Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 1 Samuel 2:19
We all treasure articles of clothing that our mothers make, so today’s text makes us smile as we think of Samuel’s yearly gift from his mother. She brought it to him after spending much time weaving the cloth and fashioning it to fit his growing form. As the years went by, he always had a coat, or robe, that fitted him, because of his mother’s diligence. Her little boy might be out of her sight, but he was never out of Hannah’s thoughts and prayers, and he always knew it. As busy as he would be with his service in the tabernacle, little Samuel would never forget how he came to be there. That coat reminded him every day as he put it on of his mother’s commitment.
Our text begins with the word ‘moreover’, and that is important. Modern-language Bibles use the word ‘and’, and they miss the significance. The ‘moreover’ points back to the previous verse that tells us that Samuel working in the tabernacle wore a linen ephod. This ephod was the special garb of those who served in the tabernacle, their work uniform, if you will. When he put on that ephod, he was on his best behaviour, and conducted himself with the reverence that was expected in the house of God. But when he was not tending to his tabernacle duties, he wore the latest coat from his mother. Perhaps at meal times when the weather was chilly, he would pull it on for comfort, perhaps while he played with some of the boys who lived nearby, perhaps as he sat at the feet of his teacher, that little coat was a comfort to him and an indication to others. He was a boy with a godly mother who had lent him to the Lord and who continued to care for him although she was far away in Ramah. Many of the children around us today could do with such a daily reminder of their parents’ commitment and care.
Like Samuel, we don’t wear the linen ephod of service to God at all times. We can’t read our Bibles every waking hour, or spend the entire day in our prayer closet. And we can attend the Assembly meetings with the Lord’s people only so many hours of the week. But what happens when that linen ephod comes off? When we are working at our jobs, attending our classes, eating our meals, engaged in activities with family members and friends, do we resort to clothing, behaviour, language, and activities that are just like the world around us? Or is there the ‘little coat’ that reminds ourselves and tells others that we belong to the Lord? The ‘little coat’ includes wholesome language, kind and loving treatment of others, honesty and fairness in all our dealings, and so on. We often refer to it as Christ-likeness.
Samuel surely prized his mother’s ‘little coat’. Do we prize the ability God has given to us to let the world know we belong to the Lord? – Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/WTuoSUaITQ4