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I’ve witnessed many baby dedications at our church. Publicly pledging to bring your child up in the fear and admonition of God is the right thing to do. It reminds me of the story of Hannah in the first book of Samuel. Her husband Elkanah had two wives. Peninnah had children and Hannah had none. Peninnah would taunt Hannah by reminding her that God had not blessed her with children. It would seem that Peninnah regarded herself more worthy in the site of God; Hanna obviously wasn’t worthy to be a mother. It would appear that God loved Peninnah more than Hannah.
Peninnah was right about one thing; everything comes from God. But she was wrong to judge what Hannah’s worth to God was. Yes, God gave many children to Peninnah. But the one child of Elkanah that would become a great prophet of God came through Hannah. Hannah, after praying in the temple, came away refreshed, believed God, and conceived. Before the conception, she dedicated Samuel to God. After being barren so long, that was an act of immense faith in God.
First Samuel 2:3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. Peninnah didn’t grasp the whole truth. God knew before Hannah was born that she would have a son named Samuel. God knows the future, all of it. Verse 6: The Lord killeth and maketh alive; He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up.
God gives us life; we are breathing His air. With wisdom and knowledge, God created the heavens and the earth. We are not to judge one another by perceived blessings. We don’t know anything of the children Peninnah bore. Her cruel taunting of Hannah indicates that her children were born for her pleasure and not for God. Hannah gave the first fruits of her womb to God. That is a lesson we all need to hear and understand. God can only bless what we give. He can’t bless what we keep for ourselves. Dedication of our whole life is reasonable service to Christ. All we have to offer God is our lives and the lives of our children.