The First Altar Boy

# 33 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 2:18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. ( 1 Sam 2:18,19) “But Samuel.” While Eli's two sons were ripping off the people and despising the Lord, little Samuel was doing just the opposite. He ministered before the Lord. The idea of the word minister here is to serve in menial tasks. In today's terminology we might call him an altar boy or an acolyte. Much of the duties that were required of priests in Old Testament times dealt with symbolism. Just about everything done in the temple pointed to the coming Messiah. So Samuel did any and all menial tasks necessary to keep that message clear and ever before the worshipers. You can be sure that he learned from Eli all the symbols and their meaning and value in worship. Of course these symbols are no longer necessary since the Messiah has come, nonetheless many churches still use symbols to point to Christ and His finished redeeming work. These symbols can serve as a very rich worship experience when they are not abused, and they can be very instructive in the training of young people. One thing for certain, whether a young person grows up in a church tradition of acolytes, or altar boys, it is important to train them up in the basics of the faith. Family devotions, Sunday School, Christian day schools, and youth groups are excellent ways to provide this training, but it is also very important that we find areas of meaningful service for our young people in the Body of Christ. Sometimes I think we are guilty of dumbing down our kids in the area of service and in the end....we lose a valuable resource to the church. Samuel's menial service, complete with the symbolic ephod prepared him for service to God. What kind of opportunities can we give our children to do the same?