Hannah went before the Lord to pray for she was “in bitterness of soul” (1 Samuel 1:10).  She had no children.  Her husband Elkanah had another wife, Peninnah, who had been blessed with children; moreover, Peninnah was cruel, provoking and irritating her (vv. 4-6).  Hannah asked for a son and vowed to dedicate the child wholly to God (v. 11).

Eli, the priest, was nearby and watched Hannah while she prayed only moving her lips without making any sound with her voice.  He made an assumption about Hannah that was both hasty and undeserved; he rebuked her for being drunk (vv. 12-14).  Hannah explained that she was not drunk, but rather pouring out her soul before the Lord (v. 15).  She said, “Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial” (v. 16).  “Belial” is a word in Hebrew for worthlessness (cf. Deuteronomy 13:13).  Hannah had the godly character and judgment to regard being drunk as worthless debauchery.

In reality, Eli’s children were “sons of Belial” who robbed those who brought their offerings and committed fornication with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle (2:12-17, 22).  While Eli verbally rebuked his sons, he did not administer discipline that would be effective enough to curtail their evil (2:23-25).  It appears that Lord rebuked Eli for not only not restraining his sons but also being one of those who benefited from their robbery (2:29).

Hannah, however, was blessed by the Lord.  She returned home after pouring her heart out to the Lord in prayer, no longer distressed but at peace (1:18).  She became pregnant and had a son, naming him Samuel, meaning “asked of God” (1:20).  She weaned the child and was faithful to her vow by giving him to the service of the Lord (1:24-28).  Hannah rejoiced in God’s blessings and was, unlike Eli’s sons, willing to give what she received to the Lord.  Her child Samuel grew and served at the tabernacle with Eli (2:11).  Hannah “made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice” (2:19).  Hannah was rewarded five-fold for her faithfulness; she had three sons and two daughters (2:21).

It is easy for us to look at others and assume the worst while failing to really see our own sins clearly.  Members of the church can be like Eli or they can be like Hannah.  Those like Eli make exception for their own and operate by a double standard.  We are thankful for those who imitate Hannah, who in sincere devotion to God raise godly children.  When Samuel had grown old he could honestly say, “Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.”  Samuel had lived like his mother Hannah rather than Eli and his sons with whom he had served at the tabernacle.  Would to God that all of us and our children could honestly say what Samuel said when we have grown old.

-Mark Day

In lessons dealing with godly children, the focus is generally on parents and what they must do (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4). The focus is seldom, if ever, on what children must do. Children often hear preachers preach to their parents, but not to them. The word “godly” means showing proper respect and reverence, so being a godly child means to show respect toward the Lord and His wishes for life. To be a godly child, what would God have them to be?

Children need to honor and obey their parents. Paul declared, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Eph. 6:1-3; cf. Col. 3:20). Please note the two major responsibilities found within these verses – obedience and honor. To be a godly child, these responsibilities must be met. Children are to obey and submit in such a way as to bring joy and not grief to their parents (Prov. 10:1; 15:20; 19:26; Heb. 13:17).

Children need to honor God. To fail to recognize God’s appointed authority within the home is to disregard, disobey, and disrespect God. The only exception to this rule would be if parents told a child to do something contrary to God’s word. In this case, the child should respectfully and lovingly plead with their parents to change their stance. However, these situations are the exception. It should be noted that children would still have the responsibility to obey their parents in all other things. One wrong requirement on the part of a parent would not nullify the whole parent/child dynamic.

Children need to grow spiritually. Timothy had the advantage of a pious mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5), and he was learning about God from the time he was a baby (3:15). Love of God and His people is not a matter only for adults; by the time one has reached adulthood, the most deeply held convictions have already been established. Youth need to learn about and follow God while they are…youth!

Children have the opportunity to motivate their families. No doubt, we have all known little children who led their parents to church services. Without the constant clamoring of these children to go to Bible class, their parents wouldn’t have gone. Little children also often lead their parents in saying prayers and in reading Bible stories. Sometimes in the chaos of getting everyone fed and in bed, Bible stories are not read and prayers are not said. Children can encourage their parents by reminding them when these things are not done. When asked to go get a book to read before bed, children can pick a Bible story book. They need to have their own, appropriate expectations for spiritual activities.

Children have the opportunity to influence others. When His disciples were arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus took a child, set him in the midst of them, and declared, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:1-3). Jesus used a little child to lead His disciples. He used a little child to show them the spirit that they needed to have in order to be saved. Just one chapter later, He would again use a child to lead them (Matt. 19:13-15; cf. Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). In like manner, the Apostle Paul spoke of the example that young people can be to those who are older. To Timothy, he wrote, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity: Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Tim. 4:12-15).

Be a godly child. Make sure you learn about God and spiritual matters. Remember to obey God, parents, and figures of authority. Remember that you can make a difference in the lives of others.

Taken from 2009 Annual Southwest Lectures: Honoring Christ – Calling For Godly Homes.

-submitted by Jerry Sturgill