Today, we will be looking at two verses in the second part of 1 Samuel 2:1-10. It will begin with a summary of verses 3-5, and then verses 3 and 4. Please join me in this act of worship, as we contemplate God’s Word.
II. Hannah speaks of God as sovereign judge over all spoken words, controller of all power, distributor of all food, one who blesses with children, and as taker of life (verses 3-5).
A. Israel is exhorted to watch what they say, since God knows all things, making Him the perfect judge of everything spoken (verse 3).
3 “Do not increase in or speak arrogant words; let no arrogance go out from your mouth because Yahweh is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.”
In verse three, there is a progression from addressing the wicked—who increasing speak arrogant words against God—to those who may be tempted to speak in such a way, but who do not out of fear of God. This shows that there are consequences for those who increasingly speak arrogantly, multiplying their arrogant words, just as there are consequences for those who start speaking arrogantly. Regardless of whether one speaks a lot of arrogant words against God or few, it will get noticed by God. It says later in the verse that God knows all things, whether one spoke arrogantly a little or a lot. He will judge their actions on the basis of their words and deeds, which shows the condition of their heart (inner-man).
We should also know that the term for “actions” (עֲלִלֽוֹת) often refers to particularly “wanton” or “evil deeds,” which would match the arrogance spoken of earlier in the verse.[1] At the same time, since the emphasis in the latter part of this verse is on God’s exhaustive knowledge, the word for “actions” seems to be used in a more universal way that includes, if not mostly alludes to, arrogant or evil actions. So, God not only knows all of our words, but all of our deeds as well.
Since God is the “God of knowledge,” that also shows us something about what He desires of the character and beliefs of His followers. For example, in Isaiah 27:11, God condemns Israel for their lack of knowledge, saying, “For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor,”[2] and in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from serving as My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your sons.”[3] Clearly, there is a direct correlation between God as a “God of knowledge” and the expectations of His followers to exhibit the knowledge that He has given to them. Because God has given them the knowledge required for obedience, His followers thus have no excuse, and must either obey it or suffer the consequences. The words of the arrogant, then, are done so while having full access to God’s requirement and laws. Ignoring or neglecting them leads to the result of God “weighing” those actions, leading to their utter ruin. God no longer looks after them or their sons for good, but forsakes them. They are judged in accordance with the content of the knowledge that He has given them, whether they choose to acquaint themselves with it or not. A lack of knowledge is, therefore, destructive.
As Christians, we have such consequences cast onto the cross of Christ. He takes them onto Himself. Yet, this does not remove our responsibility to be a people knowledgeable of what God desires and requires of us. He has given us the Bible, which is sufficient for all matters of faith and practice. The Bible has everything that we need for life and godliness. However, the Bible is something that must be learned. It takes diligence to acquire the knowledge of the Bible and apply it—a process that is aided by the Holy Spirit as we diligently study God’s Word. So, through our daily reading of God’s Word, we can become more like the “God of knowledge,” and live lives that increasingly please Him as a result.
B. God is able to both crush all human strength and strengthen the weak for action (verse 4).
4 “The bows of the mighty are broken, and they that stumble put on strength.”
In verse four, “bows,” which are symbols of the might of men,[4] are broken. In fact, God shows His sovereignty with the destruction of the power of the mighty and the strengthening of the weak. In this, God is shown to be over all human strength, whether that means tearing down any or all human powers, or strengthening the weakest of men: He does whatever He desires. The might of men simply is not a factor that God needs to take into account because of the great strength of His own power.
Also, for people to “put on strength” alludes to the Jewish idiom, to “gird up your loins,” which is found all over the Old Testament (for example, 2 Kings 4:29). In the expression’s usage, for one to “gird up their loins” meant for them to prepare for some sort of action. For example, God said to Job when He came to answer him, “Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me” (Job 38:3).[5] For that context, it was not for war, but to defend oneself nonetheless. Hence, the use of the idiom is not to simply strengthen oneself for its own sake, but preparation for some kind of immediate action. Thus, those who “put on strength” (i.e., God’s strength) are given the power to overcome whatever obstacles they face, and they are to enact that power from God readily.
When it comes to God’s followers—even one person against thousands—they can be assured that God already has every victory. It is impossible that God can lose any battle. Every battle that God carries out ends in victory. This principle can also be clearly seen in the battles that Israel faced. Whenever the Israelites obeyed God and listened to His council, they would always have overwhelming success, such as in the examples of Gideon, the Exodus, and many of the battles in the lives of Moses and Joshua. God would strengthen them so that they would have victory. However, as soon as they would start neglecting God’s ways and ignoring His council, Israel would find themselves weakened by God, so that their defeats (or heavy losses) were certain. Victory, then, for Israel, was not on the basis of how much power they had (or lacked), but upon God, and God would ensure their victories as long as Israel was in a right relationship with Him and His decrees.
This is similar for believers today, with the difference being that ultimate victory has been accomplished for us through Christ. Yet, while we know that the war will ultimately be won through Christ, there are many battles that Christians face every day. Those can be won or lost, depending on our trust and faithfulness to God. He responds to us by either partially withdrawing God’s quickening grace (vivifying or holiness-inducing grace) when we persist in sin, or quickening us to holiness as we seek Him with our whole heart. Our sin grieves His Spirit, while our fighting against evil pleases Him. So, in a way, we are still facing battles like Israel did, but with a special giving of God’s grace through Christ. God is the One with all the power. As far as we rely on Him—pursuing Him with all our heart—we are assured victory over every battle. However, we have not been perfected yet, meaning that we do (and will) sin. So, we must strive with the grace that God supplies, so that we may run the race with endurance, and fight the battles against evil. Through Christ, we can overcome the wickedness of our sinful flesh.
Next time, we will be looking at verses 5-6.
[1] F. Brown, S. Driver, and C. Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (1906; repr., Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2017), 760.
[2] New International Version.
[3] Holman Christian Standard Bible.
[4] Brown et al., 906.
[5] King James Version.