A Prayer of Hopeful Praise

Questions:

How can we incorporate Hannah's 'YOU and I' model into our own prayer lives?

What attributes of God were found in Hannah’s prayer?

Where does Hannah recognize God’s transcendence in these verses?

How is God’s transcendance a comfort and hope to the believer?

What does it mean that God is holy? How should we view the human nature in light of God’s holiness?

How does the believer become holy in Jesus Christ?

How should God’s holiness affect our worship and prayers?

What practical steps can we take to ensure that we remain humble and avoid arrogance, as warned by Hannah?

Why is the Lord called a Rock and what is its significance in the life of a believer?

How Hannah reflect on God humbling the arrogant and proud? Give one example.

Intro:

Peter’s thoughts about this passage: Proud dad moment

Review:

Hannah’s trial in barrenness and her prayer of brokeness before the Lord

Hannah’s faithful worship of God’s good gifts and her commitment to give her child to service of the Lord

Hannah’s responsive prayer of praise and hope of her Sovereign Lord.

I. A Personal Confession (1-2)

1 Samuel 2:1–2 “1 Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 “There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.”

Hannah begins with this prayer to the Lord as a response to His good gifts to her. It is natural for the beginning of her prayer to be what I call a personal confession of her faith in the Lord. Notice in v 1 the personal pronouns that communicate her confession.

My heart exults

My horn is exalted

My mouth speaks boldly

I rejoice in your salvation

This is personal confession because she has been the recipient of the Lord working in her heart through this trial and through his miracle of Samuel being born. In this prayer, she is giving her testimony of the Lord bringing her from the pit up to the be honored through his work in her. Praise in our prayer must be personal as we reflect on the works of the Lord touching and transforming our lives.

You and I: Consider simply that our prayers consist of these words “YOU and I”. “You” is the declarations about what God has done and is doing in this world to bring glory to his name. “You” are also the declarations of the the character of God that is the foundation of our prayers. The “I” is the personal testimony of God working in and through our lives. The “I” is our confessions of sin and the transforming power of the gospel that we find in Jesus Christ alone to save and sanctify His people. There must always be a “YOU and I” as healthy components of our prayers.

Hannah’s “I” is her testimony of her heart praise, her horn being raised up, her mouth speaks boldly, her praise in her salvation. All these terms we can understand expect perhaps “horn.” Horn refers to the strength of an animal like a bull, ox. There horns were looked to as strength and so the horn of the Lord became the symbol for the Lord’s strength.

Psalm 89:17 “17 For You are the glory of their strength, And by Your favor our horn is exalted.”

There is also a sense that the horns serve as a crown of that strength emblazoned on the head of the beast. That crown of strength is raised when the animal holds its head high. Hannah uses such language in v 1 “My horn is raised up”

Hannah is simply saying similarly that her strength is supplied by God’s strength in her circumstances. He honors her by giving her strength in her circumstances. Penninuh brought her low with her criticism and mockery but the Lord raised her horn to rejoice in Him.

Her “you” is that first seen in the repetitive phrase “in the Lord” and “in your salvation.” Her You continues with strength in v 2 with a declaration of the transcendence of the One True God. Look at her statement in v 2

1 Samuel 2:2 “2 “There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.”

Hannah turns to three praises about the character of God. These are her foundations of praise and they are of necessary importance to all God’s people who pray to the Lord. They communicate to the Lord what we believe about Him. His attributes are the foundation of our faith. Hannah has already mentioned He is the Lord of Hosts, which as I stated previously, is a declaration of his sovereignty over all. Note a few others she mentions.

His Transcendence: This term means that God is incomparable to anything else that exists in this world because he is above all that exists. We can say that all his revealed attributes are what set him apart from all existence. There is no love like his love. There is no power like his power. There is no grace outside of his grace. There might be imitations and substtitutes that man tries to create, but there is nothing like the Lord. He is above all!

Exodus 15:11 “11 “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?”

A W Tozer writes:

Forever God stands apart, in light unapproachable. He is as high above an archangel as above a caterpillar, for the gulf that separates the archangel from the caterpillar is but finite, while the gulf between God and the archangel is infinite. The caterpillar and the archangel, though far removed from each other in the scale of created things, are nevertheless one in that they are alike created. They both belong in the category of that-which-is-not-God and are separated from God by infinitude itself.

Tozer, A.W.. The Knowledge of the Holy (Function). Kindle Edition.

Now you may not sit around and think much about God’s uniqueness above all things but his transcedence is an attribute that we need in the One whom we worship. If we worship something like us, and not distinct from us, then it is not worthy of our time and worship. But when we understand that God stands apart from all else, his majesty, his glory, his being demands that His creatures honor him as the one who that nothing else can be compared to. He is not One of many gods, He is the One True God!

His Holiness:

His holiness sets him apart in distinctiveness in all of His infinite perfections. All his ways are without sin and set apart from sin and evil. His holiness can also be seen in that sense that the Lord is always pure and right. Some like to declare that his holiness is the foundational aspect of all his other attributes. But from a moral perspective, his will and his purposes are set apart with his perfect purity and goodness. Of course, Hannah was trusting in the Holy Lord who was blessing and working in his distinct perfections according to his holy will.

Again, our hope and our thanksgiving can only be found in a Holy God.

Exodus 15:11 “11 “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?”

Hannah says there is no one Holy like the Lord which demands that He is set apart. Moses adds in Ex 15 that his holiness is majestic which means that the splendor of God’s holiness is to take our breath away because of its beauty. Does God take your breath away as He has revealed himself in His word? Are you amazed and in awe of Him above all else in this world?

His Power or Strength:

Throughout the Bible, the Lord is called the Rock, which Hannahs also uses in v 2. For God to be communicated as a rock means he is the source of power and strength that is unrivaled among all. I would like to show you a connection here to this prayer of Hannah. Turn with me to 2 Samuel 22. This is David’s song/prayer of praise at the end of his life. This is not the last chapter of 2 Samuel but the prayer of Hannah and the prayer of David in 2 Sam 22 are similar in their content and serve to link both 1 and 2 Samuel as one book.

In 2 Sam 22, David’s prayer begins with

2 Samuel 22:2–3 “2 He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; 3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.”

2 Samuel 22:47 “47 “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,”

Both Hannah and David testify that God’s strength which flows from his power is unmatched. It is the source of his victory over evil and the protection for His people. It is the Lord, our Rock, whom His people find security and who find hope against evil. It is this powerful strength that leads us to rejoice in prayer.

Hannah has been moved in her spirit to rejoice in her relationship to the Lord and to reflect on his goodness in her life. In her rejoicing, she is thankful for all that He has done. He declarations of praise are because the Lord has led her from despair to praise. He already was the lifter of her head as she went to the temple. She went from fasting and melancholy to raising up, eating, and worshipping at Shiloh. Now with her time to reflect on God’s goodness as she weaned her son, she attends Shiloh again, giving over her son to commitment to serve Eli and still rejoices in the Lord.

John Gill writes,

“she rejoiced not in her husband, nor in the wealth and riches they were possessed of, nor in any creature enjoyments, but in the Lord, the giver of all; nor in her religious services and sacrifices, but in the Lord Christ, … this joy of Hannah's was not worldly, but spiritual; not outward, but inward; not hypocritical, but real and hearty-John Gill

These truths lead us as well to hope and rejoice in the Lord for all that see and experience in our lives. His strength, his holiness and his transcendence points us to a surety that strikes down fear of this world and all in it. It instead fills us with confidence of Paul’s words “ If God is for us, Who can be against us.” Romans 8:31

II. A Plea for Humility (3-5)

In v 3-5, Hannah declares an attitude of humility that is necessary in our lives as God’s people. This section serves as a warning to herself and all people on the earth who so easily can seek to find their hope and strength in man and not God.

1 Samuel 2:3–5 “3 “Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the Lord is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed. 4 “The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength. 5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes.”

Notice that v 3-4 is serves as the warning to man against all that she has just stated regarding God. In light of his power and his holiness, “Boast Not” for God knows and weighs your actions. He can see your proud heart and he will judge you if you lose sight that God’s glory must be the light of our lives. We must not allow our glory to be the focus of our lives. She gives three examples of how God acts against the arrogant.

the bows of the mighty are shattered

We all have seen the movies that depict the valiant warrior who stands broad chested in front of an army with all the confidence in the world that he will not be defeated. William Wallace in Braveheart gives this commanding speech of bravery and courage that is like pouring gasoline on the courageous spirit of evey man who watches it. This image may incit the godly man to be courageous but we must be warned that true courage can exist in the humble heart. If any person thinks that strength lies in themselves alone, they are those that Hannah is warning will be humbled by God. He breaks the bows of the mighty. He turns to dust the tanks and the nuclear warheads of great armies of this world.

Psalm 20:7 “7 Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.”

the full hire themselves for bread

Similarly, Hannah warns the arrogant person who glories in his or her provisions instead of giving God glory for all that He has given. Her warning is simply that those who are full with all that they need, will find themselves in such an opposite state that God will remove their provisions and they will be hiring themselves out for basic necessities. In the context of worry and anxiety, Jesus taught the great lesson that God graciously provides for all his creation

Matthew 5:26–30 “26 “Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent. 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 “If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.”

the woman with many children languish

Lastly, Hannah’s last statement about humility is the most personal. She envisions a woman who is not barren like she was, who was arrogant enough to take for granted God’s care and provision of children. In her arrogance and lack of gratitude, God withers the woman, as the literal Hebrew reads. Her languishing is her withering away, possibly joyless even though having so much to rejoice in. Its like the wealthy who have so much and yet they lack contentment and happiness.

III. A Priority on Kingdom Hope (6-10)

1 Samuel 2:6–10 “6 “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 “The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8 “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the world on them. 9 “He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail. 10 “Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed.””

We could say that in v 6-10, Hannah’s prayer zooms outward, beyond herself and her circumstances and looks to a hope of God’s work in bringing about his Kindgom and glory. In the final 5 verses, Hannah praises the Lord in his comparative work of grace and judgment. In these comparisons, Hannah focues on the already mentioned attibutes of the Lord that are played out in human history to carry out his purposes. These truths proclaim his sovereign works and they point our hearts to see the Lord and King over all. They drive us to a hope that can only be found in the might and power of the God of the Bible.

Death and Life (6)

Nothing lives or dies that God does not control. We can trust and hope in the Lord who manages every moment of all of life throughout all time and space. Every creature made has been given a determined time on this earth.

Psalm 139:16 “16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”

What is astounding is that in v 6 we see Hannah reference the dead going to Sheol, which is the OT picture of judgment after death, but she also mentions coming back from death or being raised up from death to life. When we read these truths, we think of Jesus our Lord who rose from death to life. He has shown us that He is Lord by such a rule over all elements of life and death.

Prosperity and poverty (7-8a)

Hannah mentions the rule of God to grant prosperity and poverity to whom he chooses. You are as wealthy and as poor as God ordained you to be. He uses these things to teach us a dependence on Him and to find our security not in earthly possessions but in heavenly ones. He also wants us to rest in His provision daily so that we are not puffed up in arrogance and pride. In addition, what honor we receive in this life comes from him. Earthly accolades are enjoyable but can easily be removed from us if they become an idol of our hearts. Our greatest honor should be knowing the Lord and belonging to him as sons and daughters of His kingdom.

In his kingdom work, we read countless stories of God taking the weak and the insignifcant and rising them up to accomplish His kingdom work through them. David will be our focus in this study as an example of how God’s glory is manifested in taking the weak and making them strong in Him.

Creation (8b)

Hannah also mentions creation as an example of our hope in Him. Looking at all that God has made we should marvel at his wisdom. In Hannah’s words in v 8, the “pillars of the earth are the Lord’s and he set the world on them.” He doesnt just own teh house, but teh concrete slab, the plot of land, the county, the state, the nation and the world. All of it belongs to Him because He made it all for His glory.

Psalm 8:1 “1 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!”

Psalm 8:3–4 “3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?”

Blessing and judgment (9-10a)

Verse 9-10a speaks of the contrasting activity of God’s work in his covenant relationships. He is not just a distant powerful God but he also manifests himself in relationship with His people. He promises His people to never leave them nor forsake them. Hannah recounts that the He keeps the feet of His godly ones which means that he establishes them and keeps them dwelling securely in his presence. Jesus tells the church in teh gospels that John 10:27–28 “27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

What greater hope can a person have than knowing that the God who saves sinners through His son Jesus Christ will preserve and keep them dwelling securely with him. This foundational truth bears great fruit in our trials and difficulities when we stiumble in sinfulness or when our enemies press heavy against us. God keeps his people firmly in His grip!

Likewise, the enemies of God cannot escape his jugdgments. They will face the full wrath and fury of his anger against sin and rebellion. The flood was a shadow of his wrath. The shaking of Mount Sinai before Israel demonstrated his holiness must not be offended by His creation. As Hannah so simply states, Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;

Hannah shows us the comprehensive nature of God’s wrath, that there will be no escape for those who reject the authority of God’s kingdom in their lives.

Acts 17:30–31 “30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.””

Fulfillment of His Kingdom (10b)

Finally, we come to Hannah’s hope in God’s kingdom as she looks forward to God king who will reign. As I stated in a previous sermon, a human king ruling over Israel was spoken of in Deut 17 by Moses to the people. There is no doubt that Hannah looks forward to a kingdom that the Lord would establish, where he places his annointed upon the throne to rule under his authority. What Hannah was unaware is the meaning this had for the eternal King of heaven and earth. Hannah points us to Jesus Christ, who fulfills the attributes that were mentioned in her prayers. He displays complete soverienty and rule because His father has given this to Him. He has been appointed judge over the earth to separate the sheep from the goats at the day of Judgment. His sheep hear his voice and follow him. The goats reject his words and they will face the wrath of God against their sin.

In Hannah’s prayer, we are reminded of that hope that is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. In that hope, we draw strength as Hannah did in our sorrow and grief. Like Hannah, we are encouraged that the Lord hears our cries because we belong to Him. We find strength to press on in this life because we belong to His heavenly kingdom and he uses the weak and He makes us strong in Him. Let us be encouraged by these truths today!