Hannah’s Song 1 Samuel 2 verses 1 to 10

Introduction

Do you believe in God?

 

That may seem a strange question to ask- we are gathered in public worship after all.

But the question is worth asking because all of us who say ‘I believe in God’ can very easily forget the profound difference such belief must make to our understanding of everything. And the person who truly believes in the God of the Bible will not only understand things differently but will live differently- their values will be different, as will their source of satisfaction, and their source of security. It is important we remember this as we come to our passage today.

In 1 Samuel 2 verses 1 to 10 we hear the wonderful prayer of Hannah- someone who clearly believed in the God of the Bible. God’s gift of Samuel, in answer to her earlier prayer, caused Hannah to break out in praise. But Hannah’s words speak beyond Hannah’s personal deliverance to deeper truths with implications for the whole world and all of history!

As we study our passage today, we will see it is a hymn of praise to the…

…Truly Unique…

…Transforming…

…Triumphant God.

There is no one else like God. He is the God who brings astonishing reversals. He is the God who establishes His King who will turn the world upside down. And so, we are pointed to Jesus, the True King, and we are called to rejoice in Him as we faithfully follow Him all our days.

Let’s see that first we encounter… The Truly Unique God

From the start we sense that Hanah’s relationship with God is definitely not superficial. She really knew the God of the Bible in a way that deeply impacted her life.

In verse 1 we read of Hannah’s joy and delight in God:

Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

The last time Hannah ‘prayed’ things were rather different. Then she had been ‘deeply distressed’ and ‘wept bitterly’ because of her childlessness and the taunts of Peninnah.

Now Hannah rejoices in the difference God had made. In her extravagant praise Hannah shows us what a difference it makes when we turn to God in our times of need. Hannah catalogues her transformation in terms of her heart, her horn, and her mouth.

Last time we saw how Hannah’s heart was sad and her spirit was troubled as she poured out her ‘soul’ before the Lord. Now Hannah’s distressed soul had been transformed; her ‘heart’ was now filled with joy.

In Biblical thought the heart is the centre of the person. Thoughts and affections, as well as deep emotions, come from the heart. In Hannah’s case the Lord was now the focus of her heart’s confident joy.

Hannah speaks of her heart and then her ‘horn’. Those who lived in Hannah’s agricultural world knew that a beast holds its head and horns high as a symbol of victory and power. And so, Hannah speaks of the removal of her disgrace: now she can hold her head high because of what the Lord has done for her.

Thirdly, Hannah’s ‘mouth boasts’ over her enemies. The words, in the original language, picture devouring an enemy, along with a gloating over defeated enemies. From what we know of Hannah, it is unlikely that she has suddenly turned bitter and hateful towards Peninnah. Rather, thinking theologically, Hannah sees Peninnah as an example of the enemies of God silenced in their mockery because God has acted.

The reason for Hannah’s rejoicing is given in the last line of verse 1 when she speaks of her delight in God’s ‘deliverance’. More accurately, Hannah rejoices in God’s salvation.

At this point we may be tempted to wonder if Hannah is overstating her case here.

We understand that she had been a childless wife. Now she had a son. She had been the object of cruel mockery. Now her rival could laugh at her no more. She had been bitterly distressed. Now she was filled with joy. And we understand that all this was God’s doing. But could all of this really be called God’s ‘salvation’?

Hannah’s language makes her sound rather more like a victorious army than a new mother! But understanding why Hannah would speak this way about the birth of a child is key to understanding Hannah’s praise.

Last time we saw that when Hannah had prayed for a child, she drew on the language of Israel’s rescue from Egypt- she had cried out to the God who had ‘seen’ the ‘affliction’ of His People in Egypt. The words of her prayer helped us to see that her suffering was, in a sense, a picture of Israel’s suffering.

The same is true of this prayer. Hannah’s praise sounds like the words of a victorious army because Hannah sees God’s goodness to her as a picture of God’s goodness to Israel. The birth of Samuel stands at the beginning of 1 Samuel because there is a connection, yet to be played out, between Hannah’s ‘salvation’ through Samuel and the bigger story of God’s salvation of His People Israel.

As we move on from verse 1 it is vital we understand that the source of Hannah’s joy is the covenant God Himself. She states: I rejoice in your salvation. Hannah rejoices not merely that she received a son. More significant in her eyes than the gift is the Giver: the Lord is her song and her salvation.

We must consider: do we love the gifts more than the giver? Do we appreciate God simply for who He is, or more for what He gives to us?

Just as Hannah earlier was a model of heartfelt prayer, so now she models godly praise, glorifying God first for who He is and then marvelling at the salvation God has given.

As we come to verse 2, we see that at the core of Hannah’s faith was an appreciation of His utter uniqueness. Hannah makes this point in three lines, the second of which sums up the general truth, ‘…there is no one besides you…’. The first and the third lines make the slightly more particular points that the Lord is unique in His holy perfection, and in the sure protection found in Him.

This God cannot be set alongside other options that might be the focus of our devotion or dependence. Nowhere will you find goodness as perfect as the holiness of the Lord; nowhere will you find safety as sure as our God provides. Hannah knew the utter foolishness of allowing anything to rival the incomparable God! There is no one besides Him, no one like Him!

Hannah’s heart was absorbed with the Lord’s majesty. Hannah’s faith was anchored in the glorious perfections of His character and attributes. The God of the Bible was the source of Hannah’s hope and joy.

Do you believe in God like Hannah believed in God?

Hannah rejoiced in the uniqueness of her God. She also rejoiced in… The Transforming God

In verses 3 to 8 we see the truly unique God brings glorious, astonishing reversal. He is a God who intervenes for His People. He is the transforming God.

Firstly, in verse 3, we see how God of the Bible is ‘…a God who knows…’. The God of the Bible is the God of knowledge. God sees all and knows all. God has a response, calculated by infinite wisdom, for every situation.

God acts and permits actions in accordance with His perfect knowledge. God is always at work to achieve His sovereign will for His own glory and the highest good of His People.

This truth should give us pause for thought. We should be humbled to know all human actions are weighed by the God of knowledge. We should be comforted to know God is always working according to His holy purposes.

This was clearly Hannah’s response to this truth. In verses 4 to 8 Hannah praises God for what He has done in two groups of statements. In the first section, verses 4 to 5, Hannah reflects on what God has done for her, seeing a general pattern in God’s salvation. Then, in verses 6 to 8, she praises God for His actions toward the godly and the ungodly, respectively.

In verse 4 Hannah declares ‘…the bows of the warriors are broken…’. In other words, the God of the Bible demolishes all human understandings of power. He takes up the cause of the downcast and gives salvation to the weak. With Him power does not depend on human strength.

When we believe in the God of the Bible human power and human weakness look completely different. And this true perception of the world gives us confidence to face the world in the strength our God graciously gives.

The key to Hannah’s faithful perception of the world comes at the end of verse 5 and her recent experience:

She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

Just as Hannah’s misery at her barrenness was not unchangeable, so God can reverse every human circumstance completely.

In verses 6 to 8, Hannah expands her thought to God’s uniqueness as it relates to issues of life and death. God wonderfully lifts His People from death and destruction when they humble themselves in faith. This was the God Hannah needed in her barren desperation.

When Hannah was downcast, God lifted her head; when she was barren, He brought life to her womb; when she was disgraced, He gave her an honoured place. The Lord will do likewise, in ways and at times of His sovereign choosing, for all who humble themselves and look to Him to be their God and Savior.

What is described in these verses is not the world as we ordinarily experience it. Instead, in Hannah’s praise, we have a view of the world, the possibilities that present themselves, when you know that ‘…there is none holy like the Lord…’.

Perhaps it is worth pausing here and considering: do you see life as Hannah did?

It is a searching question which causes us to think: Do you see wealth as a means of security? Do you fear being poor and needy? Do you mind being unimportant? Will you allow God to direct your path, or do you want to dictate to Him how life should be? Does death terrify you?

There is a natural, understandable, human answer to each of these questions. And there is an answer that comes from actually believing in the God of the Bible. As we listen to Hannah’s praise we must ask, how does our belief in God shape the way we think about the world?

As Hannah reflected, her belief in God led her to a grand conclusion; in verses 8 and 9:

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
⁹ He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;

Here is why believing in God must so radically transform our attitude to everything.

The God of the Bible is the Creator who established the world and sustains all existence. This world does exist in some kind of independence from God. It all belongs to God and is utterly dependent on Him in every way.

God is sovereign over all things, having created all that is and ruling over all with divine power. Those who walk before Him in faithfulness find that God will guard their feet and make their paths straight.

Have you learned that God is the One who ultimately matters, and by whose grace alone in Christ alone you can hope to be saved?

Have you realised that no matter how successful you may appear to be in the eyes of this world, unless you are right wth God all will ultimately be lost in the end?

Have you learned that all who humble themselves and come to the Lord in faith receive from Him the saving care they need and the grace that is sufficient for now and evermore?

If you are not sure how to answer any of these questions, then turn to Christ. In Christ we find all we need for this life and the life to come.

At the Cross we see the truly unique God bring decisive transformation and display His ultimate triumph.

The Triumphant God

We might describe verses 3 to 8, as a Biblical worldview. This is what the world looks like when your heart rejoices in the Lord and you delight in His salvation. But the Biblical worldview is not static, and Hannah worked out the marvellous logic of her prayer in three final points.

Firstly, in verse 9, the winners in the end will not be the strong, the powerful, the wealthy, the famous, the popular, the successful. Those who trust in the Lord will ultimately flourish. The Book of Samuel is an account of how that happened in an important part of the whole Bible’s story.

The second concluding point is a warning. In verse 10 we learn that it is not wise to set yourself against the Lord. Again, we will see this throughout Samuel.

These two truths must give us courage in these days. It may seem like the godless are succeeding all around. But the reality is that those who trust in the God will ultimately, eternally prevail.

In verse 10 we hear the climax of Hannah’s praise, which now clearly becomes a prophecy:

The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Hannah’s prayer now sees beyond even the people of Israel to the whole world.

Hannah foresaw that God intended to meet Israel’s need by providing a ‘king’. God would provide a king to rule on God’s behalf in true faith. In the coming weeks we will see how Hannah’s prophecy was fulfilled: King David would be strengthened by God as he humbly led God’s People in faith.

But the story of God’s King doesn’t stop in Samuel. God’s intention was to provide not just a godly king, but to ‘…exalt the horn of his anointed…’- to raise up a Messiah. For even David, in all his might and faithfulness, was simply a picture of the True King, the Messiah Jesus, who would come to deliver His People and establish His eternal reign of peace.

Before we leave Hannah’s prayer, we must take note of one more remarkable fact. Many years later another woman, Mary, prayed a prayer that sounded astonishingly like Hannah’s prayer. This is her prayer:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…

…⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name…

…⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.

Hannah’s song, then, is an anticipation of Mary’s song.

Hannah believed that the birth of her son signalled a new day of hope for God’s People. Mary understood that her Son would bring hope to all the world. While Samuel would be a great prophet, Jesus would be exalted in power by God through His death and resurrection. In Christ we see the ultimate, glorious fulfilment of this wonderful hymn of praise.

 

Conclusion

Hannah hymn of praise calls us all to rejoice in the God of the Bible and to put Him at the centre of our life and walk. Our confidence and our conduct in this fallen world must be grounded in the truth of who God is and how He works.

Hannah’s hymn of praise also calls us all to rejoice in God’s unexpected reversals and how He delights to show favour to the weak. The supreme example of this is the Gospel itself- where God delights to receive those who trust in His Son by faith, rather than those who come to Him in the strength of their own performance.

So, let us give all glory to our truly unique God who brings wonderful transformation through His power and grace, and let us rejoice in the triumph and wonder of the Gospel. In other words, may the God of the Bible and His glorious Gospel shape us continually and completely.