worship in the future kingdom. Practical take-aways for today - Set immovable times for corporate worship; arrange other commitments around them. - Prepare practically (sleep, travel, offerings) so worship is approached eagerly, not begrudgingly. - Engage the whole family: read the passage beforehand, discuss afterward, serve together. - Treat each gathering as cumulative growth, expecting God to build on past encounters. “Go up year after year” calls believers to habitual, wholehearted, and expectancy-filled worship—rhythms that honor God and shape lives for generations. |
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