The 40 years of wilderness wanderings were over.  In the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses died and was buried by God in a private ceremony in the land of Moab.  God handed the rod of leadership to Joshua who led them into the Land of Promise.  Approximately five years passed as they (partially) eradicated the Canaanites.  Tribal lands of the nation of Israel were identified and assigned.  God’s covenant (land) promise to Abraham had been fulfilled.  Joshua and Caleb stood together as octogenarians, the only two “good” spies remaining as God had said. 

Thirty years would pass as Joshua lived until the age of 110.  The 400-year-old bones of Joseph were buried at Shechem in the land of Ephraim.  I believe that Joshua stood at that funeral and saw to that.  The tribe of Judah through Caleb and his continued strength and victory over the giants anticipated the coming of the promised Deliverer.  The Messianic hope began in Genesis 3:15 in the Garden Eden began to build.

Four hundred years of bondage in Egypt.  Forty years of wandering.  Thirty years until the death of Joshua at 110.  Four hundred years of the period of the Judges.  The amazing Book of Ruth that began with “once upon a time” and ended with the word “David.”  The birth of Samuel who would be the final judge and the first prophet of God.  God was preparing His servant Samuel to usher in the period of the kings of the united kingdom Israel…Saul, David, Solomon. 

At the end of the Book of Joshua, there would also be a grave in the land of Ephraim for the High Priest, Eleazar the son of Aaron.  These priests would continue to lead the nation and guard the tabernacle which would come to rest for a time in the town of Shiloh.  The priest at that time was Eli.  He was old.  His sons were corrupt.  Things were looking very dark. The Lord once again intervened to return hope to His wayward people. 

Eve had asked God for a man child.  Seth was born.  Sarah and Abraham longed for the birth of a covenant son.  Isaac was born after the “oops” of the birth of Ishmael. Rachel traded her heart and soul and mandrakes for the hope of a son.  Joseph was born.  Benjamin was born as Rachel’s life ebbed away. In the spirit of trust and faith, Hannah would also pray for a son.  She would promise to give him back to the Lord.  Samuel was born.  Eli the priest would be his mentor.

As promised, Hannah brought Samuel to Eli the priest in Shiloh and left him there to learn and to serve the Lord.  She would return every year to bring Samuel a coat she would make for him as he grew.  Samuel was very young when he came to Shiloh.  Hannah’s song of prayer over the birth of Samuel mirrors the one prayed by Mary after the announcement of the coming birth of Jesus. All these Old Testament moms would point to the birth of Jesus.  

Samuel did not yet know how to discern the voice of the Lord.  His bed was near the Ark of the Covenant in the tabernacle.  Samuel would hear a voice in the night calling his name.  Thinking that Eli was the one who had called him, Samuel would run to Eli and say, “Here I am for you called me!”  It would take dull, stale, spiritually stagnant Eli three times to figure out it was the Lord calling to the boy.  He would tell him to return to his bed near the Ark and instructed that if the “voice” calls again Samuel was to say, “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant is listening!” 

The Lord spoke to Samuel the fourth time and this time, He called out his name twice.  Samuel replied as he was instructed by Eli.  Thus began a deep, trusting relationship between the Lord and Samuel.  Hannah’s prayers for a serving son had been answered completely. 

However, the first message the Lord had for the young servant was not pleasant.  Samuel came to understand that the Lord was about to destroy the sons of Eli and Eli’s tenure as priest as well. Samuel would live to see the death of Eli and his evil sons. 

1 Samuel 1:27 says that Hannah thanked the Lord for the birth of Samuel.  The next verse says that she dedicated Samuel to the Lord as she had promised before his conception.  Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2 proves that she spent time with him teaching him the ways of the Lord who had answered her prayer for a son.  1 Samuel 2:20-21 shows that the Lord blessed Hannah and gave her three more sons and two daughters.

1 Samuel 2:26 records that Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor of God and man.  The next child that bore that description was Jesus in Luke 2:52.

I believe Samuel had TWO mentors…Eli AND Hannah. Here on Father’s Day 2023, we can still praise the Lord for godly mothers!