the long hair was a protest against the world, signify ing the devotion of his strength and. fullness of life to God and country. When Samuel was born, Hannah gave him back to God. Should not this be our response to answered prayer ? It was the custom to wean a child at age three and Horace Bushnell has said that “ by this time more has been done to affect character and conduct than in all the years that follow.” Our souls need to be weaned from the fruitless desires of earthly good to waiting upon God, finding satisfaction in His presence and rest ing peacefully in the arms of His providence. At the head of the home we need a God-fearing father; at the hub of the home a God-honoring mother; and at the heart of the home God Himself. III. AT THE HEART . God Himself. The Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit must be honored in the home. A godly home produces happy children. This is evidenced from the song of Hannah in I Samuel 2:1-11. This hymn rejoices wholly in God and says nothing of mother or child. God must be acknowledged, as in this home, in His glory (vv. 1-3), in His power (vv. 4-8), and in His approaching triumph. His glory is best understood by mortal men when we yield to the fact of His holiness and righteousness, that He is without sin and the author of purity, honesty and integrity. His power is best revealed in His redemp tive work, for as we can see ourselves against the back drop of His holiness we can but acknowledge that we have sinned and come short of His glory. It is only then that we understand the power of God at work through the atoning death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that will justify man and restore him into fellowship with a Holy God. The ultimate triumph of God is approaching. In the breast of every man there is the desire for a day when wrongs shall be righted, evil vanquish and justice and mercy reign supreme. God’s Word teaches of such a day, and His people believe and look for it. “ The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them; the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed” (v. 10). Our nation’s founding fathers came from such homes. At their first meeting of the First Continental Congress in September 1774, they invited Dr. Jacob Duche of Philadelphia, to pray for Divine guidance for Congress and for country. Word had just been received of the horrible cannonade of Boston and we have vener able John Adams’ record of the occasion: “ Dr. Duche read the 35th Psalm. It seemed as if heaven had or dained the Psalm to be read on that morning. Here is a scene worthy of the painters’ art. It was in Carpen ter’s Hall in Philadelphia. Washington was kneeling there, and Henry and Randolph and Rutledge, and Lee and Jay, and by their side stood, bowed in reverence, the Puritan patriots of New England. They prayed fer vently for America, for the Congress, for the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially for Boston. It was enough to melt a heart of stone. I saw the tears gush into the eyes of the old, grave pacific Quakers of Phila delphia.” We must realize as they did that God is the true source of strength and greatness, the only antidote for moral and spiritual decline. Let us rebuild our nation by rebuilding our homes, that other Samuels may come forth to vanquish our enemies and lead us to new heights, that America may yet see her greatest hour. 15
ment for the spiritual and eternal. His loyalty to God was revealed in his love for Hannah. He attended Divine services at the appointed time and supported the Lord’s work with generous contributions. He did not, as many today do, send his family to church, but led his family by example in both attendance and financial support. The influence of such a father on his son is immeasur able. It was from such a spiritually-oriented home that David Livingstone came. He, who with a message of life and light, hope and help, plunged himself into the heart of a continent of multiplied darkness to become a torch of inspiration to all succeeding generations. II. AT THE HUB. A God-honoring Mother. In spite of all the religion, the home of Hannah and Elkanah was unhappy because it was childless. Elkanah did not fully understand Hannah’s heartache. When he saw her weeping because she was childless, he said, “Why is thy heart grieved? Am I not better to thee than ten sons?” No. God has put into the heart of every normal woman the desire to be a mother. Hannah’s gloom sprang from piety. The Hebrews saw childless ness as a misfortune. Joseph Parker, when pastoring the City Temple in London, said that each pew contained at least one heart ache. Hannah, heartbroken over childlessness, found comfort at God’s house where she poured out her soul in prayer. Is this not the place to find help in the hour of need? Hannah had learned to approach the mercy- seat. “ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). She stated the facts, uttered her petition and made a vow that her son should belong to the Lord. This vow, in appearance strange, is filled with mean ing. One who took it was to refrain from intoxicating drink, let his hair grow and avoid ceremonial defile ment. Outwardly it would appear to be ascetic, but it meant that the individual would refrain from any sensual indulgences that would render him unfit for the work of his office. He would abstain from moral defilement that would stain his life thus dedicated, and
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