But Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod. Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home. And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. (New International Version)

Hannah had to deal with infertility, a rival who taunted her mercilessly, and the societal shame of it all. But the God who is rich in mercy heard Hannah’s prayer at the Tabernacle in Shiloh. She was given a son, Samuel.

And when he was old enough – about 3 or 4 years of age – Hannah and her husband Elkanah presented Samuel to Eli the priest at the Tabernacle. She had vowed to do so if the Lord granted her a son. Hannah made good on that promise.

It turns out that the small boy Samuel was head-and-shoulders above the adult priests. Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phineas, were no good, too small for the office of priest they occupied. Their service to God was anything but that. They served themselves, especially the two sons.

Eli’s adult children blatantly engaged in sacrilege, aggressively grabbing whatever they wanted from the sacred space of the Tabernacle. They made a mockery of the Lord’s instructions regarding sacrifices and worship in that holy place. The two of them cursed others (which would come back on them soon enough).

In contrast, the boy Samuel was a blessed child. His dear mother Hannah would make him a new priestly robe year after year as he served faithfully. His growing stature, and the need for clothing which suited him, were a light shining in the darkness of two sons who were outfitted in priestly garb that didn’t spiritually fit them at all.

The thing about our clothes is that they can either be an expression of who we truly are; or they can be a covering which hides the true identity. The story makes it plain that Samuel had a beautifully handcrafted robe which suited him perfectly. But Hophni and Phineas inherited priestly threads that seemed like ill-fitting hand-me-downs.

All of us are either revealing who we really are for all to see with unabashed authenticity, or we are concealing ourselves behind a disingenuous false façade, so that our true self is obscured and hidden in the shadows.

We are embodied people living on a physical earth. Our clothes aren’t just mere coverings of the body; they are a material means of communicating important immaterial aspects of ourselves and the world. The elaborate garb of the priest has significance, and ought not to be taken lightly.

In the case of Eli’s sons, they used their clothing to fleece incoming worshipers who were making genuine animal sacrifices to God. The priestly outfits themselves were not the problem; at issue was two people committing sacrilege against the Lord, and injustice toward the Lord’s people.

Material things neither contaminate nor purify a person; the heart does that. We just need to ensure that material objects like clothing are set apart for specific and good purposes. Those clothes ought to be congruent with the person and the task at hand. And clothing ought never to demean or deceive ourselves or others.

Although we aren’t told what sort of clothing Hannah wore, I’m sure that everything she wore spoke to her humility before others, devotion to God, and spirit of doing what is right and just. The Lord gave her clothes fitted for a mother by blessing Hannah with even more children. I can imagine that the biblical writers had women like her in mind when they wrote some of their words:

I want women to enhance their appearance with clothing that is modest and sensible, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive clothes. They should make themselves attractive by doing good, which is appropriate for women who claim to honor God. (1 Timothy 2:9-10, CEB)

It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from inside you—the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. That beauty will never disappear. It is worth very much to God. (1 Peter 3:3-4, ERV)

For all of us, we are encouraged to wear actual and metaphorical clothing that is consistent with what is good:

Right living was my clothing. Fairness was my robe and turban. (Job 29:14, ERV)

Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. (Romans 13:13-14, NLT)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Galatians 3:12, NIV)

The boy Samuel lived up to the priestly clothes he was wearing; they fit him like a hand in a glove. But the adults who should have known better, Eli and his sons, dressed down their priestly garments and demeaned the office of priest for the people they should have been serving.

It is high time to dress appropriately and clothe ourselves with Christ, so that the very life of Jesus may flow powerfully in us and through us, to the glory of God. Amen.