Hannah is a woman of prayer. She is the first and only woman in the Bible to say a formal spoken prayer that is quoted in the text. God answered her prayer and gave her a son. She named him Samuel because she had asked for him from the Lord.
So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him” (1 Samuel 1:29).
Samuel literally means “name of God.”
Hannah decided not to go with Elkanah to Shiloh for the usual pilgrimage until Samuel was weaned. After a few years, she took Samuel to Eli the priest.
She explained that since God had given her the child, she was now dedicating him to God’s service.
“I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:27-28).
Children from the Lord
It’s often hard to grasp that children are a gift from God. They aren’t our personal possessions for us to seek blessings through. Instead, God has loaned them to us, and the best thing we can do is offer them back to Him.
This choice isn’t easy, but it is the right one.
The Song of Hannah
The Song of Hannah is near the start of 1 Samuel, and the Song of David is near the end of 2 Samuel.
These two similar hymns of praise act like a frame, giving context to the book’s main content and reminding us that these two books were originally one.
You might also want to notice that Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55 and Zechariah’s song in verses 68-79 share the same tone as Hannah’s song of praise.
Everything Hannah thinks, says, and does revolves around the great act of God in her life.
Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance” (1 Samuel 2:1).
She celebrates God’s holiness in a righteous victory.
“There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God (1 Samuel 2:2).
God’s holiness means He is different from humans. He is separate from us. Yet, God has entered her life and blessed her with a child.
Let’s take a moment to remember that Hannah was almost unknown. She lived in a remote area and had been unable to have children for years. But God chose to work in her life, bringing forth one of the greatest judges and prophets ever known.
We are not so different from Hannah. We might seem insignificant and live in small or obscure places. However, God is always at work. If we join Him, we will witness His plans unfold, whether big or small, all for His glory.
Contrasts
The rest of Hannah’s song features seven formal contrasts (verses 4-7). These are: strong and weak, full and hungry, barren and fertile, dead and alive, sick and well, poor and rich, and humble and exalted.
A friend of mine often prayed, “Lord, you sit high and you look low.” He might have been inspired by Hannah’s song or Psalm 113 when he started his prayer.
Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,
Who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
To make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 113:5-9)
Psalm 113 expands on the truth in Hannah’s thoughts and my friend’s prayers.
When we look at the world, we can ask God to help us pray like Hannah or as Psalm 113 teaches.
We can ask God to lift up those who are bowed down. Even though He is higher than the highest heavens, He comes to pull us out of the dust, muck, mire, and troubles of this earth.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this section of 1 Samuel today on YouTube.
Real Voices 