1Sa 2:1-10 | KingComments | STEP | After the prayer of Hannah as supplication in the previous chapter, we now hear a prayer of her as worship and prophecy. It is not so much about the little Samuel, but about Christ ( ). This is how the prayer must be for each of our children. It is not about their social prosperity, but whether Christ will be seen in them. As mentioned earlier, Hannah’s prayer resembles the hymn of praise of Mary ( ). Both Hannah and Mary are examples of a faithful remnant in their time. Both feel deeply the decayed condition of God’s people. Both understand that no man, but only God, can change this. Both are prophetic songs and a great encouragement at the beginning of a history characterized by dark clouds. It is like the bow of hope in the clouds of the impending judgment. The prayer can be subdivided into four parts: 1. . Hannah sings of the God of salvation as the faithful, omnipotent, omniscient God. She speaks of “our” God ( ). 2. . Hannah speaks of the salvation she experienced and the degradation of the opponent. 3. . The way in which salvation is experienced is that of death and resurrection. 4. . God leads everything according to His purpose, the battle between good and evil is ended forever. Christ rules over the recreated earth. The prayer of Hannah, in which she pours out the feelings of her heart after she has dedicated her son to the LORD, is a hymn of praise with a prophetic and Messianic character. It is a psalm as the ripe fruit of the Spirit of God. Hannah knows the destination of Israel to be a kingdom. She knows about the promises God has made to the fathers. She is filled with the desire for the fulfillment of the promises. In the spirit she sees the King Whom the LORD will give to His people and by Whom He will give His people the dominion over the earth. The great prophetic perspective of this prayer begins with personal expressions of a woman’s soul exercises. She speaks of “my heart”, “my horn”, “my mouth”. From this personal experience she goes during her hymn to the ends of the earth ( ). She prayed her first prayer in silence – only her lips were moving ( ) – to God Who also listens to what is said in secret. Now she opens her mouth wide to tell the wonderful things the LORD has done. She speaks from the abundance of her heart. Her heart rejoices not so much in the gift, Samuel, but in the LORD as the Giver. “My horn” indicates the power on which it rests as the precursor of the horn of the Anointed ( ). The first part of the verse (“hart”) and the third part (“mouth”) belong together. The mouth expresses what lives in the heart ( ). Also, the second part (“horn”) and the fourth part (“salvation”) belong together. The horn is a picture of strength. Her salvation lies in the strength of the LORD.

‏ 1 Samuel 2:1-10

Introduction

After the prayer of Hannah as supplication in the previous chapter, we now hear a prayer of her as worship and prophecy. It is not so much about the little Samuel, but about Christ (1Sam 2:10). This is how the prayer must be for each of our children. It is not about their social prosperity, but whether Christ will be seen in them.

As mentioned earlier, Hannah’s prayer resembles the hymn of praise of Mary (Lk 1:46-55). Both Hannah and Mary are examples of a faithful remnant in their time. Both feel deeply the decayed condition of God’s people. Both understand that no man, but only God, can change this. Both are prophetic songs and a great encouragement at the beginning of a history characterized by dark clouds. It is like the bow of hope in the clouds of the impending judgment.

The prayer can be subdivided into four parts:

1. 1Sam 2:1-3. Hannah sings of the God of salvation as the faithful, omnipotent, omniscient God. She speaks of “our” God (1Sam 2:2).

2. 1Sam 2:4-5. Hannah speaks of the salvation she experienced and the degradation of the opponent.

3. 1Sam 2:6-8. The way in which salvation is experienced is that of death and resurrection.

4. 1Sam 2:8b-10. God leads everything according to His purpose, the battle between good and evil is ended forever. Christ rules over the recreated earth.

The prayer of Hannah, in which she pours out the feelings of her heart after she has dedicated her son to the LORD, is a hymn of praise with a prophetic and Messianic character. It is a psalm as the ripe fruit of the Spirit of God. Hannah knows the destination of Israel to be a kingdom. She knows about the promises God has made to the fathers. She is filled with the desire for the fulfillment of the promises. In the spirit she sees the King Whom the LORD will give to His people and by Whom He will give His people the dominion over the earth.

Expressions of joy

The great prophetic perspective of this prayer begins with personal expressions of a woman’s soul exercises. She speaks of “my heart”, “my horn”, “my mouth”. From this personal experience she goes during her hymn to the ends of the earth (1Sam 2:10).

She prayed her first prayer in silence – only her lips were moving (1Sam 1:13) – to God Who also listens to what is said in secret. Now she opens her mouth wide to tell the wonderful things the LORD has done. She speaks from the abundance of her heart. Her heart rejoices not so much in the gift, Samuel, but in the LORD as the Giver. “My horn” indicates the power on which it rests as the precursor of the horn of the Anointed (1Sam 2:10).

The first part of the verse (“hart”) and the third part (“mouth”) belong together. The mouth expresses what lives in the heart (Rom 10:10). Also, the second part (“horn”) and the fourth part (“salvation”) belong together. The horn is a picture of strength. Her salvation lies in the strength of the LORD.

No One Can Be Compared With the LORD

After having expressed her own joy at what she has found in the LORD, she continues to speak only of Him. She rises above her own victories and is, as it were, completely seized by Who He is.

The first feature she sings of is His holiness. Holiness is a special feature of the God of Israel. No idol claims it.

Apart from Him there is no God. Only He is the uncreated, eternal God. Everything that is outside of Him comes from Him. He is the origin of it. Nothing outside of Him has an existence apart from Him. “For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col 1:16).

Apart from Him there is no support, no source of salvation. Every sure and steady help is only present in Him. He is the only rock.

The LORD Is Omniscient

The second feature is His omniscience (Psa 139:1-4). He sees not only the deeds, but also the thoughts and motives: “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb 4:13). He tests all words and deeds.

This is a consolation for Hannah and a warning for Peninnah to moderate her tone and pay attention to what she says. Over the head of Peninnah, Hannah speaks to the enemies of Israel and of God. She leaves the judgment to the LORD, Who will do perfect justice where there is still injustice.

The Tables Are Turned

All actions are controlled by God. The tables are turned. He is behind the development of things. Only through His advice we can begin successfully, continue, and accomplish a work. Everything He proposes and performs or allows to be performed, every action, every thought, everything is considered and weighed, perfectly harmonious and effective. Nothing is in vain or useless. Any result will confirm this.

Hannah sees in faith the result of the LORD’s actions. Through His intervention, the hero becomes powerless and the powerless is girded with power. This is also the case with those who are satisfied and those who are hungry; with those who are barren, and with those who are rich in children (Psa 113:9; Isa 54:1-6).

This complete reversal of the roles will take place through the judgments preceding the realm of peace and in the kingdom of peace that immediately follows: “For after all it is [only] just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and [to give] relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire” (2Thes 1:6-7). Examples of this we see in the book of Esther, where the LORD humiliates Haman and raises Mordecai. We also see it in this book in His humbling of Saul and His exaltation of David.

The Omnipotence of the LORD

In these verses all is about the LORD, about what He does. Hannah looks beyond the death and the grave and points to the life and the resurrection. This is special in the Old Testament (Deu 32:39a). All blessings of the LORD are based on the death and the resurrection of Christ. All who know that they are dead of themselves are given life in Him. They may know that they died and rose with Him. In the resurrection all the promises of God are fulfilled. Abraham also learned this and believed: “He considered that God is able to raise [people] even from the dead” (Heb 11:19a).

The LORD has made rich and poor, that men may be dependent on one another (Pro 22:2). This also applies spiritually. Those who are rich, that is, those who know their spiritual riches, owe it to God. Those who are poor look up to God. To accept this distinction from the hand of God makes us grateful and content (cf. Jam 1:9-10). This keeps the rich for pride and the poor for discouragement. Rich and poor need each other. The distinction in the position we take is also made by God.

In the realm of peace God will show the great end results of His actions. Those who are now small and poor will then have a place of honor. Examples of this we see in Joseph who from a slave and a prisoner becomes a ruler (Gen 41:14 ; 38-44) and in Lazarus who is a beggar on earth, but in heaven gets a place in Abraham’s bosom (Lk 16:20-22).

Hannah sings of Him as the Almighty. We see this in the way the LORD has founded the earth. The foundation or pillars upon which He has set the earth is His Word, for He upholds the universe “by the word of His power” (Heb 1:3). The earth rests on foundations which bear the earth by the power which He gives to it. If the foundations of the earth are His, the righteous has nothing to fear.

With the omnipotence which becomes manifest in the keeping of His creation, the LORD also keeps the feet of His godly ones. How could man’s power ever stand up to the omnipotence of that great God? He keeps the feet of His godly ones on the way to the inheritance He promised them, that they may not stumble or slip (Psa 116:8 ; Psa 121:3). He keeps the inheritance for His godly ones and keeps His godly ones for the inheritance (1Pet 1:4-5). But from the wicked who oppress and persecute the righteous, God will take away the light of His grace, so that they shall perish in darkness. The power of the wicked can do nothing against the omnipotence of God.

The King and Anointed of the LORD

All rebellion against the LORD will be broken. He will let His thunder be heard in heaven over all His opponents. Thunder is the announcement that the LORD is coming to judge. When it thunders, man feels in an alarming way the presence of the almighty God. Thus, the LORD clears the way by judgment to ground the realm of peace.

This realm covers the whole earth, to its ends. Then the LORD gives the government of this kingdom to “His king”. Hannah concludes her prayer with “His anointed”. This says, as it were, that the Anointed of God is God’s last word to man. “His king” and “His anointed” are none other than the Lord Jesus. About Him it is in this book (1Sam 2:35). Just as the name “LORD of hosts” is used for the first time by Hannah (1Sam 1:11), there as a barren and sad woman, so it is also the case with the name “anointed”, but now by a fertile and happy woman.