Monday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 2:1-11
Hannah’s Prayer of Praise
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
The Lord has made me strong.[a]
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
I rejoice because you rescued me.
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty!
Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
he will judge your actions.
4 The bow of the mighty is now broken,
and those who stumbled are now strong.
5 Those who were well fed are now starving,
and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
and the woman with many children wastes away.
6 The Lord gives both death and life;
he brings some down to the grave[b] but raises others up.
7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
he brings some down and lifts others up.
8 He lifts the poor from the dust
and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
and he has set the world in order.
9 “He will protect his faithful ones,
but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.
10 Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
the Lord judges throughout the earth.
He gives power to his king;
he increases the strength[c] of his anointed one.”
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.
Hannah’s Prayer of Praise
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
The Lord has made me strong.[a]
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
I rejoice because you rescued me.
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty!
Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
he will judge your actions.
4 The bow of the mighty is now broken,
and those who stumbled are now strong.
5 Those who were well fed are now starving,
and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
and the woman with many children wastes away.
6 The Lord gives both death and life;
he brings some down to the grave[b] but raises others up.
7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
he brings some down and lifts others up.
8 He lifts the poor from the dust
and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
and he has set the world in order.
9 “He will protect his faithful ones,
but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.
10 Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
the Lord judges throughout the earth.
He gives power to his king;
he increases the strength[c] of his anointed one.”
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.
Commentary:
2:1 my strength is exalted in the LORD. The song both starts and ends with the declaration that the Lord exalts. The verb translated as “exalt” or “raise up” appears also in vv. 7, 8, and 10 and expresses the theme of the song. The Hebrew for “horn,” translated as “strength” (here) and “power” (in v. 10), is often used as a symbol of strength (cf. Deut. 33:17; 2 Sam. 22:3; Ps. 89:17; etc.). With the expression my enemies, Hannah is not making a personal attack on Peninnah (one person) but is speaking against God’s enemies. His enemies are also Hannah’s enemies, because his enemies attack her trust in God and his dealings with her (see Ps. 139:21–22). The climax of this verse is because I rejoice in your salvation.
2:2 The first and third lines of this verse are parallel: holy is parallel to rock, and the LORD is parallel to God, with different structure but similar meaning. The formula “there is no … like …” denotes incomparability. Thus, there is none besides you states that there is no absolutely holy being besides the Lord; moreover, only the Lord is God, i.e., “monotheism” is true (see Deut. 4:35; 32:39; 2 Sam. 22:32). “Rock,” a common OT epithet for God (e.g., Deut. 32:4, 15; 2 Sam. 22:2; 23:3), indicates God’s protection and strength. In Ps. 118:22 and Isa. 8:14; 28:16; as well as in 1 Pet. 2:6–8, “rock” has a messianic significance (see note on 1 Sam. 2:10). With “our God,” Hannah speaks as a member of the covenant community, whom she addresses in the next verse.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 493.
2:2 The first and third lines of this verse are parallel: holy is parallel to rock, and the LORD is parallel to God, with different structure but similar meaning. The formula “there is no … like …” denotes incomparability. Thus, there is none besides you states that there is no absolutely holy being besides the Lord; moreover, only the Lord is God, i.e., “monotheism” is true (see Deut. 4:35; 32:39; 2 Sam. 22:32). “Rock,” a common OT epithet for God (e.g., Deut. 32:4, 15; 2 Sam. 22:2; 23:3), indicates God’s protection and strength. In Ps. 118:22 and Isa. 8:14; 28:16; as well as in 1 Pet. 2:6–8, “rock” has a messianic significance (see note on 1 Sam. 2:10). With “our God,” Hannah speaks as a member of the covenant community, whom she addresses in the next verse.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 493.
Questions:
Hannah’s story started with tears, but it doesn’t end there. After years of longing for a child, she finally has Samuel, but instead of holding tightly to the son she had begged God for, she keeps her promise and gives Samuel back to the Lord. And then she sings.
What’s amazing about Hannah’s song is what she chooses to celebrate. She doesn’t spend the whole song talking about Samuel or how happy she is that God finally answered her prayer. She starts with God: “My heart rejoices in the LORD.” Her joy is rooted in the One who answered her, not just the answer itself. She calls God holy. She calls Him her Rock. She says there is no one like Him.
Hannah had learned something we can easily forget: God’s gifts are good, but God Himself is better.
It’s easy for us to love what God gives us more than we love God Himself. We can become so wrapped up in the answered prayer; the healing we wanted, the opportunity we hoped for, the security we prayed for, that the gift slowly becomes more important to us than the Giver. And if that gift is threatened or taken away, our joy may disappear right along with it.
Hannah shows us a different way. We can be both deeply grateful for what God gives us and at the same time, not make those gifts the source of our happiness. The greatest thing God gives us isn't an easier life or a life where everything goes the way we want. He gives us Himself.
What’s amazing about Hannah’s song is what she chooses to celebrate. She doesn’t spend the whole song talking about Samuel or how happy she is that God finally answered her prayer. She starts with God: “My heart rejoices in the LORD.” Her joy is rooted in the One who answered her, not just the answer itself. She calls God holy. She calls Him her Rock. She says there is no one like Him.
Hannah had learned something we can easily forget: God’s gifts are good, but God Himself is better.
It’s easy for us to love what God gives us more than we love God Himself. We can become so wrapped up in the answered prayer; the healing we wanted, the opportunity we hoped for, the security we prayed for, that the gift slowly becomes more important to us than the Giver. And if that gift is threatened or taken away, our joy may disappear right along with it.
Hannah shows us a different way. We can be both deeply grateful for what God gives us and at the same time, not make those gifts the source of our happiness. The greatest thing God gives us isn't an easier life or a life where everything goes the way we want. He gives us Himself.
- When was the last time you praised God simply for who He is, without asking Him for anything? What does your prayer life reveal about whether you enjoy God Himself or mainly what you hope He will do for you?
- Hannah calls God her “Rock” and says, “There is no one besides You.” Why would the character of God be a more secure foundation for joy than changing circumstances? How does Jesus give us an even clearer reason to rejoice in God, even when life is still hard?
- What has God done in your life that you have received with gratitude but never stopped to worship Him for? Before you ask God for anything else, how could you thank Him for who He is and what He has already done?
Prayer Topics:
- Confess the ways you have allowed God's gifts, answered prayers, or circumstances to become more important to you than God Himself.
- Thank God for the good gifts He has given you, while remembering each gift points back to the goodness of the Giver.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you to treasure Christ above the blessings and to find joy in Him, regardless of your circumstances.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
No Comments