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1 Samuel 1, beginning at verse 
19. We left off on verse 18 last 
week, or we considered chapter 1, verses 1 to 18. We stopped before Samuel was 
born. So we're going to cover briefly 
the birth of Samuel, but then more in detail the prayer of 
Hannah recorded in chapter 2 verses 1 to 10. So beginning in chapter 
1 at verse 19, then they rose early in the morning and worshiped 
before the Lord and returned and came to their house at Ramah. 
And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 
So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived 
and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, because 
I have asked for him from the Lord. Now the man Elkanah and 
all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice 
and his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for 
she said to her husband, not until the child is weaned, then 
I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain 
there forever. So Ocana, her husband, said to 
her, do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him. 
Only let the Lord establish his word. Then the woman stayed and 
nursed her son until she had weaned him. Now when she had 
weaned him, she took him up with her with three bowls, one ephah 
of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house 
of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. Then 
they slaughtered a bull and brought the child to Eli. And she said, 
O my Lord, as your soul lives, my Lord, I am the woman who stood 
by you here praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and 
the Lord has granted me my petition, which I asked of him. Therefore, 
I also have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he shall 
be lent to the Lord." So they worshiped the Lord there. And 
Hannah prayed and said, my heart rejoices in the Lord. My horn 
is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies because 
I rejoice in your salvation. No one is holy like the Lord, 
for there is none besides you, nor is there any rock like our 
God. Talk no more so very proudly. Let no arrogance come from your 
mouth, for the Lord is the God of knowledge, and by him actions 
are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are 
broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength. Those 
who were full have hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry 
have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has born seven, 
and she who has many children has become feeble. The Lord kills 
and makes alive. He brings down to the grave and 
brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes 
rich. He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the 
dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap to set them among 
princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. For the 
pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he has set the world 
upon them. He will guard the feet of his 
saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by 
strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall 
be broken in pieces. From heaven he will thunder against 
them. The Lord will judge the ends 
of the earth. He will give strength to his 
king and exalt the horn of his anointed. Then Elkanah went to 
his house at Ramah. The child ministered to the Lord 
before Eli the priest. Amen. So as we introduced last 
week, chapters 1 to 7 focus primarily on the prophet from God, specifically 
Samuel. Chapter 1, verse 1 through 3, 
21 tell of the early history of Samuel. And as we see here 
in Chapter 1, specifically his birth is dealt with. Samara, 
I quoted last week, said, the birth of Samuel inaugurated a 
decisive period like the birth of Moses in Exodus 1 and 2, or 
of Jesus in Luke 1 and 2. A new era, the era of the monarchy, 
was brought about by the birth of the Kingmaker. It's interesting 
as well, because the bulk of our study tonight will focus 
on Hannah at the throne of grace. We noticed that last week, Hannah 
prayed in chapter 1, specifically in verses 10 to 12. There, her 
soul was afflicted. There, she was in great distress. 
There, she was in great anguish. She goes to the Lord in prayer. 
Here in chapter 2, after having received blessing from God, after 
having received the promise fulfilled, she goes to the throne of grace 
again, this time in a spirit of exaltation, a spirit of great 
rejoicing. I think just as a cursory glance, 
we ought to observe that whether it's bad times or good times, 
every time is a good time to pray before the Lord God Almighty. 
And certainly Hannah's prayer in chapter 2 is most wonderful 
in terms of how we ought to approach God and the sorts of things we 
ought to consider with reference to our God. But let's look at 
the birth of Samuel. Notice specifically in verse 
19, they rose early in the morning, they worshiped before the Lord, 
they returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew 
Hannah, his wife. This, of course, is a biblical 
way, biblical means by which the writer tells us that they 
engaged in marital relationship. And then verse 19 continues, 
and the Lord remembered her. So it wasn't supernatural in 
the sense that no means were employed. She had relations with 
her husband. But up to this point, she had 
been barren. Up to this point, she had had 
no child. Up to this point, there had been 
no conception. She goes to the Lord. She pours 
out her heart before the Lord. She cries out in her distress 
and in her affliction. And verse 19 tells us, and the 
Lord remembered her. As we saw in the book of Ruth, 
God is sovereign over the womb. closes, the Lord opens the womb. In fact, that fares in Hannah's 
prayer. She mentions the very same thing there as she prays 
to the Lord God Almighty. This indicates and highlights 
His sovereign power, His majesty, and His glory. It is the reality 
that God alone is the giver of life, and if that is the case, 
if He is sovereign over the womb, then certainly it is a wicked 
crime against God and a sin against God to attack the image of God 
in the womb of people. Notice then that they return 
to Ramah, there's relations between Elkanah and Hannah, remembrance 
by the Lord, and then Samuel is born in verse 20. In the process 
of time, Hannah conceived and bore a son and called his name 
Samuel, saying, because I have asked for him from the Lord." 
The marginal reading indicates that heard by God or from the 
Lord is the name or is the meaning of the name Samuel. I think it's 
literally the name of God. But I think the idea is that 
Hannah is heard by the Lord, Hannah is blessed by God, and 
she names her son Samuel. And then notice the dedication 
of Samuel is indicated in verses 21 to 28. Obviously, according 
to the law, They would do this, but then as well, according to 
Hannah's vow, she stays back because she wants to make sure 
that when she takes Samuel to Eli, she can leave him there. 
Another thing that we see from Hannah, when we make a vow to 
God, we must fulfill the vow. We don't pray to God and say, 
God, if you do this for me, then I will respond in this particular 
way. If God hears our prayer and answers 
our prayer, and then we renege on that promise, then we have 
sinned against the Lord God. Hannah is faithful to that which 
she had vowed. Hannah is faithful to her promise 
to the Lord that Samuel would be his all the days of his life. 
So as I said, Hannah stays back from the yearly sacrifice. She 
says, not until the child is weaned. That would probably be 
about the age of three in this particular culture and society. 
And then as we drop down, it tells us the child was young. So Samuel was just a little guy. 
at this particular time. So the child is weaned, the sacrifice 
is offered. Notice in verse 24, Now when 
she had weaned him, she took him up with her with three bowls, 
one ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought them to 
the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. Some 
say that three bowls was way too much, that that That's obviously 
a mistake in the text. In fact, if you look at the margin 
of the New King James, other versions indicate that it was 
a three-year-old bull. Others suggest that no, because 
of the nature of the situation, a three-bull sacrifice would 
have been absolutely consistent. The amount of flour that was 
offered, the amount of wine that was offered, was commensurate 
with that three-bowl offering. So it's simply a response, a 
big response to a big prayer that was heard by God and answered 
by God. And then notice, the grace of 
God is magnified in this particular section. Verse 26, when she sees 
Eli, or brings the child to Eli, she says, Oh my Lord, as your 
soul lives, my Lord, I am the woman who stood by you here praying 
to the Lord. It's as if she is telling this 
man or it is as if she is communicating to this man how gracious the 
Lord God has been. She says for this child I prayed 
and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore I also have lent him 
to the Lord as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord. 
So they worship the Lord there. So she dedicates her child Samuel 
to the service of God Most High." Again, He is the Kingmaker, He 
is the Prophet of God's grace that will be used very powerfully 
at the establishment of the monarchy in Israel. Now that brings us 
to consider the prayer of Hannah. And as we look at this prayer 
of Hannah, I want to consider three particulars. First, the 
expression of joy. Secondly, the rehearsal of God's 
attributes and thirdly, the prophecy concerning God's kingdom. So first, the expression of joy. When you look at chapter 2 and 
verse 1, and Hannah prayed and said, my heart rejoices in the 
Lord, my horn is exalted in the Lord, I smile at my enemies because 
I rejoice in your salvation. Many have observed and perhaps 
your marginal notes indicate a parallel to Mary's song or 
Mary's description of praise in Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter 
1 in verse 46, and Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and 
my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded 
the lowly state of his maidservant. For behold, henceforth all generations 
will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done 
great things for me, and holy is his name. and His mercy is 
on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength 
with His arm. He has scattered the proud in 
the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from 
their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry 
with good things and the rich He has sent away empty. He has 
helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy as He 
spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. It's 
almost as if Mary had her morning devotions in 1 Samuel 2 when 
she received that blessed news from the Lord. It's patterned 
in the same way. She rejoices in God. And then 
she indicates several reasons why God is to be rejoiced in. in. This is a very good pattern 
for our prayer, to rejoice, to praise, to express thankfulness 
and gratitude, and then to indicate back to God the various things 
that we are thankful for. We've seen this convention used 
throughout Scripture, blessed be the God and Father of our 
Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing 
in the heavenly places in Christ And then he details the father's 
role, the son's role, and the spirit's role in the salvation 
of sinners. Notice as well, my heart rejoices 
in the Lord. My horn is exalted in the Lord. She's probably very content and 
very happy that Peninnah can no longer mock her. She's probably 
thrilled at the prospect that now she has a baby boy all her 
own. She's probably thrilled at the 
fact that her husband is now very content and very happy that 
Hannah has produced offspring for Him. But notice, her heart 
rejoices in Yahweh. She is happy in her God. She 
is first and foremost happy in the One who gives the gifts and 
not the gift itself. John Gill has a very beautiful 
comment on this section. He says, My heart rejoiceth in 
the Lord, not in her son the Lord had given her, but in the 
goodness and kindness of the Lord in bestowing him on her 
as an answer of prayer, which showed great condescension to 
her, the notice he took of her, the love he had to her, and his 
well-pleasedness in her, and his acceptance of her prayer 
through Christ. 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, through whom her duties were acceptable to God, and who 
was the antitype of the sacrifices offered. And it is in the person, 
offices, and grace of Christ that we should alone rejoice." 
He said, this joy of Hannah's was not worldly, but spiritual, 
not outward, but inward. Not hypocritical, but real and 
hearty. That's an excellent observation 
there that our brother John Gill makes. My heart rejoices in the 
Lord. My horn is exalted in the Lord. Now notice, secondly, the rehearsal 
of God's attributes. When we rejoice, in God, this 
is a great opportunity for reflection upon God. In other words, when 
we express our thanks to God, when we come to the Lord in prayer, 
we are not like the worshipers of Baal. We do not approach our 
deity and just seek to manipulate through a bunch of words. Remember 
Jesus' condemnation of the heathen prayer in Matthew chapter 6. 
They think that for their many words they will be heard by God. The idea being that if we just 
say the right things, if we just use the proper formula, then 
God will hear and spit out blessings upon us. Christian prayer is 
not that way. Christian prayer is to be informed. Christian prayer is to be advised. 
Christian prayer is to be theologically saturated, and that is precisely 
what we see in chapter 2, verses 1 to 10. Hannah was an excellent 
theologian. Hannah knew many excellent things 
concerning the Lord God Most High. So the time of rejoicing 
is a time of reflection upon who God is. Now notice she rehearses 
the attributes of God in this particular prayer, and there 
are four indicated. And then one is sort of developed, 
and we'll look at that in just a moment. The attributes of God 
that are indicated here are first His holiness. Notice in verse 
2, no one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides you. Now holiness can be both an incommunicable 
and a communicable attribute. Let me just explain what I mean. 
When we talk about the attributes of God, if you were here for 
the Sunday school sessions when we considered the doctrine of 
God, Pastor Cam explained, and I agree. The attributes are not 
several things that sort of make up God. Each of the attributes 
are identical to the very essence of God. This is why the Apostle 
John can say God is love. It's not God as love. God is 
a bit of love. God's love overrules his hate. 
It's not that at all. God is love. He's identical with 
those things that we attribute to him. Holiness is peculiar 
to God. It is incommunicable in the sense 
that the way God is holy He is wholly alone. This is what Hannah 
indicates. There is none beside you. Here specifically it is that 
incommunicable attribute of God's transcendence. The fact that 
God is unique. The fact that God is incomparable. The fact that God is alone. He does not derive His being 
from others. He is solitary, he is singular, 
he is in a class of being all by himself. Now when we talk 
about holiness as a communicable attribute, Peter, quoting from 
the book of Leviticus, tells Christians, be holy, for I, the 
Lord your God, am holy. Of course, we can pursue holiness 
without which no one will see the Lord. We can seek by the 
grace of God conformity to the law of God by the power of the 
Spirit of God and there image God in at least a degree of holiness. I don't think that's what she's 
speaking about here. She puts God in a class by himself. No one is holy like the Lord. for there is none beside you." 
I think that further defines or further delineates for us 
what she means specifically by holiness, the idea that there 
is no one like you. The book of Deuteronomy in chapter 
4 verses 34 and 35 says, Or did God ever try to go and take for 
himself a nation from the midst of another nation by trials, 
by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched 
arm? and by great terrors according to all that the Lord your God 
did for you in Egypt before your eyes. To you it was shown that 
you might know that the Lord himself is God. There is none 
other besides him. He alone is God. He is unique. He is incomparable. He is altogether above man. 2 Samuel 7 and verse 22. Therefore you are great, O Lord 
God. For there is none like you, nor 
is there any God beside you, according to all that we have 
heard with our ears. So when Hannah comes to pray, 
she rejoices in God. That suggests an occasion for 
her to ponder God, to consider God, to reflect upon God, to 
meditate upon His being, and then to pray those excellencies 
back to God, and a scribe prays unto him as a result. Holiness 
is something that ought to so enamor us with God that we 
praise and adore him for it. Isaiah 6, I think, is another 
excellent example of this attribute being spoken concerning God. 
The angels praise the Lord, saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord 
of hosts. The whole earth is filled with 
his glory. Again, oftentimes we associate 
holiness with moral purity, and holiness does have the idea of 
moral purity, but at its root the idea is separateness, removedness, 
otherness, and that's what the angels are praising. God therefore, 
the whole earth is filled with his glory. And then it's interesting 
too, if you remember from what Voss said on Saturday morning, 
actually he didn't say it on Saturday morning, he said it 
many years ago, but he wrote it down in biblical theology. 
He highlights that of the prophets, Isaiah peculiarly is the prophet 
of God's majesty. Not that the others diminish 
that, or not that the others don't recognize that or don't 
realize that, but it is intriguing when we consider this term or 
this idea of holiness as applied to God. The prophet Isaiah uses 
the title for God, the Holy One of Israel, about 25 times in 
the book of Isaiah. That's a lot. There are several 
times that he uses the Holy One, but primarily that emphasis is 
upon the Holy One of Israel. I think the next nearest prophet 
that uses that phrase concerning God is Jeremiah, and I think 
it's only a handful of times. Again, I'm not saying Jeremiah 
doesn't respect that, Jeremiah doesn't love that. But it is 
interesting, and I think Voss is right, that Isaiah in many 
ways is the prophet of God's majesty, God's holiness, God's 
essential glory, the fact that he is incomparable, the fact 
that he is unique, the fact that he is transcendent and removed. 
You see, these aren't just things to ponder in a Sunday school 
class. These are things to consider 
in prayer. that this God would come to us, 
that this God would send His Son to die for us, that this 
God would have dealings with us is an absolutely incredible 
thing that ought to be an opportunity for further praise and further 
adoration given to the Lord God Most High. The prophet Isaiah 
chapter 57 and verse 15 He says, for thus says the high 
and lofty one. It's another great description 
of God. The high and lofty one who inhabits 
eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy 
place. with him who has a contrite and 
humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive 
the heart of the contrite ones. If that isn't a cause for rejoicing, 
to consider that the lofty God of heaven and earth nevertheless 
dwells with those who by his grace have contrite spirit. Certainly Hannah is on the right 
path in terms of her prayer. She then considers the attribute, 
I'll call it immutability. That means that God is unchangeable. Notice at the end of verse 2. 
Well, verse 2 reads, No one is holy like the Lord, for there 
is none beside you, nor is there any rock like our God. The idea of a rock implies stability. It implies immovability. And hence, I don't think it's 
a far stretch to say it implies immutability, unchangeableness. God the Lord does not change. The Lord is referred to as a 
rock in 2 Samuel 22 and verse 2, 2 Samuel 23 and verse 3. Probably the tap roots to this 
particular ascription to God is from Deuteronomy 32. Deuteronomy 32, when God, through 
Moses, is educating the people, or at least, or rather this is 
the song of Moses, in response to God's goodness and grace to 
the nation of Israel. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 4, He 
is the rock. His work is perfect. For all 
His ways are justice. A God of truth and without injustice, 
righteous and upright is He. And then again in verse 15, But 
Jeshurun grew fat and kicked. You grew fat, you grew thick, 
you are obese. Then he forsook God who made 
him and scornfully esteemed the rock of his salvation. And then again in verses 30 and 
31. How could one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight, 
unless their rock had sold them and the Lord had surrendered 
them? For their rock is not like our rock, even our enemies themselves 
being judges." So you see, God is referred to as a rock. And 
in that, it doesn't mean the rocks, or the wood, or the stones, 
or the idols of men. But rather, it speaks to the 
fact that God is unchanging. God is immutable. God is solid. When the saint needs a rock, 
he has it in his God. When Hannah comes to pray, and 
she rejoices in the Lord, and she contemplates her God, She 
acknowledges his holiness, his transcendence, his uniqueness, 
his incomparability, but then she highlights as well this reality 
that God is a rock. Interesting as well, when we 
get to the New Testament, Jesus is the rock, isn't he? Jesus 
is the rock. You are Peter, and on this rock 
I will build my church. It's not Peter. It is the Christ 
whom Peter confesses. This is what Peter himself tells 
us in 1 Peter chapter 2. So Jesus is that rock. Thirdly, notice the attribute 
that Hannah rehearses. Verse three, talk no more so 
very proudly, let no arrogance come from your mouth, for the 
Lord is the God of knowledge. And by him, actions are weighed. He is the God of knowledge. Here, 
it isn't our knowledge of God that is in view. Rather, it is 
the fact that God is omniscient. God knows all things. That's the context. By him, actions 
are weighed. The specifics are indicated. 
Talk no more so very proudly. Let no arrogance come from your 
mouth. Why? Because the Lord is the God of 
knowledge. He knows everything you say. He hears everything 
you utter. He knows the idle words. He knows 
the blasphemies. The eyes of the Lord, according 
to Solomon and the Proverbs, are in every place, beholding 
the good and the evil. The eyes of the Lord run to and 
fro through all the earth. God knows everything. The confession of faith indicates 
something interesting concerning God of himself. The Lord our 
God is but one and only living and true God, whose subsistence 
is in and of Himself, infinite in being and perfection, whose 
essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself. You see, 
God knows Himself. We know God as He reveals Himself 
in Scripture. We don't know the essence of 
God the way God does. His knowledge is comprehensive, 
His knowledge is inexhaustible. And then notice, He knows all 
things. The confession goes on to say, 
His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature. So as nothing is to Him contingent 
or uncertain. God knows everything. God has 
decreed whatsoever comes to pass, so he certainly knows everything. The next time you have a debate 
with someone concerning God and his sovereignty and in his power 
and in his ability, take him to Hannah's prayer, because Hannah 
was a thoroughgoing Calvinist, if I could use that term. Knowledge. Notice. Fourthly, the sovereignty 
of God is highlighted by Hannah. Now, you search this section, 
you'll say, well, the word sovereign isn't there. The concept is. The word trinity isn't in our 
Bible, but the doctrine is replete. It is everywhere in the Bible. 
Notice the sovereignty of God. He has the power to kill and 
make alive, verse 6. The Lord kills and makes alive. He brings down to the grave and 
brings up. That is the prerogative of deity. That is the prerogative of a 
sovereign God. Now God, when he kills, doesn't 
violate any laws. If I go out and kill somebody, 
I violate law. I can go to prison for doing 
that. Actually, today I might not go to prison for doing such 
a crime. But God is not wrong when He kills and makes alive. 
God the Lord has sovereign power. God the Lord is over all men. God the Lord is the one who determines 
the boundaries of men. He determines the lifespan of 
men. He is the one who is sovereign over these things. Interesting, 
in Revelation 118, the description given of Jesus, I am He who lives 
and was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore. 
Amen. And I have the keys of Hades 
and of death." It's Jesus that kills and Jesus who makes alive. It is Jesus who has this sovereign 
prerogative in the New Covenant setting, again, because Jesus 
and his Father are one. Secondly, the power of the Lord 
over the rich and the poor. Notice verse 7. The Lord makes 
poor and makes rich. He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust 
and lifts the beggar from the ashy to set them among princes 
and make them inherit the throne of glory. Remember who learned 
that lesson all too well in the prophet Daniel's day. If you 
turn for just a moment to Daniel chapter 4, Daniel chapter 4. Remember that Nebuchadnezzar 
was essentially strutting, looking at the kingdom that he had made, 
looking at the things that he had done, seeking ultimately 
the glory that he thought was due to him. Notice, specifically, 
in verses 34 and following. This is the lesson that God taught 
him. And at the end of the time, I, 
Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding 
returned to me. This is after having been sent 
out to live like a beast for a period of time. He said, and 
I bless the most high and praised and honored him who lives forever. 
For his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom is from 
generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth 
are reputed as nothing. He does according to his will 
in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. 
No one can restrain his hand or say to him, what have you 
done? Nebuchadnezzar learned all too 
well that it's the Lord who raises men up. It's the Lord who puts 
men down. It's the Lord who exalts. It's 
the Lord who diminishes. It's the Lord who gives. It's 
the Lord who takes away. You see, this is, again, the 
prerogative of God in terms of His sovereignty. And then notice 
that Hannah doesn't stop there. She also indicates that God executes 
his sovereignty through what we call providence. Providence 
is the means by which God carries out his sovereign decree or his 
sovereign plan to do all things. And interestingly, she gives 
a lot of examples of what someone has called the reversal of fortunes. or the reversal of life situation. Notice in verse 4, the bows of 
the mighty men are broken and those who stumbled are girded 
with strength. You see, that's sovereignty. 
That's God's prerogative. That's God's power and ability. 
The bows of the mighty men are broken. That doesn't typically 
happen, does it? Typically, bows of mighty men 
work properly in battle. That's why they're mighty men. 
But if God the Lord fights for Israel, then the bows of the 
mighty men are broken, and those who stumble are girded with strength. 
This small nation, Israel, rises to a position of great esteem 
and great power among the empires of their particular age. Notice, 
those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. You 
see, God is sovereign. There is a reversal here in human 
situation that Hannah does not ascribe to the luck of the draw. She does not say, this is chance. She does not say that, you know, 
weird things happen in this world. Her statement is in the context 
of prayer to God with reference to his power, with reference 
to his sovereignty. And then something very close 
to home for Hannah. She says, even the barren has 
born seven, and she who has many children has become feeble. Peninnah was one who had many 
children. She had become feeble. Hannah 
had been barren, now she is the one who has many children. You 
see, God reverses these particular life situations according to 
his sovereignty. Many have seen a great parallel 
between this prayer of Hannah And Psalm 113, the same sort 
of convention is used. Psalm 113, praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord. 
Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to 
its going down, the Lord's name is to be praised. You see, there 
is the call to praise. Then verses 4 to 9 gives the 
reasons for praise. The same convention Paul uses. in Ephesians 1. Blessed be God, 
because He's done this. Specifically, He's done it in 
this manner. We ought to praise the Lord. 
We ought to sing unto His great name. And here's why. Notice 
in verse 4 in Psalm 113. The Lord is high above all nations. His glory above the heavens. 
Sounds like Hannah's prayer. Sounds like Hannah's doctrine. 
Sounds like Israel had a consistent theology proper. Who is like 
the Lord our God who dwells on high? He's unique. He's incomparable. Notice, who humbles himself to 
behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth. 
Isn't that an interesting statement? It is an act of humility for 
God to even behold what goes on beneath him. This is how glorious 
he is. This is why the psalmist says 
he is high above all nations is glorious above the heavens. Notice then some specific examples. He raises the poor out of the 
dust and lifts the needy out of the ashy that he may seat 
him with princes, with the princes of his people. He grants the 
barren woman a home like a joyful mother of children. Praise the 
Lord. You see these consistent themes 
throughout scripture. Prayer is not a time to disengage. Prayer is not a time to tune 
out. Prayer is a time to girt yourself 
up with the theological understanding that you have and address the 
great and holy God as the one whom the Bible reveals him to 
be. Hannah sets forth an excellent 
example of theological praying. And I don't mean just going through 
the right words or the right motions, but her heart is throbbing 
in response to God's answer to prayer. And the way that she 
responds is through praising him for these very specific attributes 
and for the execution of his sovereign providence among the 
people of her day. Notice as well, with reference 
to the execution of God's providence, He protects His people. Notice, 
verse 1 again, my heart rejoices in the Lord, my horn is exalted 
in the Lord, I smile at my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation. 
Now, I doubt that means she was obnoxious. I doubt that means 
that she did, you know, like little kids do. I doubt it means 
that she was vindictive. But I smile at my enemies. Is 
that typically what we do? No, we fear enemies. We run from 
enemies. We hide from enemies. We don't 
want to deal with our enemies. She smiles at them. Why? Because 
I rejoice in Your salvation. Notice in verse 9, He will guard 
the feet of his saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness." 
The Lord protects his people. Notice as well, in the execution 
of God's sovereign providence, it doesn't simply extend to the 
nation of Israel. Look at what she says. I called 
her a he. habit, I guess, but notice what 
she says. The adversaries, verse 10, of 
the Lord shall be broken in pieces. From heaven he will thunder against 
them. The Lord will judge the ends 
of the earth. You see, it's not just Israel 
that Yahweh is sovereign over. But it is the ends of the earth. 
If you trace that phrase out to other uses in the Old Testament, 
specifically you see it in those Psalms that promise great blessing 
through the Messiah, such as Psalm 22 and Psalm 72. Also Psalm 67, that missionary 
chant with reference to the knowledge of God going to the ends of the 
earth. The prophet Isaiah uses the phrase 
in a couple places in 45, 22 and in 52, 10. Micah employs 
it in 5, 4. Zechariah chapter 9 in verse 10. Psalm 2, 8. Psalm 
22, 27. Psalm 67, 6. 72, 8 to 98, 3. The idea is consistently that God's sovereignty 
is comprehensive. It isn't localized. just have jurisdiction over Israel. In fact, when he calls Jeremiah 
to the prophetic ministry, what is it told to him? You will be 
a prophet to the nations. It's not just Israel that is 
under scrutiny by the living and true God. Hannah knows this. Hannah understands this. And 
as a result, Hannah praises God for this. Sovereignty is not 
a doctrine simply for debate. Sovereignty ought to infect our 
hearts in such a way, or not infect, what's the word I'm looking 
for? so saturate our hearts that we delight in God for it. Again, I'm reminded of Paul in 
Ephesians 1, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Or Paul in Romans chapter 11, for of him and through him 
and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. When Paul 
discusses these things, he breaks out into doxology. The knowledge 
of God escapes from the saint in his prayer closet because 
he rehearses these things back to God. And then notice finally 
the prophecy concerning God's kingdom. Verse 10 does have a 
prophetic element. It's interesting, as Davis points 
out, Hannah starts off her prayer praising God for answers that 
she has received. She had been blessed by the Lord. He remembered her prayer, and 
he gave her Samuel. But this prayer concentrically 
moves out. It goes from an individual answer 
to a prophetic testimony that the kingdom of God is comprehensive, 
that the kingdom of God is all-powerful. Davis makes the observation. She had a micro answer in that 
she was given a son. But there is a macro situation 
going on to which she prophesies concerning the glory of God's 
kingdom. And his point is, if God gives 
us or gives her this down payment in terms of the birth of Samuel 
to indicate the reality of the larger blessing that is to flow 
in terms of the kingdom. Notice, there will be first the 
judgment of his enemies, 10a. The adversaries of the Lord shall 
be broken in pieces. The adversaries of the Lord shall 
be broken in pieces. This is an indicator of the kingdom. Please remember this because 
I'm going to argue this on Sunday in Matthew 16, 28. Jesus is talking 
about the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. You say, well, how 
is that an identifier that the kingdom has come? Look at your 
Old Testament. The kingdom comes when the enemies 
are destroyed. The kingdom comes, or the kingdom 
is evidently come, when the enemies of God are destroyed. 2 Samuel, 
I think it's in chapter 8. I'm relying on memory here. Yes, 2 Samuel chapter 8. This is after David has consolidated. David has become both Israel 
and Judah's king. David is the monarch over the 
kingdom as a whole. And notice in 2 Samuel 8.15, 
so David reigned over all Israel and David administered judgment 
and justice to all his people. What's a sign that the kingdom 
is here? There is the administration of 
judgment and justice. When Jesus says, the Son of Man 
is coming, how do we know? Because judgment and justice 
has come. I'm hoping that you'll remember 
these things in at least one, two, three, four, five, six, 
seven of you will follow the argument. on Sunday morning in 
Matthew 16, 28, not 27. 27 is the physical second coming 
of the Lord Jesus when he comes in the glory of his Father with 
his angels to judge each according to his works. That's universal, 
comprehensive. But he then tells the apostles, 
there are some of you standing here who will not taste death 
until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. How could 
he say that? to those who none of them will 
be physically alive at the second coming. He's talking about a 
different event. I'm going to argue he's talking 
about AD 70 there. But the point is, notice in verse 
10a, the adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces. What 
did Solomon do when he ascended the throne? He sent out his administration 
to destroy the enemies. Those who would threaten the 
throne would be executed. That's how a king exercises his 
kingdom. Notice, secondly, the throne 
of his sovereignty. From heaven he will thunder against 
them. From heaven he will thunder against 
them. God is over all. God is with 
his people when they go into battle. He is present in a special 
way in heaven. Thirdly, the extent of his reign. 
We've already talked about the Lord will judge the ends of the 
earth. And then fourthly, the strength 
of his Messiah. He will give strength to his 
king and exalt the horn of his anointed." What does anointed 
mean? Or how does anointed translated in the Hebrew? It's Messiah. 
It's translated in Greek, the Christ. He will give strength 
to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed." Now certainly 
for Hannah here, there was no king. Some have said, well, this 
has to be a later edition. This has to be something that 
was put in after the kingdom was in place. How could Hannah 
prophesy such things? Kingship was already present 
in Israel, if not Formally, in terms of somebody sitting on 
the throne, Genesis 17 told that there would be kings that would 
come from Abraham. Deuteronomy 17, 14 to 20 specifies 
the law that the king of Israel had to follow. Remember, when 
he assumed his throne, he wrote down the law for himself, and 
it was something that he gave himself to study? Hannah is speaking 
prophetically, to be sure, but it's not out of ignorance. She 
knows something of kingdom. And she is on the cusp of the 
time when Samuel, her son, is going to be the kingmaker. This 
probably has a general application to David into his line. He will 
give strength to his king. in her time or at least subsequent 
to her time, David would be the Messiah of God to exercise his 
judgment and his judgment on earth, specifically in Israel. 
But it transcends that. He will exalt the horn of his 
anointed. It probably looks further to 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Samara says, the song concludes 
with a twofold plea. Most commentators take that last 
part of verse 10, not as an indicative, he will give strength to his 
king and he will exalt the horn of his anointed, but as a prayer. 
as a petition, as a plea. Lord, give strength to your king. Lord, exalt the horn of your 
anointed. It is a plea to God to come with 
power, to come with might. Samara says the song concludes 
with a twofold plea for Yahweh, the incomparably holy one. the 
Rock, the truly knowledgeable one, the Lord of life and death, 
the maker of rich and poor, the great demoter and promoter, to 
raise the king of Israel to a position of power and prominence worthy 
of the great God who appointed him." So the Davidic throne generally, 
the Lord Christ specifically, John Gill says Christ is king 
over all. angels and men, particularly 
He is King of Saints. He is Jehovah's King, set up 
and anointed by Him from everlasting, was in time promised as such, 
and in the fullness of time came in that character, and at His 
ascension to heaven was made and declared Lord and Christ." 
This is what Hannah is looking forward to. We'll praise God 
that this woman got her answer to prayer, because she has set 
forth a pattern of prayer in this chapter that highlights 
the importance of theology. I don't know if you've met the 
people that say, well, why does doctrine matter? Why does theology 
matter? It matters in the closet. It 
matters when you go to God in prayer. It matters when you rehearse 
the attributes of God. If you don't know what holiness 
means, you don't know what it means when God is likened to 
a rock, you don't know what it means that God is omniscient 
or God is sovereign, well, then certainly you're not going to 
pray in an informed manner. So theology is not only practical 
in terms of how to be a better husband, or a better father, 
or a better wife or mother, or a hard worker. Theology's important 
for all that. I'm not minimizing that. Theology's 
important for the secret place as well. And when we look at 
this prayer, there are several things, and I know several at 
five to nine probably makes you a little, a little, uh-oh, hope 
he doesn't go over nine. You've got my word. I typically 
don't go over nine or past nine. typically. I'm sure I have before, 
so I better qualify that. But there are several things 
that we see in Hannah, or at least I think we can pull out 
of this prayer, in terms of a necessary response to God over all. First, joy in the presence of 
the Lord. My heart rejoices in the Lord. 
Now, that wasn't always the case. She went to prayer in chapter 
1, and her heart was afflicted. Her heart was sad. Her heart 
was grieved and distressed. But she still went to God in 
that disposition. But it's good to rejoice in the 
presence of the Lord. It's good to rehearse his blessings. 
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in America. And certainly, I hope that all 
the brothers and sisters in America that are in Christ are going 
to be rejoicing in the Lord. Not that we should tomorrow as 
well, we certainly should also. Secondly, confidence in the rule 
of the Lord. We need to have confidence in 
the rule of the Lord. Notice verse 9, he will guard 
the feet of his saints. That is a blessed promise that 
we ought to take hold of. We ought to realize as well, 
verse 10, the adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces. We ought to have a confidence 
in the Lord. A third response I think that is good to take 
away from this prayer is an admiration, excuse me, of the attributes 
of the Lord. Admiration and enjoyment and 
appreciation of those things that are peculiar to God. We 
ought to delight in Him. We ought to rejoice in Him. We 
ought to admire Him. Fourthly, there ought to be a 
humility because of the omniscience of the Lord. Notice, this is 
the point in verse 3. Talk no more so very proudly. Let no arrogance come from your 
mouth. Why? For the Lord is the God 
of knowledge. By him actions are weighed. Now 
probably this is against the enemies of the Lord, but certainly 
there's application to the friends of the Lord. We ought to be humble 
before our God. He knows all things. He sees 
us intimately. He knows our motives. He knows 
our hearts. He knows everything about us. 
That ought to promote not an arrogance, not a brashness, not 
a wickedness, or not a combativeness, but a humility. Knowing the omniscience 
of the Lord, we ought to pursue humility. Fifthly, there ought 
to be a security that we have because of the Lord. Security, 
stability. No one is holy like the Lord, 
verse two, for there is none beside you, nor is there any 
rock like our God. If that rock is our rock, then 
certainly that argues for security. Doesn't that or isn't that what 
the writer of the Hebrews tells us in Hebrews chapter 6? Hebrews 
chapter 6 is a beautiful statement of the stability that God affords 
to his people. Hebrews 6.16, for men indeed 
swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for 
them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show 
more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of 
his counsel, confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable 
things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have 
strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the 
hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor 
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the presence 
behind the veil. When we studied Hebrews 6, I 
had pointed out, via Philip Hughes's commentary, that an early piece 
of Christian art was not the cross. I'm sure there were crosses. I'd have to look into that. But 
it was an anchor. The anchor was a symbol of Christianity. There was one of the catacombs 
that had 66 of them on a wall. The anchor is what the people 
of God were identified by because of their God. God is an anchor 
to the soul. There is security in Him. As 
well, we ought to take away from this submission to the government 
of the Lord. Verse 10, if the adversaries 
of the Lord shall be broken in pieces, if from heaven he will 
thunder against them, what does this teach us but to submit to 
his rule, to submit to his authority, to submit to his power, and then 
respond ultimately in worship to him? Well, let us close in 
a word of prayer. Our Father, thank you for this 
prayer of godly Hannah. Thank you for your grace to her 
and through her teaching us good things about approaching you 
privately at the throne of grace. Help us, whether in affliction 
or in times of joy. to come to you, God, and to pour 
out our hearts before you. Give us grace to make sure that 
we pursue these things which are pleasing in your sight. We 
know that you rejoice in the prayers of the upright. Help 
us, God, to be a prayerful people. Help us to come to you. Help 
us to acknowledge these things that are true of you, and help 
us, God Almighty, to recognize the glory and the power and the 
might of your kingdom. And may we, as our Lord Jesus 
taught us to pray, pray that your kingdom would come. We ask 
that you would go with us now and that you would be glorified 
in our lives. Bring us together on the Lord's 
day that we may worship you in spirit and in truth. And we pray 
through Christ our Lord. Amen.