November 22, 2009

What Would You Say? (I Samuel 2:1-10)

Preacher: Bryce Morgan Series: Crying for a King (Samuel) Topic: I Samuel Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:1–2:10

Crying for a King

What Would You Say?
I Samuel 2:1-10
November 22nd, 2009
Way of Grace Church

I. Can You Imagine?

Just imagine…just imagine that you are a woman living in the Middle East, ten centuries before Christ. Imagine that you, while you are happily married, you have been, for quite a while, unable to have a baby. You are unable to provide your husband with a child, maybe even a son who will be his heir. Imagine how you have had to wrestle with the cultural stigma connected to your infertility.

Now imagine that your husband takes another wife for himself. Imagine that, unlike you, this woman is able to have children, many children.

In addition to this, imagine that this other woman is not compassionate toward you and your situation. Imagine that she is instead cruel and haughty. Imagine how you must feel when year after year you must endure her scorn and mockery.

But imagine what it would be like if God finally answered your prayer for a child. Imagine the joy that would fill your heart as you held your baby boy. Imagine the satisfaction you would feel as your husband held his new son.

But imagine if the answer to your prayer was actually the answer to a vow, a vow you made to give your child over to God, for God’s service. Imagine what it would be like to spend three years nurturing this child, and then taking him to the Tent of Meeting and leaving him there, to be raised by the priests and to serve to the God of Israel…leaving him there…forever.

Can you imagine that? Can you imagine the kinds of things you would think and feel if that were the story of your life? If you can, if you can imagine even just a basic sense of what that would be like then I want to ask you a very important question this morning.

If what happened to Hannah happened to you, what would you say? What would you say? What kinds of words would describe, would express, would sum up your experience? What would you emphasize? How would you speak, with what kind of tone? What would you say?

II. The Passage: "There is None Besides You" (2:1-10)

Let’s look together this morning at I Samuel 2 and see find out what Hannah herself had to say in light of all this. A quick note before I read. The prayer or praise we have here may be Hannah’s own creation, or, it may be an earlier song that she had learned, maybe one well-known in Israel, or at Shiloh, a song or a praise that she believed expressed everything she wanted to say. That might better explain both the specifics and the broad scope of this prayer.

Let’s begin with verse 1. Here’s what we read:

A. Hannah Prays in Light of What God Has Done (2:1)

And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults [is extremely joyful] in the Lord; my strength [lit. horn] is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.

This woman, who has just ridden an incredibly jarring emotional roller coaster, does not respond with words of bitterness or confusion or even dutiful submission. No, she is filled with joy! Why? Because her strength, literally, her horn, as been exalted by God.

Remember, this is her second prayer at Shiloh, isn't it. Her first prayer was one of desperation. This one is full of jubilation, because God heard her first prayer. Her enemies, her critics, her rivals are put to shame because of God's salvation.

This is not salvation as we use the term. Hannah, of course, is talking about her deliverance from infertility and shame. Even though she is now leaving the child at Shiloh, she is still driven to praise in light of what God has done.

B. Hannah Prays in Light of What God is Doing (2:2-8)

But as we continue into this prayer, this praise, sometimes called Hannah's song because it is very similar to other ancient songs contained in the Bible, as she continues we discover that what God has done in Hannah's situation is simply in keeping with God is consistently doing.

Look how she continues this prayer, this praise by giving us an incredible theology lesson. She wants to tell us about this God who answered her prayer, and she'll do that by building up descriptions of God's character and his attributes. Look at verse 2:

2 “There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

The statement that God is holy is, at its core, a declaration of God's absolute distinctiveness. That's emphasized here through several different phrases: "no one like the Lord...no one besides you...no rock like our God."

Now watch as Hannah continues here. As she continues to add layers to this description of God, she will go from the abstract to the concrete in terms of our lives as human beings. Look at what else Hannah tells us here in verse 3 and the implication of it for us:

3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

God is completely unique. He is unique in what he sees, what he knows, and what he decides in terms of justice. Therefore, Hannah declares, there are consequences for human pride. Certainly, in light of what happened in chapter one, we would imagine that Hannah has Peninnah in mind here, the other wife, the woman who arrogantly provoked her year after year.

But the verbs and the "your" in verse 3 are plural, which means Hannah has a broader perspective, even though undoubtedly Peninnah would be included in that perspective.

The fruit of a proud heart or arrogant mouth will be weighed by the God of Israel. But what does that mean? Is Hannah directing us toward some future time of judgment at the end of time? No, look at how Hannah describes what happens when God weighs our actions. Look at verses 4 through 8:

4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 6 The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world.

One thing is abundantly clear here: Hannah knows she serves a big, big God. The God who answered her prayer, the God who filled the womb of a barren woman, is a God who routinely alters the playing field and has the power to do so.

The strong are made weak, but the weak are made strong. Those who had plenty have nothing, but those who had nothing are filled. The rich are made poor, but the poor made rich. The lofty are brought low, but the low are exalted. The living are handed over to death, but the dead are brought to life.

Now Hannah’s prayer is not saying that being full or having plenty or having children is a bad thing or that everyone who has such things is going to be judged. Remember verse 3. Remember that Hannah is talking about the proud and arrogant, those who have such things and are puffed up because of it.

Hannah is speaking against a mindset that human wisdom and human strength are the means by which we gain and maintain power, possessions, and position.

And to sum up this affirmation of God's absolute sovereignty, his absolute power to reign, Hannah declares at the end of verse 8: For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world.

He's got the whole world in His hand.

C. Hannah Prays in Light of What God Will Do (2:9, 10)

Seeing what God has done, and knowing that's what God does, Hannah can confidently pray about what God will do in verses 9 and 10:

9 “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. 10 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 power [lit. horn] of his anointed.”

Hanna is both comforting and challenging her listeners here. For those who have been faithful, for those who trust God, in spite of their current circumstances, God will guard their path. Hannah, who was faithful to go year after year to worship God at Shiloh, whose faith was demonstrated in her desperate prayer by God's tent, can affirm that God will watch over his faithful ones.

But she also challenges the wicked who are listening, who think they are secure in the power or position or possessions. God will "cut off". God will "break to pieces". God will "thunder against them".

Hannah's prayer finishes with an affirmation of what God will do. As we will see in the book of Samuel, the people were ready for a king; they were hungry for a king. In Hannah's prayer, I think the emphasis should fall on the word "his", used two times at the end of verse 10. He will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his anointed.

Hannah believed a king would come, and if he was truly God's king, God would empower him for the good of His people. The book of Samuel is about this very thing.

If what happened to Hannah happened to you, what would you say? This is how she responded.

III. Perspective: God is the Ultimate ‘Game-Changer’

But what does this mean for us, here, today? Well, as we've said in weeks past, when we ask questions about the significance of a verse or passage for us today we have to first figure out the significance of that verse or passage for the first readers of Samuel. We have to ask, "Why did the author of Samuel choose to include Hannah's prayer?"

I think the answer to that has to do with the unique way in which this unique God is presented in this prayer, this praise, this song. God is presented as the ultimate 'game-changer', isn't He?

Don't you like that term, "game-changer"? What is a "game-changer"? Well the term may have been coined by a sportscaster as a way of describing some event during a game that would or did drastically change the expected outcome of the game. A star player injured, a coach ejected, a change in the weather, a surprise interception. Any one of these things could alter the situation for the underdog team.

But, as Hannah expresses it here so clearly and powerfully, God is the ultimate game-changer. You see, human wisdom has a seriously flawed way of determining who will be the winner, even what it means to be the winner. Think about it.

They have a nice house and a nice car...they will be happy. She is pretty and slim...she will be loved. He has a long and impressive resume...he will get the job. He is assertive and confident...he will get what he wants. She has connections...it will work out for her. OR, I have a nice savings account...I will be secure. My kids are well behaved...they won't give me any trouble. I am young…I will enjoy a long life. I am a nice person...God will pat me on the back.

OR what about the other side of the coin? I’m always struggling financially…there is no hope. I never seem to feel good…there is no hope. I just can’t get pregnant…I just can’t find a job…I just can’t find a spouse…I just can’t…fill in the blank…there is no hope.

Hannah’s prayer is telling us, is reminding us, that God can change everything. No exceptions.

And this fact, this truth about God, expressed here, right at the beginning of Samuel, is demonstrated throughout the chapters to come. Hannah’s song is a warning, a comfort, and an explanation of what is to come.

We’ve already seen how Peninnah’s mockery has been overturned. We will see how Eli, the high priest, the judge of Israel will be brought down to the grave by God, him and his sons. We will see how the Philistines, who seem like the dominant military force, who even succeed in capturing the Ark of the Covenant, we will see how they will be brought low by God. There great god Dagon will be toppled…literally. And even the king that God gives the people, the king who stood head and shoulders about everyone else, the king who was victorious in battle, even he will be brought low. The bows of the mighty are broken…for not by might shall a man prevail.

But, barren Hannah has given birth. And her son, when he is only a child, her son who is not a Levite or a son of Aaron, he and he alone, will hear the voice of God. And later, this child, Samuel, when grown, he will anoint a new king for Israel, not one that looked physically impressive; a young man who was the youngest in his family, a shepherd boy…he will be the king that God blesses. And with one small stone, that young man, David, will kill the mighty giant Goliath.

You see, the Israelites, who thought they understood the game, who thought they knew what they needed, who proudly bet it all on their own wisdom, they needed to be shown that God was still in charge, and that God can change everything…that He is the God of “180’s”…that He is the ultimate “game-changer”.

Do you believe that?

But ultimately it wouldn’t be the son of Hannah who brought about the ultimate ‘game-change’. Samuel would be used by God as an example of the truths about which his mother prayed, but he wouldn’t, he couldn’t show us the real fullness of these words. It would be the son of another woman, a son who filled all of these truths, who filled them up to overflowing. And that woman prayed a very, very similar prayer.

“My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (Luke 1:46-55)

And the fullness that came because of that woman’s son, that fullness should change even how we understand Hannah’s words, how we define victory or success.

We heard from Hannah about strength and weakness, about plenty and want, about the rich and poor, about life and death, and about the low and exalted. Listen to what we read later in the Scriptures in light of Jesus Christ:

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (II Corinthians 12:10)

Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13, 14)

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you…“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:27, 35)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (II Corinthians 8:9)

Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? (James 2:5)

“For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it." (Mark 8:35)

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25, 26)

“And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

As God in human flesh, Jesus Christ is the ultimate game-changer. His death and resurrection make it possible for any of us, no matter our weakness, to say we are strong; no matter our poverty, to say we are rich; no matter our hunger, to say we are filled; no matter our shame, to say we are honored; no matter our loss, to say we have gained it all.

Only through Jesus can we say along with Hannah, “My heart exults [rejoices] in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies [sin and death and the devil], because I rejoice in your salvation. It’s all possible because God will give strength[he did give strength] to his king and exalt [he did exalt] the power of his anointed [his Messiah].”

IV. Practice: A Mouth Full of Good Theology

So, practically, what will it look like when we share Hannah’s perspective, when we know the fullness of that perspective in Jesus Christ? I think one of the many ways this perspective will be seen in our lives, one of the ways it SHOULD be seen in our lives, brings us back to our very first question this morning: “What would you say?”

When Hannah experienced what she did, she did not respond with words of dutiful resignation or with generic thanks to God. No, she responded with a mouth full of good theology.

She talked about the holiness of God, she talked about the justice of God, she talked about the all-knowingness of God, and she talked about the sovereignty of God, the fact that God really is in control and he, as Paul puts in Ephesians 1:11, “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”.

As we experience the grace of God in Jesus Christ, as we see God ‘change the game’ in his mercy, as we see God fill up out emptiness, as we continually give over to God everything that God has given to us, we should respond with rejoicing, AND rejoicing that reminds anyone we’re talking with that our God is a great God.

That’s what our brothers and sisters need to hear. That’s what the world needs to hear.

Let’s thank God for Hannah’s example this morning, for her perspective and her practice. And let’s thank God for Jesus, the King of kings, THE Messiah, who has ‘changed the game’ forever, for any who believe, and one day, for the whole universe.

other sermons in this series

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Preacher: Bryce Morgan Scripture: 2 Samuel 23:1–23:7 Series: Crying for a King (Samuel)

Jul 6

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Jun 1

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