Hannah’s Prayer (Part 1 of 2)

It's easy for us to understand joy Hannah experienced in the Bible when God answered her prayer for a son. But how could she rejoice when she had to leave that small child at the temple as she had bowed today on Truth for Life. Alistair Begg explains how rejoicing is possible even when our circumstances may be heartbreaking. Our Scripture reading comes in first Samuel and in chapter 2, and will read the first 11 versus four Samuel chapter 2 verses 1 to 11. Here we have Hannah's prayer our Hannah's song and Hannah prayed and said, my heart exults in the Lord my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation that is not holy like the Lord, for there is none besides you, there is no rock like our God talk no more.

So very proudly. Let's not arrogance come from your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him. Actions are way the browser blows of the mighty are broken but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread but those who are hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The Lord kills and brings to life. He brings down to shale and raises a the Lord makes poor and makes rich he brings low and he had so he raises up the poor from the dust. He lifts the needy from the ashy to make them sit with princes and in Herod the seat of honor for the pillars of the earth are the Lords and on. Then he has set the world he will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness for not by might, shall a man prevail.

The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces against them. He will thunder in heaven.

The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed, then Alcan went home to grandma and the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest. Thanks be to God for his word and as we come to the Bible, we come to God to seek his help prayer from the book of common worship Almighty God, who ordered the apostles with singular gifts of the Holy Spirit so that they proclaimed your word with power granted me as I prepare to minister and teach in your holy name the same spirit of wisdom and love and power that the truth you gave me to declare may search the conscience convince the mind and win the heart of those who here the glory of the kingdom be advanced through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. While we have already in chapter 1 considered Hannah's predicament in that she was childless and then the Lord's provision in the gift that he gave her of her son, Samuel, and now as we come into chapter 2 we turn to listen.

Is it where to Hannah's prayer or two praise is a sense in which we can refer to this as Hannah's song. Now we know that Hannah did not have access to one of our favorite verses in the New Testament and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who been called according to his purpose. She didn't have access to that verse, but it is clear from her prayer that she was absolutely convinced of God's overruling Providence in all things.

She knew that God was working to the end that he had planned and she I think would've been perfectly content to a repeat the verses that are in that little ploy that we have referred to in time past the one that pictures God is a weaver weaving the various strands into the purposes that he has for his in our lives, and particularly the notion that not all of the pattern is immediately obvious to us. Certainly, from the backside and many of the threads that are employed are not vibrant primary colors and the verse goes as follows. Not till the Loomis silent and the shuttle ceased to fly.

Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reasons why the dark threads it is needful in the Weaver's skillful hand as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern he has plan Hannah through the rearview mirror is aware is going to see that the rivalry and provocation of the Nina, which was such a painful thing was actually in the providence of God used in her life to draw from her heartfelt prayers and in chapter 1, the prayers that were marked by fixation have now been replaced in chapter 2, by this prayer, which is marked by exultation or elation and the reason being that God has provided as looked upon his servant has remembered her affliction, and as she prays in this way becomes very clear that her prayer breaks the bounds of our own particular circumstances, and indeed this prayer embraces not only God's purpose for Israel.

Ultimately God's purpose for the entire world and I keep mentioning that in these early studies because if we lose sight of that, we will very quickly lose our way around the book now to try and help us move through these verses broken it RR. I observed three parts that I think are there for us to consider. First of all, in verses one and two considering what God has done in terms of the Hannah's personal circumstances and then in verses three through eight what God is doing. Generally, in his work throughout history and then in verses nine and 10 what God will do. Ultimately, when all of his plans come to their fruition. So first of all, then what God has done from the personal perspective of Hannah and she is writing out of the fullness of her heart. You will notice that there are three my is in verse one.

My my my. First of all my heart. She says exults in the Lord. This doesn't mean that she's had an emotional search heart when it's used in the Bible speaks to the very epicenter of our existence.

So when the Bible thinks in terms of heart.

It includes also. Our minds and our wills and our affections. So when she says my heart exults or regulates in the Lord to send a very centrality of who and what I am is caught up in him is quite a dramatic fact, isn't it is quite a stretch for her emotionally to be leaving behind this boy, for whom she is long, thereby making it obvious to us that her rejoicing is not circumstantial any mother worth her salt having to do what she does would find it a painful experience to take the child that you've given birth to that you weaned that you've loved and now that you've promised to give up.

And yet she says my heart exults in the Lord's ability Philippians for resident rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.

Would be strange if we were to try and teach that she was rejoicing that she was now going to not have to look after Samuel anymore that I would be ridiculous know my heart and then you will notice my horn. What is this mean well horn in the in the Bible is a picture of strength you will find it again and again in the Psalms. In particular, in the picture is of you imagine every so often you see these amazing pictures of of deer in the in the hills of Scotland with her amazing antlers and their expressions of power and of might, or if you watch the National Geographic Channel. You see a rhinoceros every so often and you look at it and you sound glad that it is nowhere near me, especially with that big horn that it has. As such, a picture of its magnificence and power. Well of course you realize that it is only a few verses since he was a blubbering mess is only a few verses and she was crying all the time is only a few verses and she was deeply distressed and vexed in spirit. So what is happened to her. Well you see she's discovered what we just say that her strength is in the Lord. Our hope is in the Lord and that is then given expression by her lips. My heart exults my strength is exalted in the Lord.

My mouth then speaks out of its fullness. No notice that she's referring there to enemies in the plural, and that ought to help us and save us from simply saying that this is a kind of vindictive response on the part of Hannah who now is able to stick it to Benigno was beans. I checked bad rival to her for so long. I'm sure there's a sideways glance.

There she would be less than human will that not the case. But what is it that she's referencing here because you will notice that the controller will help us to understand the answer to that question is in the closing phrase of the verse because I rejoice in your salvation in your salvation, the triumph to which you refer ours is the triumph of the living God over the enemies of the living God over those who oppose his covenant people. Now when you think about this for a moment when I pretended to say, this seems to be a bit of an over over-the-top reaction doesn't. After all, she's had a baby. A lot of people have had babies. A lot of people of pause to pray after the baby was born with. It is amazing we know you're grateful Hannah but goodness gracious this is. This is quite a prayer warrior what you want about will remember how her request had been made back in chapter 1, when she had sought the Lord for help. In verse 11, she used phraseology which was related to the people of God, not just to her own personal circumstances.

Verse 11 when she bowed her vow to the Lord. She said all Lord of hosts. In other words, she says you are the God of heaven's armies or God of heaven's armies if you will look on the affliction of your servant in the language that she uses. There is the language of the people of God in the preceding period of time. They have called out to God in their affliction, so she appeals in a request for God to do what he's done before. Look upon me. She says in a way that you've looked upon your people in the past and now she's actually echoing the language of Israel. On the occasions of great deliverance when the people were delivered by the power of God than the exalted in their deliverance and again I say to you, she and we ought to be beginning to understand that there is a connection between what God has done for Hannah individually and what he is doing for his people corporately.

You will notice in verse two that her song declares the incompatibility of God that is non-holy like the Lord, he is in his power and in his perfection and in his wisdom, and in his might. He is a Rocky is our refuge here is is a strong tower there is none like you, we sometimes saying no one else do the things that you do not what she has.

Here is a declaration comes as a question in Isaiah the prophet, when in chapter 40 declaring the might and power of God. He takes this notion and imposes it in the interrogative verse 18 of Isaiah 14 you will be familiar with, and the prophet says or God through the prophet speaks to then will you liken God or what likeness will you compare with it an idol craftsman Cassidy Goldsmith overlaid with gold cast supported silver's chains is to the one is to impoverish to have an idol like that gets a wooden one. But he seeks out a skillful craftsman says the prophet, in order that he might set up an idol that that will that won't move in order to grab some get a solid base and even after negative and not of balsa wood. Let's put it that way and and you want to make it such that I went when you open your windows and the wind blows and blow off the table to be very embarrassing or excuse me, I got up at my idol and and and put it put it back in place.

What good is an idol that day. That would be in this way will you compare God, don't you know he says, haven't you heard, don't you know from the beginning who God is, that he sits above the framework of the universe.

The inhabitants of the world are like grasshoppers. He brings princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

He regards the nations is a drop in the bucket as the fine dust in the balance. This is the God in whom Hannah exults. There is non-holy like the Lord, there is none beside you. There is no now Hannah would have been very happy in this declaration to have employed the help of Miriam and her tambourine ensemble. If you don't know about Miriam and her tambourine ensemble and you can read about it at your leisure. In Genesis chapter 15, which includes the song of Moses for deliverance and towards the end of that, I should say exit his 15 because otherwise they would still be on their way. Exodus chapter 15 and and towards the the end of the chapter it reads and then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing is quite wonderful picture Eric Moses, it sung the song Aaron is there.

Miriam says I'm going to get my tambourine and do a little dance and she says the summer friends. Would you like to do a little dance as well. Let's get our tambourines and dance house starchy.

So much of our stuff is missing about strength and might and power in the name of the Lord and hardly open our mouths, their strengths during the night in London goodness, Chris. I don't know what would happen to those of Miriam stood up and started banging her tambourine that I'm requesting it, deal with it as it comes. Certainly would be quite a wonderful expression with which Hannah could join you see where we are not dealing here with a higher power will not dealing with a philosophical construct were not dealing with the concept once dealing with something that you look in and finding yourself know dealing with the living God. And so Hannah says from a personal perspective, I exulting God, my heart, my strength, my voice, I derided the enemies of God because they are the enemies of God. Secondly, she then goes on essentially to give us.

If you like of view of the world which is distinctly biblical. Not only is God holy and powerful, but she wants us to know in verse three, which is a kind of bridge verse that the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are way you remember how Belshazzar discovered this back in our studies in Daniel.

Some of us will recall in chapter 5 about Chavez or was having this amazing feast with a thousand of his folks, drinking wine, using the.

The materials that had been stolen from the temple of the Lord.

When the and snatch the people up and taken them into exile in Babylon and how I see I went about his business in the middle of all of their carousing from the presence of the God of knowledge and was sent and I hand appears on the wall and writes in Daniel tells us that Belshazzar was reduced to a shaking mass someone says well. The best hope you have is in Daniel who comes. Of course, and speaks to and tells Bill Shatzer.

Let me tell you exactly what this is.

God has written this and God has written it in order that you might know about Shatzer that you can carry on like this that you think you're a big shot you think that you and your friends can continue just to go on your way and reject the idea of the living God, and I want you to know that it can't happen and I'm just turning to it so that I can quote exactly what it is he says to him, he says here's the deal you will Belshazzar have not humbled your heart. He says you know that God rules over all of heaven under that God rules the kingdoms of mankind, and he says people in position as he chooses. And yet you've not humbled your heart you praise the gods of silver and gold of bronze, iron, mood stone, which don't see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath and whose are all your ways you have not honored. That is the word of declaration and what is the word that is said to him you have been weighed in the balance and you have been found wanting this to see is at the very core of what the Bible teaches that God will in a final day judge and separate people from one another and that is why, in his mercy he sounds out his work. That is why in his love, he speaks out into our condition.

That is why he starts is in our tracks. That is why he arrests us in our foolishness on account of his love, not wanting us to perish, but one day nice to know the life that he has planned for us. The hand from his presence was sent as you read the end of the chapter and that very night Bell Shatzer die done in the midst of sometimes confusing circumstances, we may need to just step back far enough from those circumstances to remember who God is, then we can rejoice in his purposes, and we can rest in his providence relisting the Truth for Life with Alastair Bragg if you're enjoying this brand-new study in the book of first Samuel, you might be interested in owning all of Alistair's messages from first Samuel 54 messages on the convenient USB for just five dollars when you listen you will follow the faithful life of Samuel. He was a boy of improbable birth. As he grew he became a leader at the dawn of Israel's monarchy series is titled give us a king. You'll find the USB on the mobile app or online@truthforlife.org/store and let me take a minute and tell you about a resource were recommending for your children or your grandchildren or children you may know, it's a book called little pilgrims big journey.

This book is a simplified version of John Bunyan's classic, the Pilgrim's progress. It's a book that's been published and translated more than nearly any other book in the world except for the Bible in this book. Your children will encounter many of the familiar places and characters from the Bunyan classic even a map included so the whole family can follow little pilgrims journey from the city of destruction to the celestial city. This is a book children will treasure for years. It's a cloth hardcover book with gold foil print gives it an heirloom feel and there are captivating illustrations to help younger children bring waiting interviews young kids to both the trials and blessings of the Christian life requester copy of little pilgrims big journey give a donation either through our mobile app or by visiting our website Truth for Life.org/donate about looking thanks for joining us today sure to listen tomorrow will find out how upside down can actually be right side up Bible teaching of Alastair Bragg is furnished by Truth for Life with the Learning is for Living