1 Samuel 2:8-10: Hannah’s Confidence In The Lord
“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth 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 hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
- 1 Samuel 2:8-10 (KJV)
Hannah was confident in God’s ability to humble the strong and exalt the weak because God is in control. If God were not in control, then perhaps the strong could do what they wanted and God couldn’t stop them. Hannah knew that the foundation of the earth itself, “the pillars of the earth,” belonged to the Lord.
“For by strength shall no man prevail.The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces.” God uses His power to set things right. It isn’t enough for us to believe God has this power. We must know He will use it for His glory and righteousness.
“He shall give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed.” At this time Israel did not have a king and didn’t seem to want one. So when Hannah spoke of “His king” she looked ahead to the Messiah, who will finally set all wrongs right. He is “His anointed.”
Biblical scholars point out that this is the first place in the Bible where Jesus is referred to as the Messiah. Hales claims, “She first applied to him the remarkable epithet Messiah in Hebrew, Christ in Greek, and Anointed in English, which was adopted by David, Nathan, Ethan, Isaiah, Daniel, and the succeeding prophets of the Old Testament; and by the apostles and inspired writers of the New.”
Zecharias, the father of John the Baptist, quoted Hannah in The Book of Luke:
- Luke 1:69 (KJV)
“The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
- 1 Samuel 2:10 (KJV)
Mary the mother of Jesus quoted Hannah’s song in The Book of Luke:
“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded* the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name. And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath holpen His servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to His seed forever.
- Luke 1:46-55 (KJV)
God bless!
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