1 Samuel 1:24-28

Samuel presented to the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:24-28

24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.

25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.

27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshiped the Lord there.

31.

Why did they take a bottle of wine? 1 Samuel 1:24

The size of the offering given by Elkanah and his wife when they presented Samuel to the Lord is an indication of the sobriety of the occasion. Their bullocks would be used for burnt offerings (Leviticus 1). The ephah of flour would be used as a meal offering (Leviticus 2). The bottle of wine was not for human consumption but was to be poured out as a drink offering to the Lord (see Genesis 35:14; 2 Kings 16:13; Ezekiel 20:28).

32.

Why did they slay a bullock? 1 Samuel 1:25

When God described the various offerings to be offered by the children of Israel, He indicated that a burnt offering of the herd should be a male without blemish (Leviticus 1:3). The practice was for the worshiper to bring the bullock to the priest. The priest would then present the blood and sprinkle the blood round about the altar that was at the door of the meeting. They would then flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. The priests would then lay fire on the altar and put the pieces of the sacrifice in order upon the wood. The whole bullock was to be burned on the altar as a burnt offering. It was described as a sweet savor unto the Lord (Leviticus 1:9). This solemn ceremony preceded their presentation of the child Samuel to the high priest, Eli.

33.

Did Hannah fulfill her vow? 1 Samuel 1:26

The vow was fulfilled when Samuel was presented to the Lord. Hannah remained at home and did not attend the yearly feasts until the child was weaned. Ancient custom among the Hebrew women kept the children unweaned until their third year. At that time Samuel was taken to the Tabernacle and probably cared for by one of the women who served about the Tabernacle and regularly worshiped there. When Hannah brought him, she made a sacrifice of three oxen, an ephah of meal, and a pitcher of wine.
The fact that it says she lent him to the Lord did not mean that she did not give him to the Lord. She fulfilled her vow in every sense of the word.

34.

Why did Hannah say that it was this child for which she had prayed? 1 Samuel 1:27

Hannah had no other children. She was not specifying Samuel as the child to be given to the Lord in distinction from any other child which she had. She was emphasizing the fact that it was this very child for which she prayed. On occasions people who had made vows to give children, houses, lands, or other possessions to the Lord might make a substitution (Leviticus 27:10). Hannah was giving the very child for which she had prayed earlier. Although Samuel was her first child and to that time her only child, she was gladly giving him to God.

35.

How could Samuel be loaned to the Lord as long as he lived? 1 Samuel 1:28

A man might be a Nazarite for a period of time. Sometimes those who were Nazarites broke their vows and had to begin all over again to live the life of a Nazarite. Samuel, however, was not to be the Lord's for a short time. He was the Lord's completely and wholly for the duration of his life.