ESOCS Devotional 12 March 2026 – Vow-Making and Its Implications
MEMORY VERSE: “For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore also, I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth and he shall be lent to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:27-28 KJV
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 1:21-2:11
Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.”
23 So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” So they worshiped the Lord there.
11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.
READ OTHER ESOCS DEVOTIONAL HERE
Biblically speaking, the practice of vow making or solemn promises to God deliberately and freely, to perform some good work, was ancient among the Israelites. Principally, a vow consisted in a promise to offer a sacrifice, if God would give some assistance in a difficulty; hence, the Hebrew word “Neder,” which means both vow and votive offering. According to one of God’s generals – Billy Graham, breaking a vow made before God or to God has grave consequences. This goes to assert that God regards vows seriously; and so, child of God, before you open your mouth to make a vow, there is dire need to think about it seriously.
In Deuteronomy 23:21-23, the Bible charges that when you make a vow to the Lord, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised Him. This is consequent upon the fact that the Lord God demands and insists that you promptly fulfil all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. But there is everything wrong when one voluntarily makes a vow but fails to redeem it.
In our text, Hannah was a woman in severe distress due to childlessness. She suffered extreme humiliation from her mate, and bitterly cried out to the Lord for a male child. God answered her prayers, and gave her Samuel. When the parents took Samuel to be handed over to Eli the High priest, they also took a very generous offering in order to support the man of God in his care for Samuel. This took place when Samuel was two to three years old. Prayers answered, vow fulfilled.
Child of God, when you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in paying back – to avert severe consequences.
Reflections
- Be careful with vow making. Yes, it boots and hastens answers to payers. But it’s not compulsory.
Prayer
- My Lord, my God, may I not turn the other way when my prayers are answered.
Further Reading: Jeremiah 1:15-19; Luke 13:1-7; 2 Corinthians 1:15-24
ESOCS Devotional 12 March 2026
