The Song Of Hannah
I Samuel 2:1-10 – “And Hannah prayed (the Chaldee reads, ‘And Hannah prayed in the Spirit of Prophecy’), and said, My heart rejoices in the LORD, my horn (a part of a woman’s headdress, at least in that culture, at that time) is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies; because I rejoice in Your Salvation (that Salvation is Christ, which Hannah will acknowledge in Verse 10).
“There is none holy as the LORD (the reason for her holy joy is first God’s absolute Holiness): for there is none beside You (the second reason is His absolute existence, in which she finds the proof of His Holiness): neither is there any rock like our God (in referring to the Lord as a ‘Rock,’ she assigns to Him strength, calm, immovable, enduring, but a strength which avails for the safety of His People).
“Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. (God judges all things in the light of His Omniscience, which signifies every type of knowledge, past, present, and future. Knowing this, man had best be careful as to what he says.) “The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they who stumbled are girded with strength (the working of this attribute of Deity tells us that human events are not the result of chance, but of God’s direction).
“They who were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they who were hungry ceased: so that the barren has born seven; and she who has many children is waxed feeble (this Verse typifies the Gentile Church, which is now abundant, by contrast with Israel, who is now barren, even though Hannah would not have understood this [Gal. 4:27]). “The LORD kills, and makes alive: He brings down to the grave, and brings up (oftentimes, the Lord brings a man to the very brink of the grave, and then, when all hope seems past, raises him up again).
“The LORD makes poor, and makes rich: he brings low, and lifts up (therefore, ‘promotion comes from the Lord’ [Ps. 75:6-7]).
“He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to 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. (This speaks of Salvation, when man is raised out of dust to the Glory of God. The ‘pillars’ refer to everything hanging upon God and God Alone. This is a fact of Divine Government, which is distasteful to man.)
“He will keep the feet of His Saints (the Lord does such by the Believer placing his Faith and trust exclusively in Christ and the Cross, which then gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work in one’s life, Who Alone can bring about the needed change and strength [Rom. 6:3-14; 8:1-2, 11]), and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail (‘the flesh,’ one’s own personal strength [Rom. 8:1, 8]).
“The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces (whoever it be who contends with Him); out of Heaven shall He thunder upon them (the Lord is the Supreme Judge): the LORD shall judge the ends of the Earth (the whole Earth up to its remotest quarters); and He shall give strength unto His king (is a distinct prophecy of David’s kingdom), and exalt the horn of His Anointed. (Looks onward to the Messiah, David’s greater Son. This is the first time that the term ‘His Anointed’ is used, as it refers to the Messiah. It is even more special in that Hannah used it. From this point on, others take up the theme of God’s Anointed One — the Messiah [Ps. 2:2; 45:7; Isa. 61:1; Dan. 9:25-26]. And so the song of Hannah ends here, but actually continues on in the hearts and lives of untold millions.)”
This particular song by Hannah, the mother of Samuel, shows us the true nature of the song of prayer. The song is not only poetic but, above all, it is prophetic, and must be placed alongside the songs of Moses, Miriam, Deborah, David, Elisabeth, Mary, and all other Psalmists and Prophets whose utterances inspired by the Holy Spirit were recorded in God’s Word.
George Williams, the Irish theologian of the ’50’s said of this song, “The song of Hannah should be read together with the song of Mary (Lk. 1:46). The theme of both is one and the same,
the Lord Jesus Christ, His Glory as King and Priest: and God’s action in government in raising up the meek and casting down the proud.”
He went on to say, “The song of this chapter is constructed in sections, which alternates; thus contrasting Jehovah and His enemies as follows:
Verse 2: Jehovah, His Holiness
Verse 3: The enemy, his arrogance
Verse 3: Jehovah, His Knowledge
Verse 4: The enemy, his ignorance
Verses 6-9: Jehovah, His Power
Verse 10: The enemy, his weakness
Verse 10: Jehovah, His Glory.”
Williams concluded by saying, “In fact this contrast runs not only through the song of Hannah and Mary, but as well through the entirety of the Bible.”
Now let us look at these Verses in detail.
HOLINESS
Verse 2 says, “There is none holy as the LORD.”
This tells us that all of man’s personal holiness is rejected by God. No man through their own works and efforts can attain Holiness. With this in mind, how can one be Holy?
The only Holiness that the Lord acknowledges in the heart of a person is that which is freely given to him upon one’s Repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. In other words, it is imputed or freely given upon Faith in Christ. Holiness only comes to us through what Jesus did on the Cross.
Sad to say, the church of today is by and large trying to be Holy by methods or works.
What exactly is Holiness? “Holiness is the Moral Perfection of God.” That’s why it’s impossible for man to perfect himself and make one holy by their good works. As stated, Holiness is a free gift, imputed to us by simple Faith in Christ and what he did on Calvary’s Cross.
PRIDE
The Third Verse says, “Talk no more so exceeding proudly.” This tells us that God resists pride and arrogance. It’s not just a coincidence that in Verse 2, the Lord, through Hannah’s Prophecy, mentions Holiness, which can only come through the Cross, and in Verse 3, mentions “pride.” Pride is the reason for man’s unbelief! MAN IS PROUD AND RELIGIOUS MAN IS MORE PRIDEFUL THAN ALL.
Every human being in this world is morally and spiritually bankrupt. No good deeds or good intentions can save them, only Jesus Christ can make man Holy and extinguish pride.
Verse 3 then states, “The Lord is a God of knowledge.” This unequivocally tells us that God and only God knows what’s in our hearts, and He Alone is the only Judge that matters.
THE FLESH
Verse 4 says, “The bows of mighty men are broken,” this states that which is mighty in the eyes of men, is nothing in the Eyes of God. No man’s intellect, power, or ingenuity count with God.
Then it states, “And they who stumbled are girded with strength.” This tells us that all redeemed men who depend 100% on Christ and what He did at Calvary are “girded with strength.”
“THE BARREN HAS BORN SEVEN”
This statement is found in Verse 5. It refers to Hannah who was ultimately given seven children. Therefore, the barren did bring forth children.
This statement is speaking of Hannah personally, yet it also has a great Spiritual meaning for all Believers.
“Seven” is God’s Number of perfection, totality, completeness, and universality.
The Spiritual and Scriptural meaning for us is that no matter how “barren” the situation of your life may be, the Lord can turn your life and situation around, and “the barren can bring forth seven.”
“AND TO MAKE THEM INHERIT THE THRONE OF GLORY”
Verses 6 through 8 refer to the total Authority and Control of the Lord in every situation. We must not depend upon flesh or borrow from the world to bring about the Will of God. The Lord is dependent on no one, and as God’s Children, neither should we. The Lord takes the lowest of us, puts in His Salvation, thus causing us to inherit the Throne of Glory.
Verses 6 through 8 are capped by the words “for the pillars of the Earth are the LORD’s, and He has set the world upon them.” This tells us that everything hangs upon God and God Alone.
“HE WILL KEEP THE FEET OF HIS SAINTS”
Verse 9 tells us that the Lord is the only One Who can “keep the feet of His Saints.” As the old hymn states:
“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
Then the Verse states,“For by strength shall no man prevail,” refers to human strength. The Prophet Zechariah would state, “Not by might (human might), nor by power (human power), but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.”
KING
In Verse 10 when Hannah used the word “king,” this was the second Prophecy of God’s King, the Messiah. Balaam was the first Prophet to call Him King (Num. 24:7).
Then she said, “And exalt the horn of His Anointed.” This is the first reference to the Messiah where the term “His Anointed” is used. Hannah was the first to use this term, making it even more special, because she was a woman and, as well, it actually makes her a Prophetess.
Concerning this prayer, the Chaldee (Biblical Aramaic) reads, “And Hannah prayed in the Spirit of Prophecy.”
What a woman of Faith and perseverance, and we all need to follow Hannah’s Faith and humility.
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