Dedicated Before Delivered

1 Samuel 1:24–28 HCSB

24 When she had weaned him, she took him with her to Shiloh, as well as a three-year-old bull, half a bushel of flour, and a jar of wine. Though the boy was still young, she took him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli. 26 “Please, my lord,” she said, “as sure as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked Him for, 28 I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he bowed in worship to the Lord there.

Sermon: Dedicated Before Delivered

Text: 1 Samuel 1:24–28 (KJV)

Speaker: Rev. Adrian S. Taylor

Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM

Setting: Springhill Church

Main Idea: God calls us to give back what He has allowed us to steward, for His honor and glory. Our blessings are not for entertainment or enrichment. They are meant to edify the Body of Christ and to elevate the name of God above all others.

Introduction

A father brought his little boy to the first day of youth football practice. The child was small, shoulder pads slipping, helmet too big, hand locked tight to his daddy’s. When the coach blew the whistle and told the parents to step back, the father felt what every loving parent feels. Pride in his little boy’s growth, and pain in that he must be released.

The boy looked back one more time. The father knelt, tightened his boy's chinstrap, and spoke calmly. He told his son that he could not run the drills or take the hits for him; but he could put him in the right hands. And if the boy would listen, learn, and follow his coach's leadership, what God had placed in him would come out of him.

That picture opens the door to 1 Samuel 1:24–28. Hannah is not sending Samuel to a field; she is bringing Samuel to the presence of God. This is the moment where an answered prayer becomes an offered life. The Bible says, “And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her… and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young” (1 Samuel 1:24). Hannah’s actions preach a holy truth: the Lord gave him, and the Lord owns him.

To feel the weight of this scene, the context matters. Israel is coming out of the days of the judges, a season of spiritual confusion and unstable leadership. Shiloh is the worship center where the tabernacle ministry operates, yet the priesthood is weakening, and trouble is brewing in Eli’s house. Hannah dedicates Samuel in a season that is not ideal, but she does the Spiritual thing despite the culture being shaky.

This applies to modern Christians because the temptation remains the same. We often treat blessings like toys. We want them for enjoyment, ease, and entertainment. But Hannah shows that blessings are for enlistment. God calls His people to give back what He has allowed them to steward, for His honor and glory. Blessings are meant to edify the Body of Christ and to elevate the name of God above all others.

So as this passage opens, Hannah’s example must be seen, and God’s call must be heard. When God calls, He calls His people to dedicate their lives with open hands, to give, to testify, and to worship. And the same God who gave the blessing will guide the blessing when it is dedicated back to Him.

God has called us to dedicate our best on the altar, and remember to bless the blesser because He gives us everything we have. Have you dedicated your life, resources, gifts, talents, and possessions to the Lord? After all, every blessing we have comes from God. 

The blessings we have come from God...All things come of thee o Lord (1 Chronicles 29:14)

The breath we breathe comes from God....and into Him He blew the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). 

The life we have comes from God...In Him we live move, and have our being (Acts 17:28).

The peace of heart and mind we enjoy from time to time come from God...(Isaiah 26:3)

The joy we have that strengthens us, comes from God...This joy that I have, the world didn't give it to me and the world can't take it away (Nehemiah 8:10).  

Since it was God who gave you life, I must ask if you've dedicated to Him your life. Is your life dedicated to the Lord? 

I. Donation to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:24–25)

When God calls, He does not only call His people to celebrate what He has given; He calls them to consecrate what He has entrusted. In 1 Samuel 1:24–25, Hannah turns an answered prayer into an offering. She lays the miracle back in the hands of the Miracle-Worker. This is dedication in motion.

The text begins with movement, not speech. Hannah does not talk first. She acts first. Her faith is not sentimental. It is sacrificial. Her worship is not symbolic. It is specific.

The Bible says, “And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her… and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.” Then it says, “And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.” (1 Samuel 1:24–25)

Dedication looks like donation to the Lord.

A. Planned Donation (1 Samuel 1:24)

The Bible says, “When she had weaned him, she took him up with her… and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh.” Hannah’s donation was planned, and purposeful. 

1. Planned donation respects God’s timing. - “And when she had weaned him…” (1 Samuel 1:24a). There is debate over how old Samuel was at this point, but it is clear that Hannah did not rush her vow. She waited until Samuel was ready. Obedience is not only about emotion, it is about order. Some blessings need to be nurtured before they are offered, and some assignments require preparation before presentation. So Hannah, took time to ensure Samuel was ready for to be presented to the priest, and that he was old enough to be a blessing and not just a child in the way. 

2. Planned donation reflects intentional worship. - “With three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine…” (1 Samuel 1:24b). The details reveal their devotion and extravagant donation to the Lord in response to what God had given them. The offering they gave was far beyond what they had to give. Elkanah and Hannah did not arrive empty-handed. They came with worship that was considerable, consecrated, and costly. Planned giving is the fruit of planned devotion. They did not jump up and give God what was left over, spare change, weathered produce, and feeble livestock. They were intentional in blessing God because He had certainly been intentional about blessing them. 

3. Planned donation confesses stewardship, not ownership. - “And brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh…” (1 Samuel 1:24c). Hannah moves the miracle from her house to God’s house. Her feet preach what every believer must learn: the gift is not a possession, it is a stewardship.

2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV 1900

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Have you dedicated your best to God?

Five Cross-References (KJV) for Planned Donation

Proverbs 3:9 – “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.”

1 Corinthians 16:2 - “2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 - “7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Luke 14:28 - “28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”

Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 – “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it… Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.”

B. Precious Donation (1 Samuel 1:25)

Verse 25 says, “And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.” Hannah’s donation was not only planned. It was precious.

1. Precious donation involves sacrifice, not symbolism. - “And they slew a bullock…” (1 Samuel 1:25a) Dedication is framed by sacrifice. In Old Testament worship, sacrifice declared that God is holy, sin is serious, and worship costs something. Hannah’s example confronts shallow devotion that wants blessing without burden and surrender without cost.

2. Precious donation releases what you love most. - “And brought the child to Eli.” (v. 25b) The offering is not only what is on the altar. The offering is who is being presented. Samuel is the evidence of Hannah’s tears and the answer to her prayers, yet she releases him to the Lord.

This is the difference between stewarding a blessing and idolizing it. Idols are clenched, while stewardship is open-handed. The precious donation God asks may be our time, talent, treasure, plans, comfort, or opportunity. The question is not whether it is precious. The question is whether the Lord is more precious.

3. Precious donation trusts God beyond imperfect conditions… “and brought the child to Eli" (1 Samuel 1:25b)...Hannah places Samuel into the Lord’s work at Shiloh. The environment is not flawless, yet her confidence is not in the environment; her confidence is in the Lord. Faith obeys even when conditions are not ideal. And it also ensures that we are not simply loaning what we have to the Lord, but giving it completely over to Him. 

Have you dedicated your best to God?

Five Cross-References (KJV) for Precious Donation

2 Samuel 24:24 – “Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing.”

Romans 12:1 – “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Mark 12:43–44 – The widow gave “all that she had,” showing the heart behind sacrificial giving.

Genesis 22:12 - “12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”

Philippians 3:8 - “8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”

Illustration - A mother once told a pastor that she had dedicated her son to the Lord, but she wanted to make sure the church understood one thing. She said, “Pastor, I dedicated him, but I did not donate him.” She said she was willing for him to serve in the choir, usher board, and youth ministry. But if anybody tried to keep him past his bedtime, she was going to call a meeting. But the mother was oblivious to how unruly and hard-headed her son was. He was always into something and gave the youth workers a time. The pastor smiled and said, “Sister, you have nothing to worry about. I am sure he won't be kept too long.”

We dedicate things to God, with conditions. We want God to have access, but not authority.  

Hannah teaches a better way. She does not dedicate Samuel with fine print. She releases what she loves most and trusts the Lord with what comes next.

Hannah’s dedication is not accidental; it is planned and precious. She brings the gift, offers worship, and places what she loves in the hands of the Lord.

Have you dedicated your best to God?

II. Declaration About the Lord (1 Samuel 1:26–27)

After Hannah gives her donation, she does not walk away silently: she gives her testimony. 

This is important because dedication is not merely what you place on the altar. It is also what you proclaim with your life. Public worship is a public witness. She is standing in the same place where she was once misunderstood, misjudged, and misread. Yet now she stands as a recipient of God's miracles, mercy, and might. 

A. Past Burden (1 Samuel 1:26)

“And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. (1 Samuel 1:26)

1. She testifies with reverence and certainty. - She calls Eli “my lord,” and she speaks with seriousness: “as thy soul liveth.” Hannah is not dramatic, she is deliberate. She is not vague; she is specific.

2. She identifies the place of her pain…Hannah says, “I am the woman that stood by thee here.” She points to the location of her former agony. She remembers the altar where she poured out her soul. She remembers the night when her lips moved but her voice could not be heard.

There is power in acknowledging where God met you. Many believers want to rush past their burden and never look back. But Hannah shows that remembering past burdens is not backward living. It is testimony building.

Sometimes the Lord will bring you back to the same place, not to reopen your wound, but to reveal His work. That is why Hannah can stand where she once wept and now worship with strength.

3. She recalls the God she sought “praying unto the Lord..." - Hannah does not say she was praying to the priest. She says she was “praying unto the LORD.” She makes it clear that the burden pushed her to God.

Your past burden becomes holy when it drives you to the Lord. Your pain is not pointless when it pushes you into prayer. Hannah is declaring, Eli, what you saw then was not confusion. It was consecration. It was not drunkenness. It was dependence.

A burdened believer learns to speak carefully. A praying believer learns to speak confidently. Hannah’s declaration is rooted in truth, shaped by humility, and filled with gratitude.

Psalm 34:17 KJV 1900

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, And delivereth them out of all their troubles.

Just a Little Talk with Jesus

I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in, And then a little light from heaven filled my soul; It bathed my heart in love and wrote my name above, And just a little talk with Jesus made me whole…

Sometimes my path seems drear, without a ray of cheer, And then a cloud of doubt may hide the light of day; The mist of sin may rise and hide the starry skies, But just a little talk with Jesus clears the way.

I may have doubts and fears, my eyes be filled with tears, But Jesus is a friend who watches day and night; I go to Him in prayer; He knows my every care, And just a littel talk with Jesus makes it right. Refrain Now let us have a little talk with Jesus Let us tell Him all about our troubles He will hear our faintest cry, and He will answer by and by. When you feel a little prayer wheel turning, and you know a little fire is burning, Find a little talk with Jesus makes it right.

Have you dedicated your best to God?

Five Cross-References (KJV) for Past Burden

Psalm 34:17 – “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

Psalm 66:16 – “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”

Lamentations 3:55–57 – “I called upon thy name, O LORD… Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee…”

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 - “3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

Revelation 12:11 - “11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

B. Present Blessing (1 Samuel 1:27)

Verse 27 says, “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him.”

1. She names the blessing without pride. Hannah says, “For this child I prayed.” - She points to Samuel, but she does not exalt Samuel above God. She acknowledges the blessing, but she keeps the blessing in its proper place. 

Some people name their blessings as if they earned them. Hannah names her blessing as evidence of God’s kindness. She is not saying, look at what I produced. She is saying, look at what the Lord provided.

2. She credits the Lord without hesitationHannah says, “the LORD hath given me my petition.” That is declaration. She gives God full credit. She does not divide the praise between prayer and performance. She puts the glory where it belongs.

This is what the Lord is building in us. A church that celebrates blessings without forgetting the Blesser. A people who can say, the Lord did this. The Lord opened that door. The Lord healed that body. The Lord restored that marriage. The Lord saved that soul.

3. She connects prayer to praise. Hannah ties together three realities: prayer offered, petition granted, and praise returned. The blessing did not begin at the baby shower. The blessing began at the altar. Hannah is showing us that the testimony of today is the fruit of the prayer of yesterday.

And when you tell it that way, your story becomes more than a personal report. Your story becomes a corporate encouragement. Your declaration strengthens the faith of somebody else who is still waiting.

Song: It is No Secret

It is no secret, what God can do, what He’s done for others He’ll do for you. With Arms wide open, He’ll pardon you. It is no secret, what God can do.

Five Cross-References (KJV) for Present Blessing

1 John 5:14–15 “14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

Psalm 37:4 – “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

Psalm 116:1–2 – “I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.”

Matthew 7:7–8 “7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

James 1:17 “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Hannah does not merely bring a donation. She makes a declaration. She remembers the burden, and she recognizes the blessing.

III. Dedication to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:28)

If Main Point I shows Hannah’s hands bringing an offering, and Main Point II shows Hannah’s mouth giving a testimony, then Main Point III shows Hannah’s heart making a surrender. This is the summit of the passage. Hannah does not merely visit Shiloh. She yields something. She does not merely speak about God. She submits to God.

Verse 28 is the moment the title comes alive. Dedicated Before Delivered. Before Samuel is delivered into influence, he is dedicated into worship. Before Samuel is delivered into national leadership, he is dedicated into lifelong lordship. God’s call is always bigger than the blessing, because God intends to use what He gives.

A. Leaves Him with the Lord (1 Samuel 1:28a)

Hannah says, “Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD…”

1. Dedication is a deliberate decision. Hannah begins with the word, “Therefore.” That means this dedication is not an impulse. It is a conclusion. It is the outcome of answered prayer and proven faithfulness. Hannah is teaching us that dedication does not happen by accident. It happens by decision.

Many believers love the idea of surrender, but they rarely make a clear choice. Yet Hannah makes it plain. She states what she is doing, and she states why. She is lending Samuel to the Lord because the Lord lent Samuel to her first.

2. Dedication is stewardship language. Hannah says, “I have lent him to the LORD.” That phrase carries a powerful truth. She views Samuel as a sacred trust. She sees herself as a steward, not an owner.

Springhill, this is where the Lord grows us up. We stop saying, “This is mine,” and we start saying, “This is His.” My gifts are His. My resources are His. My opportunities are His. My children are His. My time is His. My future is His. The Lord calls us to hold blessings with open hands.

3. Dedication is long-term, not occasional. Hannah adds, “as long as he liveth.” This is not seasonal devotion. This is lifetime surrender.

There are believers who dedicate themselves on Sunday but take themselves back on Monday. They lend their life to the Lord for a moment, then repossess it when the week gets hard. Hannah shows us the nature of biblical dedication. It is not a visit. It is a vow. It is not a moment. It is a manner of life.

Psalm 24:1 KJV 1900

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein.

Have you dedicated your best to the Lord?

Five Cross-References (KJV) for Leaves Him with the Lord

Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Romans 12:1 “1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Luke 9:23 – “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.”

B. Life Dedicated to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:28c)

The verse ends with these words: “And he worshipped the LORD there.”

1. Dedication produces worship, not resentment. The end of the story is not bitterness. It is worship. Hannah does not dedicate Samuel and then collapse into complaint. The text says worship happened there.

This is one of the clearest evidences that Hannah’s dedication was real. When dedication is genuine, it does not leave you empty, it leaves you worshipping. It does not leave you resentful, it leaves you reverent.

2. Dedication anchors life in the presence of God. The text says, “there.” In Shiloh, in the house of the Lord, in the place of sacrifice, worship becomes the atmosphere.

A dedicated life is a life that learns to worship anywhere, but it must also learn to worship there. There is something powerful about being in God’s house, under God’s Word, with God’s people, lifting up God’s name. The Lord uses consecrated worship to shape consecrated people.

3. Dedication is the pathway to destiny. Samuel’s future influence is not built on Hannah’s ambition. It is built on Hannah’s surrender. Samuel’s life will bless the nation, but the text shows us where it begins. It begins in worship.

That is why the title is true. Dedicated before delivered. Before God delivers you into a wider assignment, He first dedicates you into deeper worship. Before He increases your influence, He intensifies your intimacy. Before He sends you out, He calls you in.

Five Cross-References (KJV) for Life Dedicated to the Lord

Joshua 24:15 – “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Colossians 3:17 - “17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

John 4:23–24 – “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth…”

Psalm 29:2 – “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

1 Peter 2:9 – “That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness…”

Sermon Close

Hannah donated with intention. Hannah declared with gratitude. Hannah dedicated with surrender.

And that is the call of God on our lives. The Lord does not bless us so we can be entertained. The Lord does not increase us so we can be enriched. The Lord entrusts us so the Body of Christ can be edified, and so the name of God can be elevated.

So the question is simple. What has God placed in your hands that He is calling you to place back in His hands. Because what is dedicated to the Lord will be delivered into the purposes of the Lord.

Sermon Close

A dedicated life is a blessed life. A dedicated life has direction when others are drifting. A dedicated life has peace when others are panicking. A dedicated life has purpose when others are pretending. Because when a life is dedicated to God, it is not carried by luck. It is led by the Lord.

The dedicated life is blessed in its priorities. God has a way of putting the right things at the top and the wrong things at the bottom. The dedicated life is blessed in its protection. God guards what is given back to Him. The dedicated life is blessed in its provisions. God supplies what He assigns. The dedicated life is blessed in its people. God surrounds the surrendered with strength and support. The dedicated life is blessed in its power. God can do more through one yielded heart than through a thousand gifted hands that will not submit.

Hannah teaches that dedication is not talk. Dedication is not trend. Dedication is truth in motion. She donated with intention. She declared with gratitude. She dedicated with surrender. And the fruit of it all was worship.

Now here is the question that must be answered. What has God placed in a person’s hands that God is calling that person to place back in His hands. What is being held too tightly. What has become too precious. What is being enjoyed but not enlisted for the glory of God. Because every blessing in the hands of God becomes a blessing with purpose.

And if anybody wonders whether dedication is worth it, the answer can be found at a hill called Calvary.

God the Father did not entertain His only begotten Son. God did not keep Him in the comfort of heaven. God so loved the world that He gave His Son. He sent Him down through forty and two generations. He was born of a virgin. He walked this earth doing good. He opened blinded eyes. He unstopped deaf ears. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He fed the hungry. He lifted the broken. He spoke peace to storms. He preached liberty to captives.

Then one Friday, they led Him from judgment hall to judgment hall. They lied on Him, mocked Him, and spit on Him. They put a crown of thorns on His head. They put a cross on His back. They marched Him up Golgotha’s hill. They stretched Him wide and hung Him high. They nailed Him in His hands. They nailed Him in His feet. They lifted Him up between heaven and earth.

And while He was hanging there, He dedicated Himself for sinners. He did not die for His own wrong, because He had no sin. He died for our sin. He paid a debt He did not owe. He shed His blood, so guilty souls could be washed clean. He stayed on that cross until redemption was finished. Then He bowed His head and died.

They took Him down and placed Him in a borrowed tomb. But early Sunday morning, He got up with all power in His hands.

So if Hannah could dedicate Samuel to the Lord because God answered her prayer, then surely a believer can dedicate a life to the Lord because Jesus paid for that life on the cross.

This is the call. Give Him your heart. Give Him your life. Give Him your gifts. Give Him your time. Give Him your home. Give Him your children. Give Him your plans. Give Him your future. Because what is dedicated to the Lord will be delivered into the purposes of the Lord.

And if there is anyone who has never trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, this is the moment. Come to Him. Believe that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again. Call on His name, and He will save.

And if there is a believer who knows the Lord has been calling for deeper surrender, today is the day to stop holding back. Lay it on the altar. Leave it with the Lord. And worship the Lord there.