Resolutions with God

We are a couple of months into the new year and by now, for some of us, the resolutions we made are a distant memory. Oftentimes, upon hearing a powerful message or perhaps receiving the answers to our longtime prayers, we make a resolution with God but soon forget about it. At the beginning of the book of Samuel, we find the story of humble beginnings for a small family, living in the hill country of Ephraim and their resolutions with God that changed Israel’s political landscape.

The Birth of Samuel

Elkanah, a member of the priestly tribe of Levi, was well-versed in Israel’s laws and traditions. Each year, he faithfully took his family to the holy city of Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord Almighty. However, despite his devotion, he had two wives—a choice that led to ongoing strife within his household.

Throughout the first chapter of Samuel, we see that Elkanah and his family sought to follow God’s law and honour Him. Yet, they overlooked a fundamental principle that God established from the very beginning. In Genesis, God instructed that a man and woman should unite and become one flesh. Nowhere did He command that a man and his wives should be one body. However, over time, men took multiple wives under the justification of securing heirs to carry on the family name. It is likely that Elkanah married Peninnah because Hannah was unable to bear children, seeking to continue his lineage through her.

Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and she would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? …… Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” – 1 Samuel 1:6-8

It is difficult to fully grasp the heartache Hannah must have endured as she watched her rival bear children for Elkanah while she remained barren, knowing that it was the Lord who had closed her womb (1 Samuel 1:6). Though Elkanah sought to comfort her, assuring her of his love, the pain of childlessness in a society that valued descendants would have been overwhelming.

Jewish law was clear—if a man had two wives, the firstborn son, even if born to the wife he loved less, was still the rightful heir (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). Hannah, burdened by sorrow and unspoken emotions, finally reached a breaking point. During one of her visits to Shiloh, she poured out her soul before the altar of the Lord. In her desperation, she made a solemn vow, dedicating her yet-unborn son to a life of complete separation and service to God for all his days.

All the days of the vow of his separation, no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. – Numbers 6:5

As Hannah poured out her heart before the Lord, Eli, the priest, observed her from a distance and mistakenly assumed she was drunk, babbling before the altar. Without understanding the depth of her sorrow, he rebuked her, unaware that she was in deep, heartfelt prayer.

This moment highlights a common struggle—when we are in our most intimate moments with God, distractions often arise, whether intentional or unintentional. Even well-meaning people can interrupt our time with Him, just as Eli, the high priest of Israel, unknowingly disrupted Hannah’s sacred moment.

Yet, God sees our tears, hears our silent prayers, and welcomes us in our most desperate hour. While others may misunderstand or misjudge us, God cherishes the moments when we come to Him with raw, unfiltered emotions, seeking His presence above all else.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.  – Psalms 34:18

After receiving assurance from God and confirmation from Eli, Hannah’s heart was filled with peace. The burden she had carried for so long was lifted, and she no longer dwelled in sorrow. She did not question this peace or allow doubt to creep in—she simply believed that the Lord would fulfil His promise and deliver her from her affliction.

Hannah’s response is a powerful example of true faith. She had not yet seen the answer to her prayer, but she trusted in God’s faithfulness. Her transformation reminds us that when we fully surrender our worries to God, He replaces our anxiety with His peace—a peace that surpasses all understanding.

So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” – 1 Samuel 1:20

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

When Elkanah and the rest of the family went up to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and fulfil their vows, Hannah chose not to go with them. Instead, she told her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”

“Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 1 Samuel 1:21-23 (NIV)

During the family’s annual trip to Shiloh, Hannah decided to stay back as she wanted to wait till the boy was grown up before she dedicated him to the Lord. Was Hannah wavering on her promise to the Lord? Or did she think that what use would be there for a toddler in the house of the Lord? Is the Lord not capable of taking care of a toddler? Let’s look deeper into the above verses.

• Elkanah was going to Shiloh to fulfill his Vow (Verse 21). It could have been the vow his wife made or something not mentioned. The whole story revolves around Samuel so it must be the vow to give Samuel to the Lord.
• Hannah made a vow saying that she would give Samuel to the lord all the days of his life.
• Even if Hannah wanted to give Samuel to the Lord after a few years, why was she not going with her family for the annual trip to Shiloh? Why did she want to wait till the boy was weaned to even offer annual sacrifices to the Lord? Did Penninah not go with Elkanah year after year. (Verse 7)
• There were laws concerning vows married women made to the Lord, for which the ‘release clause’ was that the husband must forbid his wife from fulfilling the vow. (Nu 30). But Elkanah gave Hannah the full freedom to make her decisions and reminded her that may the Lord make good your word. (Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac replace his with your in verse 23. )
• Why was her womb still closed even after giving birth to Samuel? It was only after she dedicated him to the LORD that she began having more children, and the LORD blessed her with five more. (1 Samuel 2:21)

There is no way to say for certain whether Hannah ever had doubts about dedicating Samuel to the Lord. She was human, and the thought must have crossed her mind. After all, she had prayed earnestly for a child, endured years of waiting, and finally received the son she longed for. Yet, despite any emotions she may have felt, she followed through on her commitment. Once Samuel was weaned, she brought him to Eli the priest, along with the offerings required for a special vow (Numbers 15:8-10). God honoured her faithfulness, and Eli blessed the couple. In return, Hannah was given five more children after dedicating Samuel to the Lord.

In our spiritual lives, we often struggle to uphold the commitments we make to God. At times of need or desperation, we cry out to Him, promising devotion, sacrifice, or service in exchange for His help. Yet, when He answers, we look for ways to excuse ourselves from our promises. We must understand that even when we make resolutions with God, it is ultimately He who enables us to remain faithful.

But does God require resolutions from us? Does the Creator of the universe need anything from us? The answer is no. Yet, in His love, He allows us to participate in His plans and invites us to walk in faith. He does not demand our vows, but when we make them, He provides the strength we need to fulfil them.

Think of someone who once supported us financially during a difficult time—perhaps they helped with our education, assisted in starting a business, or simply lifted us when we were struggling. Years later, when we were settled we decided to invite them over for dinner, wanting to express our gratitude and share with our family how much they have done for us. Did they ever ask to be invited? No. But out of appreciation, we wish to honour them.

Now, imagine if after extending the invitation, we completely forget about it. When they arrive at our home and call us, we casually respond, “Oh, sorry, I forgot—we’re out at the movies. Let’s meet another time.” How ungrateful would that be? Yet, this is exactly how we treat God. God has done far greater things in our lives than we can ever comprehend. He has given us freedom from our sins—something we could never earn or deserve. He constantly provides for us, protects us, and blesses us in ways we may not even notice. And yet, He asks for nothing in return.

Still, we make promises to Him—declaring that we will dedicate our first salary, remain faithful in attending church, or commit to helping the poor and feeding the hungry. But when the time comes to fulfil those promises, how often do we hesitate, delay, or try to back out?

Let us not be like Hannah, who attempted to avoid fulfilling her vow to God and may have stopped going to the temple with her family out of guilt. Instead, when we make commitments to God, let us lean on Him even more, trusting that He will help us fulfil them. We must not allow our own resolutions to become the very reason we distance ourselves from Him. Remember, God never asked for these promises—we make them ourselves. The only thing He truly desires is our hearts, yet we often withhold them, hiding behind empty vows and outward gestures that merely give us the illusion of being close to Him.