1 Samuel 2:1-11
1 And Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn is exalted in the LORD.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.
6 “The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S,
And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.
After God’s blessing adorned Hannah’s life in the grace of a son, Samuel, she sang as Moses and Israel with praises to the LORD after the deliverance through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-18). Here she begins with praise and thanksgiving for the child as an answered longing of her heart, rejoicing in the great deliverance and victory over the taunting enemy of her rival and the obtaining of an heir. This also enabled her to share in the will of God to be fruitful and multiply to fill the earth as was given to Adam and Eve in the beginning. She glories in His holiness in verse 2 as the only true God and rock of salvation next, then moves to admit humility in speech and to seek accountability in action in verse 3. In verse 4 Hannah extols the sovereign might of the LORD, and in verse 5 she speaks of those dependent on Him receiving their daily bread and fruitfulness. Verse 6 demonstrates her faith and hope in God to give life as well as take it, being able to even resurrect the dead! Then verse 7 and 8 tell how He meets the needs of the poor and helpless, lifting them up in honor and glory because He is able to do so - He owns everything and everyone in the world. Verse 9 praises the LORD for His watch are over His chosen ones made holy, set apart for Himself, while also judging and providing retribution to those set on evil and wickedness against His word and will. The last verse of the song reinforces this by declaring the justice of God meted out on His enemies and final judgement upon the entire world while exalting His anointed ruler over the people, a picture and foreshadowing of the Messiah, the Christ. This part of the story ends with Hannah and her husband returning home while the child Samuel stays to serve the LORD as promised, dedicated and devoted to Him. We can rejoice in our salvation, our deliverance from a fruitless life and transformation to one of spiritual multiplication, for we have been reborn and renewed by His Spirit (Titus 3:5). We will see the final judgement against His enemies not of His chosen ones (Revelation 6:10) who are against us, who attack and mock us. In this song of thankful praise we also learn of our accountability in humility and actions, our dependency on the Lord for daily bread to sustain us, our certain hope of resurrection, and the motivation to praise and glorify His name in all things because of His Anointed One who delivered us and will deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:10). Amen and amen!
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