Sermon Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:21
1 Samuel 2:21 (with 1 Samuel 2:26 ) Early growth in grace and knowledge, the training up of a child in the fear and nurture of the Lord and in the praise of His holy name; this is the great lesson which is exemplified in the early life of Samuel. I. Let us first recall who Samuel was. (1) He was the child of Hannah, given in answer to her fervent prayer. (2) His very name "Samuel," which means "asked of God," reminds us of his mother's piety and his own. (3) From his birth he was dedicated to... read more
Sermon Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:18
1 Samuel 2:18 Samuel was a child-prophet, and that fact is pregnant with the deepest signification. That a child should have any interest in God's temple, and especially that a child should hold office in that temple, is a circumstance which should arrest our attention. I. God's interest in human life begins at the earliest possible period. This is an argument for infant baptism which I have never known to be touched, much less shaken. II. In Hannah's making Samuel a coat every year, we see how... read more