7: God Controls all Wealth and Honour

            Today, we will be looking at verses 7-8 from our passage, 1 Samuel 2:1-10. I will begin with summarizing verses 6-10 and then verse 7. Please join me in meditating on God’s Word.

III. God gives and takes away all life, wealth, honor, and power; declaring those against Him destroyed, those with Him protected, and the Messiah King exalted (verses 6-10).

B.   God sovereignly takes away and brings low and sovereignly gives wealth and exalts (verse 7).

7  “Yahweh makes poor and He makes rich; He brings low and He lifts up.”

  In verse seven, God makes people rich just as He is the one who makes people poor. God’s control of all wealth is absolute. He is not as the weak god of Marxism (to which some professing believers hold) who cannot further his designs to distribute earthly wealth evenly. The distribution of wealth is already as God wills for it to be, in all times and places. God is sovereign over all wealth, choosing some to be rich and measuring wealth out to them, and choosing some to be poor and measuring little wealth out to them. This, of course, does not mean that people should not seek to gain wealth for themselves, since that is not what this verse is claiming (earning wealth through diligence and hard work is often a blessing for that hard work). Rather, God ultimately controls the flow of all wealth, regardless of how it is sought by men. He makes poor and He makes rich in accordance with His good pleasure and providence.

A good illustration of God “bringing low” is God allowing Satan to test Job. Through God’s permission, all of his children died and he lost virtually all of his wealth in a day (Job 1-2). His body was even afflicted. Likewise, because of his pride, God caused Nebuchadnezzar to become as an animal for a time, during which he forfeited all that he had as king of Babylon (Daniel 4:28-37). Just as God had taken away from these two men, so He restored to them even greater riches than they had before. Both of them glorified God for His sovereignty over all. In these examples, “bringing low” and “lifting up” referred to taking away and giving not only monetary and material wealth, but one’s sanity (in Nebuchadnezzar), family, personal health, friends, office, honor, and everything else that can be related to a man except for his life (God’s taking and giving of life was addressed in verse 6). Hence, God is not only sovereign over monetary or material riches, but also over everything that can be given or taken away from a man. No part of the human life, then, is outside of God’s control. He is sovereign over every aspect of life, and His providence is absolute.

In all of this, God, having total control of wealth, puts it to use towards His ends. Poverty can be a good schoolmaster to bring people to good service for Him, eliminating the temptation to rely on riches instead of on God. The apostle Paul even called the love of riches the root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10), and Jesus said that it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt. 19:23-24). For this reason, God preventing some from becoming rich can also be viewed as a divine providence. In fact, many of God’s best spokesmen (especially His prophets) had very little on the side of possessions, while the wicked can often be portrayed as owning many things in which they trust. In those cases, by God keeping them from wealth, they have been led to rely solely on God, while the giving of wealth to the wicked has solidified the wicked in their wickedness. Verse seven, then, is more dynamic than simply claiming that the righteous become rich and the wicked become poor. Rather, God’s sovereignty towards those ends is what is being highlighted. Likewise, since God is sovereign, He is also in control of the riches in the next life. While many of the righteous have needed relative poverty as a schoolmaster, God promises them great riches in the next life (Matthew 5:12). However, the wicked have nothing to look forward to but their own judgement and destruction, not being able to take anything with them to the grave (Ps. 49:17). Obeying God is the only way to obtain lasting riches (Matt. 6:19-20).

C.   Since God has all power over the whole earth, He also can and does raise and honor the poor and needy according to His good pleasure (verse 8).

8  “He raises the poor from the dust; He raises up the needy from the ash heap to seat them with princes and makes them inherit a throne of honor; for to Yahweh are the pillars of the earth, and He puts on such the habitable world.”

Verse eight seems to give further explanation of verse seven, regarding the poor. God makes people rich in the sense of raising the poorest of the poor to sit with princes and in honor. Clearly, a fuller sense of “riches” is meant in this verse than to what is just monetary or material, showing that the poor and needy are being lifted up in a full sense of the term. Truly, one cannot get poorer than to live in the dust (Isaiah 47:1), and one cannot get lower or needier than to be in an ash heap. All that such poor owned was dust, and their residence in the ash heap shows their destitution and mourning of their lowly estate (ashes was a symbol of mourning and, depending on the context, repentance). This verse has the poor go from the lowest position that a person could hold to perhaps the highest, except from being king himself. A king can hardly honor a person more than to give him the status and possessions suitable to one of the king’s own sons. This contrast of God raising and lowering is of the highest degrees, meaning that there is no low that is too low to bring a person down and there is no high that is too high except for God’s position as Absolute King. His sovereignty covers all possible positions for men.

It is clear from the general lack of earthly position or honor that God’s servants generally hold in this life that this verse likely has prophetic significance. Just as verse seven detailed the fact that God is sovereign over all riches, taking them to His desired ends, and that such has application in the next life, so does this verse apply honor to His servants who suffer in the present time. Very few of God’s servants, although held in low esteem while they were living, had “thrones of glory” with princes in the most literal sense of this verse. In fact, if one was low, it would usually take a very dramatic event for such a person to receive the honor of a prince. Such occurrences were quite rare. This fact helps to solidify the idea that a future time was in view when all of those who were low in worldly honor would inherit the glory of sons of the King. In fact, that is the exact promise from Christ for all those who would have salvation in Him (Luke 20:35-37). In that passage, those who are the “sons of God” are “sons of the resurrection” (ESV). That is when all of God’s lowly will “inherit a throne of honor.”

When we get to the “pillars of the earth,” we can see that they are being used idiomatically.[1] The idiom comes from how houses were built upon pillars (Judges 16:26), pointing towards the fact that God is sovereign over all creation and over maintaining it as it is (He bears up the earth in the sense that He sustains the universe by His power). God’s house, so to speak, is all of creation, and he maintains His house (He places His house on its pillars). He alone possesses the power to do with the earth as He pleases. Another dimension of God’s sovereignty is thus described by Hannah’s song. Not only does God have sovereignty over every aspect of life and death (and even beyond death), but He also sustains and controls the whole created world (which, by extension, includes the whole universe). God can thus be said to control and maintain the narrow conditions uniquely required for life on earth. He ensures that the moon is carefully placed and maintained in its orbit to providentially change the tides and bring life to crops. He even ensures that the physics of the universe remain constant, cohering to certain laws fashioned and put in place by Him. In all of this, the universe itself is God’s servant, molded and shaped by His hands for His good pleasure.

Another usage of “pillars” is to refer to the kings and rulers of the earth (Jer. 1:18; Rev. 3:12), because they maintain order in the world as God ordained them (Prov. 8:15-16).[2] Romans 13:1-7 is explicit on this point, even saying of governing institutions, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Rom. 13:1 ESV). Submitting to the governing institutions of the earth, then, is submitting to God (as far as they do not require trespass against God’s law). Both of the above uses work, since God is sovereign over all creation, and, by extension, sovereign over rulers, kings, and all governing institutions, through which He carries out His own designs. The work of all ruling authorities, then, is a part of His sustaining grace. He allocates power to them to help bring order to the world. Absolute sovereignty over all of creation is what is in view, and this can be used for the humbling and exalting of men.

Next time we will be looking at verse 9.

[1] “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges,” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/1_samuel/2.htm.

[2] “Matthew Poole’s Commentary,” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/poole/1_samuel/2.htm.

6: God Controls all Life and Death

Today, we will be looking at verse 6 from our passage, 1 Samuel 2:1-10. I will begin with summarizing verses 6-10 and then verse 6. Please join me in meditating on God’s Word.

III. God gives and takes away all life, wealth, honor, and power; declaring those against Him destroyed, those with Him protected, and the Messiah King exalted (verses 6-10).

A.  God directly kills and brings to Sheol (the grave), and He directly gives life and takes people up (verse 6).

6  “Yahweh kills and He gives life; He takes down to Sheol and takes up.”

  I will begin explaining this verse with some important points about God’s sovereignty that are made very clear in the Hebrew text. In verse six, it is important to note that God’s actions (verbs) are in the Hiphil (“kills,” “takes down,” “takes up”) or Piel (“gives life”). What does this mean? The Hiphil form of the Hebrew verb shows that God is directly and causally related to killing, bringing people to the grave, and raising them up. God’s action is also emphasized in the Piel, where He, actively and directly, “gives life.” In the Piel, it is clear that His giving of life is not only done by Him (as if it is done vicariously or in some other way from Him), it is explicitly done by Him in accordance with His desire to do so. (This sharp, directly-causative, language is contrasted with the passive language in the latter half of verse three to the end of verse five, where God’s sovereignty is happening to His objects). Thus, Hannah—through divine revelation—is simply stating factually that Yahweh, her God, is the one who directly wills and causes the deaths and life of all His creatures; He Himself brings people to Sheol (the grave) and raises them up to life (resurrection). He does not do so as if He needs to rely on vicarious means or as if He has to take other factors into consideration that are outside of His control. Rather, God is entirely unhindered by any external factors. He determines the natures and times of all death and life. Rather than stopping there, verse 6 teaches that He also determines where people go after their deaths, and the manner in which He brings people up from the grave (we know from further revelation that some are resurrected unto second death, and others to eternal life). God, then, is sovereign not only over what happens to all human life on earth, but also over all human life after death, even second death. There is no escape from God, even in death, making Him the God of every state of affairs, whether before, during, or after death.

The application of this principle is evident all over the Bible. God, for example, declares the immanent death of David’s son from Bathsheba because of David’s adultery and killing of her husband (2 Sam. 12:14). Isaiah also prophesied to king Hezekiah saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover’” (2 Kings 20:1 ESV). God was pronouncing His sovereignty over life and death, and, in the situation with Hezekiah, Hezekiah entreated Him and had his life extended fifteen years (2 Kings 20:6). God even stipulated the means through which He was going to recover in verse seven. Hezekiah, like David, knew that God is the author of all life, and death. Both examples show God’s sovereignty over life and death. Likewise, in 1 Samuel 12:19, the men of Israel were also fearing for their lives because they rejected God as their king. They all knew that God had the power to take their lives or to spare them. God then commanded them through Samuel to follow the Lord with their whole heart in the following verse and spared them (see 1 Sam. 12:19-25).

The way in which God’s sovereignty also extends to what happens after death should be explained to help the reader have a fuller breadth of this verse. As in the five verses preceding this sixth verse, there is a direct correlation between (1) the obedience and heeding of God’s Word and (2) the result. God is only a Rock to those who obey Him. Many people tend to think of death as an escape from God’s judgement (the enemies of God are often spoken of in Scripture as seeking to escape Him through their deaths). Yet, death is only the beginning. As verse six says, those who die He brings down to Sheol. Yet, their being in Sheol does not mean that God cannot bring them back to life again. (In fact, the NT expressly teaches a physical resurrection of His elect in 1 Corinthians 15). In the cases of the elect, God “takes them up” from the grave (Sheol) and “gives” to them “life” once more. Hannah’s prophecy, then, appears to foreshadow the resurrection of the dead. In fact, it must foreshadow the resurrection, or one would be able to claim that God does not actually have sovereignty over those who have died. They would not see Him as able to bring people back to life unless He did so. Part of His sovereignty over life and death, then, is for God to be able to bring those who have died and went to Sheol back to the fulness of bodily life. People are not left forever in a bodiless state, but will be given a body either fit for an eternity in hell or an eternity in heaven. The NT speaks of those who have died in their evil being prepared for a second death. While this is not expressly revealed in Hannah’s prophecy, it is nonetheless important to mention, especially as God’s dealings of those in Sheol are strongly implicated. He has full control of all aspects of one’s life and death, even beyond the grave.

It may initially seem shocking to many people to know that God chooses the very moment that every living thing will die, this can also be a source of great comfort for the saints. The God of all life and good carefully selected the means and times of our deaths, so that we can meet Him quickened for holiness; that we may shine before Him forever with God’s own glory. We may not understand everything related to our deaths, but we can know that they have been orchestrated for our good and for His glory. Furthermore, since our deaths can never come as a surprise to God, we can therefore wait on His perfect timing, not needing to be anxious about when we will leave our mortal bodies. Yes, God does not need for you to be living even one second after you pass, but carries out the fulness of His will even in your absence. I know that one of my greatest fears has been that, if I pass, then no one would be there to care for my wife and children as I have. Yet, this is an arrogant attitude that diminishes God’s goodness and loving sovereignty. Rather than seeing myself as needing to be the one who is in control, I can rest in the fact that God will take care of everything to His good pleasure. Ultimately, for us as saints, God’s own good pleasure is to be the only thing that matters to us. Even if I were able to live beyond my appointed time, it is not in my power to do anything that is rightfully up to God’s own divine will. He will do what is good, far beyond anything that I can ever will or desire. Life and death are well and good in His hands.

I will end with Hebrews 9:27-28, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” So, let us wait with patience, and not fret.

Next time we will be looking at verses 7-8.

5: God is the God of all Providence

            Today, we will be continuing our series on Hannah’s Song, this time looking at verse 5. The first point summarizes verses 3-5, and afterwards, summarizes verse 5. May we worship God by contemplating and applying His 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).

C.  God is sovereign over the distribution and sustainability of food and over all life (verse 5).

5  “They that were full have hired themselves out for bread; and they that were hungry ceased, while the barren have borne seven, and she that had many sons became feeble.”

In verse five, there are a couple of extreme contrasts. The first is about those who had much food and little worries about need, but who had to hire themselves out to others because they could not sustain themselves, even with their own land and possessions. (Having a steady supply of food was a life and death struggle in the Ancient Near East, which is very different from the present situation in the West today). That is then contrasted with the hungry gaining what was necessary for them to sustain themselves. The hungry gained everything that was needed to ward off their hunger in a sustainable way. Their gain was such that they could no longer be categorized as “they that [are] hungry” (their sustenance became ongoing). The two groups being contrasted switched situations so that those that were full are now those that are hungry, and those that were hungry are now those that are full. Both, then, had their situations reversed, depicting the new stations in life that were provided for them.

God’s involvement in relation to our food is very evident. Through Hannah’s Song, God is communicating to Israel that He alone is sovereign over who gets bread and who does not. People can seek to erect as many storehouses as they want and fill them to the brim; yet, ultimately, it is God who permits them to have food or to not have food. Having an ample supply of food, then, gives no true assurance that their possessors will not simply go hungry the next day. God may bring natural disaster to destroy them (Joel 1:16-18), He may take the owner’s life and give it to others (Luke 12:16-21), or, if they obey God, he may bless the production of their food and preserve it (Deut. 28:8). Matthew 6:33 also says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The message in Matthew 6 is that we do not need to worry about what tomorrow will bring, since worry cannot bring us any good thing (rather, worry is not trusting in God’s sovereignty). Rather, we need to work diligently with our hands, seek the Lord in all that we do, and He will supply for our needs in His own perfect way. Once again, the power belongs to God, and assurance is for those who trust in Him. The opposite of this message is to assume that a person should not seek to make or produce food. Rather, God commands people to work for their food and to be productive with their hands, since diligent work is the usual mode for this blessing (Deut. 24:19). It is those who trust and obey God who can have ultimate assurance.

The second contrast was between the barren woman and the woman with many children. Like the first contrast in this verse, the end result of both depicts something that is essentially permanent. The barren woman, who should have never been able to give birth, now had seven sons, while the woman who had many sons lost them all. God thus holds all sovereignty over who has children and who does not. God’s direct intervention is evident. As an act of judgement, God can diminish or withhold children from individuals or even entire populations, if He so desires. He can also bless those who seek to be faithful to Him by giving them abundant children who then praise and image Him for the next generation. Raising children for God is a good and blessed thing, and is one of the main purposes of marriage, as Malachi 2:15 says, “what was the one God seeking [from those with faithful oneness in marriage]? Godly offspring.” Yet, God can also use barrenness in the faithful to further other aims that He may have, which ultimately bring Him glory. We cannot know how different things may have been if someone who was barren could have children, but this we do know: “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” So, even in the case of a God-honouring believer being truly barren, God has a good purpose for that, meaning that He will ultimately use their barrenness for the good of that individual and His Church. God chose for everything to play out in human history for our good and for His own glory.

Having seven sons born to a person (1 Sam. 2:5) also carries with it a sense of divine favor. For example, in reference to how Ruth was to Naomi, Ruth was regarded as being “better than seven sons” (Ruth 4:15). That is saying a lot, given that having seven sons was already a major blessing. In Ruth’s situation, as with the barren woman who bore seven, God is the one who bestowed the blessing. God is the only One who could have led Ruth to marry Boaz as she did, and only God can cause a barren woman to bear seven children. Seven is a number of blessing or completeness, depicting the fulness of divine favour. Hannah herself was a barren woman who prayed to God and gave birth to Samuel (Sam. 1:11). It is possible that she too, being barren, was anticipating more children at this point (she had five more children after Samuel was born in 2:21). The contrast there may also be an allusion to Peninnah, her husband’s other wife, who had many children. Peninnah often taunted her for having no children (1:6); but, in the end, it was Hannah alone who could boast in the Lord.

The same is true of us as believers in our present situations. While we may look at the wicked today and see many of them living with abundance (like Peninnah, with her many children), we can know that, without God, they will certainly lose every good thing. If they do not repent and turn to the Lord, then they will certainly plunge into the darkest recesses of existence, bringing no good thing with them past the grave. Yet, this is not the case for us, since all things have been given to us through Christ, and one day we will forever enjoy them. We will never experience need or lack, and even the faithful barren will be regarded as the mothers (or fathers, in the case of impotence) of many faithful believers in the Lord. So, we will have everything that we need to serve the Lord faithfully to the end; and, even when we experience earthly need in this life, we can know that what we do have is sufficient for His good purpose. We have humble estates now, but soon, we will be exulted with Christ: turning our hunger into fulness, bareness into abundant offspring, and forever satisfying our every need perfectly and forever. So, we can both trust in God’s good providence now, and look forward to our perfect satisfaction in Christ. We will never be in true lack or despair. God is in control.

Next time we will be looking at verse 6.

4: God is All-Knowing and All-Powerful

            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.

3: God is Our Vindication

            Having explored the basic form of Hebrew Poetry and the context of our passage, we can now look at its parts and dive into the richness of Hannah’s song. In this series, I will use Roman Numerals to show the overall meaning of a cluster of verses, and then summarize each verse below. Each verse will then be looked at in more detail, in order to bring out the significance of its teaching for us as believers.

I.  Hannah is praising the one true God for His salvation and for empowering her to praise Him with a response against her enemies (verses 1-2).

A.  God has empowered Hannah with a response of praise to God against her enemies (verse 1).

1  “And Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart has exalted in Yahweh; my horn has been exalted in Yahweh. My mouth has been enlarged upon my enemies, for I have rejoiced in Your salvation.’”

  In some ways, it may seem more accurate to say that Hannah sang a song of praise to God than that she “prayed.” This is because a Christian understanding of prayer is largely petition and thanksgiving. However, hymns of praise were often called prayers at the time. Likewise, some may misunderstand the reference to the “horn” (a symbol taken from cattle)[1] as being proud, while the actual reference is that Hannah has been made mighty in Yahweh. (The popular depiction of the devil as having horns is also an allusion to him possessing power and having an exalted or kingly status, but the intention is to mock him in a caricature).

It is important to know that, in verse 1, Hannah is not rejoicing in the fact that God gave her a son but in God Himself. God is at the center of her praise. Her heart was rightly after God, and God blessed her, so that her mouth has been “enlarged” by God upon her enemies. That means that she has been given a divine response to the reproach given to her by her enemies. She has been emboldened by God, as He changed her life situation, removing the reason for their scorn (her barrenness). Yet, Hannah is not being prideful or arrogant in her speech regarding her enemies, as if she was gloating against them. Rather, she has been uniquely empowered and emboldened by God, who has “enlarged her mouth” in the sense of enabling her to have a response to them. Because of this, such a response it not gloating or boasting, but is a response to her enemies through a focus on the praise and actions of her God. In effect, it is God’s response to her enemies.

God has given her salvation in the sense that she has been delivered from the reproaches of her enemies. Yet, as the passage progresses, it seems clear that she has been saved spiritually as well and not merely temporally. The expression of her prophecy not only demonstrates an immediate understanding of how God acted in her situation, but expresses a more cosmic understanding of God that is rooted in the fundamentals of His nature as the one true God. Without the knowledge of her spiritual state before having a son, one can only speculate as to whether or not she knew God in a saving way before God worked in her life by giving her a son. However, the passage does evidence that she indeed does know the one true God and what He can do, not only in her situation, but cosmically (the whole universe) as well.

In one respect, the story of Hannah is the story of humanity. Humanity was hopeless before God intervened on our behalf. There could be no godly offspring, but only evil. In the same way, God answered Israel’s pleas for His help by promising the birth of our Saviour and Messiah, Jesus Christ. God is the one who justifies and gives us a response to our enemies, taking away our reproach through Jesus’ work on the cross. Because of Christ, we can now seek after God with our whole hearts, just as Hannah did in her song, showing that all glory and praise belongs to God. We are saved unto His praise and glory.

B.  God is described as uniquely God, uniquely holy, and the unique rock of salvation (verse 2).

2  “There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is no one except You, and there is no rock like our God.”

There is a threefold repetition of the word “אֵין” (“there is no [one]”) in verse two, placing a strong emphasis on the uniqueness of God. God is taught as being one-of-a-kind in three categories: His holiness, His divinity, and His status as the only fortress or rock (salvation can only come from Him).

God is also referred to in three different ways in this verse. First, He is called by His divine name, Yahweh, which is the personal name that God used uniquely in the context of His dealings with Israel—with His own people.[2] The context of its use is to refer to God’s relationship with Israel, highlighting the holiness that the Israelites are particularly called to in their covenant relationship with Yahweh. God’s holiness, then, is also something that the Israelites uniquely understand about Yahweh, the God of Israel, who gave them written revelation about the particulars of His holiness. Second, God is referred to by the personal designation of “You” (בִּלְתֶּ֑ךָ) within the context of His uniqueness. He is thus the personal God who is like no other. This seems to show that the personal and holy Yahweh, the God of Israel, is not simply a god among other national gods, but that He is unique in His nature, power, and dominion, to which no other so-called national god can compare. He cares for His people, and cares that they are holy themselves. Lastly, the word “Elohim” (אֱלֹֹֹהִים) is used for God, depicting a more cosmic application to all.[3] God is not only Yahweh in the sense that He just deals with Israel, but the cosmic “Elohim,” based on the common/generic Semitic term for God used by nations outside of Israel, who deals with all nations and things on a cosmic level. In Elohim’s dealings with the nations outside Israel, He is as a “Rock” or fortress of protection for all who trust in Him.

The word “rock” also seems to be an allusion back to the song of Moses (Deut. 32:4).[4] In that verse, God as the Rock is describing His work as perfectly good and just, ensuring that such conduct is carried out in all of His workings (including His dealings with Israel). This helps to fill out the meaning and use of the term in verse two. This may also be the reason why the LXX (Greek Old Testament) renders “rock” in the Masoretic Text (Hebrew Old Testament) as calling God the most “Just One.”[5]

However, the reference to “rock” likely also has a deeper meaning, given the history of Israel. For example, in Israel’s wilderness wandering, God was symbolized to them in a rock that, when struck by Moses, would give them water to drink. The rock, in this sense, was life-giving. In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul even identifies the rock as Christ, foreshadowing His work on the cross. In this regard, for God to be a Rock like no other, this can also reveal God’s status as the only Saviour: One who never changes or is moved by another; a Rock that acts as a sure foundation, even in the greatest of tribulation and storm.[6] This designation can only be fitting of the one true God. In Him is perfect assurance and comfort.

So, God’s uniqueness carries with it the gospel itself: (1) that God is the only One for making His people holy and desires holiness; (2) that God is uniquely personal, caring for humanity; (3) that God is the One over all nations, upholding all of creation; and (4) that God is uniquely good and just, providing a way for salvation by His own power.

            Next time, we will be looking at verses 3-4.

[1] F. Brown, S. Driver, and C. Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (1906; repr., Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2017), 901.

 [2] Umberto Cassuto, The Documentary Hypothesis and the Composition of the Pentateuch (Jerusalem, Israel: Shalem Press, 1961), lo. 429-39, Kindle.

 [3] Cassuto, 429-439.

 [4] “Barnes’ Notes,” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/1_samuel/2.htm.

 [5] “Apostolic Bible Polyglot,” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/interlinear/apostolic/1_samuel/2.htm.

 [6] Brown et al., 849.

2: A Summary of Hannah's Song

            In this part of the series, we will look at the context surrounding our passage, so that we can better see how we should understand it.

In the greater context behind 1 Samuel 2:1-10, is that God was bringing a new way of governance to Israel through Samuel. Samuel was the last of the judges, who were people that God raised up to lead certain tribes against Israel’s enemies. Times were changing and empires started forming. Samuel was born through a miracle (Hannah was barren), showing that God was behind Samuel and was going to use Him to bring about something new in Israel (such as with Jesus’ virgin birth). Initially, according to the rebellion of the people against God as king (1 Sam. 10:19), Samuel anointed Saul as king (chosen from their rebellion). Saul eventually rebelled against God, and David, chosen by God and alluded to as a type of messiah-king in verse ten, took his place. It is from David’s line that Hannah’s prophecy is to be fulfilled in Christ. Christ Himself was to take the kingship back to God, ushering in perfect obedience; obedience that was sorely lacking through much of the times of the judges.

In the immediate context, a man named Elkanah had two wives: Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah had many children, but Hannah was barren. As in past accounts of men having multiple wives (such as with Abraham and Jacob’s wives), there was bitter rivalry between them. Elkanah favoured Hannah, and gave her double-portions of meat for the temple sacrifice. So, despite having many children, Peninnah was very jealous of Hannah, and often harassed her for having no children. Her humiliation was so terrible that she appeared as drunk to Eli, the high priest at that time, while she prayed. She poured out her heart to the Lord, pleading with God to give her a son, whom she promised to give over to the service of the Lord in His temple. In a way, this whole account typifies the coming of Christ (Samuel is a “type” of Christ, pointing to Christ’s work and person). For instance, Peninnah represents natural offspring and the evil that accompanies that, while the birth of Hannah’s child signifies a divinely miraculous birth that brings hope to Israel—hope that they can be brought back to a right relationship with God.

With the greater and more immediate context, we can now look at the meaning of our passage. The following is an outline of 1 Samuel 2:1-10, which helps to both summarize the whole passage and then each verse. This will help us for when we explore each verse individually, laying out a course for the rest of this series.

 Summary

God is sovereign over all things as to bring about His purposes in every dimension of human life, preserving His own and smashing the wicked, even unto the exaltation of the Messiah King.

Outline

I.   Hannah is praising the one true God for His salvation and for empowering her to praise Him with a response against her enemies (verses 1-2).

A.  God has empowered Hannah with a response of praise to God against her enemies (verse 1).

B.  God is described as uniquely God, uniquely holy, and the unique rock of salvation (verse 2).

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).

B.  God is able to both crush all human strength and strengthen the weak for action (verse 4).

C.  God is sovereign over the distribution and sustainability of food and over all life (verse 5).

III. God gives and takes away all life, wealth, honor, and power; declaring those against Him destroyed, those with Him protected, and the Messiah King exalted (verses 6-10).

A.  God directly kills and brings to Sheol, and He directly gives life and takes people up (verse 6).

B.  God sovereignly takes away and brings low and sovereignly gives wealth and exalts (verse 7).

C.  Since God has all power over the whole earth, He also can and does raise and honor the poor and needy according to His good pleasure (verse 8).

D.  To God alone is true power, even power to judge evil and preserve His saints (verse 9).

E.   God judges the earth (smashing His enemies) and exalts His Messiah King (verse 10).

  Next time we will be looking at verses 1-2. This series is about the wonderous character and sovereignty of God. I believe that you will be encouraged and awed as we continue exploring this passage.

1: Understanding Hebrew Poetry

            Before I really studied Hannah’s song (1 Sam. 2:1-10), I did not hear very much about it. Even its connection to the Messiah and to other similar songs were largely unknown to me. Yet, there is so much richness in them that can greatly encourage fellow saints (if you are a believer, then I am referring to you by that term). 1 Samuel 2:1-10 is rich in its poetry, form, and in its use of the context of the great themes of Scripture. It helps to bridge the New Testament (NT) and the Old Testament (OT) together. It also helps to characterize God in all of His workings, giving the reader a sense of assurance that the prophecy will come to pass. Given all of this, it is quite sad that this passage is often left out or even its significance unknown to the typical layperson and preacher. There is so much that this passage has to offer to strengthen the faith of believers. Because of this, any good exposition of this passage is valuable.

            In order to more fully appreciate this richness and edification, I believe that it is important to begin this series by briefly going over some key points on Hebrew poetry. Knowing this can help to frame your appreciation and understanding of Hebrew poetry. This is one of those things that initially seems to be a bit technical, but where seeing and understanding them brings profound insight. In a way, it helps us to peer into the mind of God. I will give examples from our passage after each of the following three points.

1. According to scholar Ralph Klein, parallelism in Hebrew poetry gave their poems form and increased the reader’s comprehension (if one did not understand the first part of the parallel, the second said basically the same thing in a different way).[1] Parallels also gave good aesthetic appeal and perhaps aided in memorization.

• Verse 1: Hannah parallels the exaltation of her heart in Yahweh with that of her horn (“horn” represents power) in Yahweh. Her “horn” is also paralleled with her “mouth [as] large upon [her] enemies” and being “high in Yahweh” with “rejoicing in [God’s] salvation.”

• Verse 2: There is a three-way parallel between God as uniquely holy (set apart), the only God, and the unique rock (salvation/protection on the level of the only God).

• Verse 3: There is a parallel between not multiplying haughty words with not allowing arrogance to come out of one’s mouth.

• Verse 6: Hannah parallels God’s killing with taking down to Sheol, and giving life with taking up.

• Verse 7: She parallels God taking away with bringing low, and giving wealth with exaltation (7).

• Verse 8: “Raising the poor from the dust” is paralleled with “raising up the needy from the ash heap,” and to “seat with princes” with “making them inherit a throne of honor.”

2.  Likewise, in the contrasts, one side can help one to understand the other because its opposite would be fairly clear.

• Verse 4: The bows of the mighty as broken are contrasted with those stumbling being strengthened for action.

• Verse 5: Those with food having it taken away (rendering them hungry) is contrasted with those without food (the hungry) being given sustainable food. Another contrast here is between the barren being able to give birth to seven, while those with many have them killed/removed.

• Verse 9: God as protector of the saints is contrasted with God as silencer of the wicked.

• Verse 10: God’s smashing of all the wicked who contend with Him is contrasted with His empowering of the One who is for Him: The Messiah King.

3.  Chiasms were designed to draw attention to certain aspects of Hebrew poetry, so that the reader can understand where the emphasis is being placed, and so that readers can appreciate the beauty and order of God’s revelation. Chiasms also highlight profound parallelism and contrasts, usually building upon them. In a chiasm, section “A” is paralleled or contrasted with its counterpart “A” below, and the same for “B,” “C,” and so on. In our passage, the chiasm shows a progressive fulfillment. Below is the whole passage written out in the form of the chiasm (I will explain more of it afterwards). (Please note that you don’t need to understand everything about chiasms to appreciate them, and you can feel free to just read my translation if you prefer).

1  And Hannah prayed and said,

 (A) (1b-2) My heart has exalted in Yahweh; my horn has been exalted in Yahweh. My mouth has been enlarged upon my enemies, for I have rejoiced in Your salvation. 2 There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is no one except You, and there is no rock like our God.

(B) (3-4) Do not increase 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. 4 The bows of the mighty are broken, and they that stumble put on strength.

(C) (5) They that were full have hired themselves out for bread; and they that were hungry ceased, while the barren have borne seven, and she that had many sons became feeble.

(D) (6) Yahweh kills and He gives life; He takes down to Sheol and takes up.

(D) (7) Yahweh makes poor and He makes rich; He brings low and He lifts up.

(C) (8) He raises the poor from the dust; He raises up the needy from the ash heap to seat them sit with princes and makes them inherit a throne of honor; for to Yahweh are the pillars of the earth, and He puts on such the habitable world.

(B) (9-10a) He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked are silenced in darkness, for man does not become strong by power. 10 They that contends with Yahweh will be smashed to pieces; He will thunder in the heavens against them;

(A) (10b) Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth, and He will give power to His King and exalt the horn of His Messiah.

Here is a brief look at some parallels highlighted in our passage: in A, (1) from exalting barren Hannah to conceive in verses 1-2 (pointing to Christ’s virgin birth), unto exalting the Messiah in verse 10; in B, (2) from arrogant evil speech leading to being broken by God (verses 3-4) to their being silenced and smashed to pieces (verse 9-10); (3) from those who stumbling putting on strength (verse 4) to God keeping/guarding the feet of His saints (verse 9); in C, (4) from those having much becoming feeble and vice versa (verse 5) to the feeble (poor) ultimately being raised up (verse 8). Many more parallels can be found in this passage’s chiasm that encourage and enlighten. The chiasm then culminates in D (verses 6-7), which highlights God’s sovereignty over all aspects of life. In chiasms, its core shows readers what the rest of the passage is about, so all the surrounding verses in the chiasm are about God’s particular sovereignty, even unto the Messiah and the culmination of all things.   

We can see from the above that repetition is a clear part of Hebrew writing. By extension, parallelism (and contrasts) between various poetic passages can itself communicate to the reader that there is a similar context between them, with the latter often adding even more fulfillment or meaning to the original. That is an example of progressive revelation. According to scholar Umberto Cassuto, reiterations of a prophecy where teachings were repeated was a common Jewish practice that was intended to “inform us that a matter is established by God” and that He will surely “bring it to pass.”[2] Such repetitions of prophecies are intentional in Hebrew poetry.

Now that we have gone over the necessary, more technical, side of the poem, we can focus on understanding its context, and the proper meaning of its parts. I hope that this series will edify and enlighten you as it has me.

[1] Ralph W. Klein, “Song of Hannah,” Concordia Theological Monthly 41, no. 10 (November 1970): 676.

[2] Umberto Cassuto, The Documentary Hypothesis and the Composition of the Pentateuch (Jerusalem, Israel: Shalem Press, 1961), lo. 1313-1316, Kindle.