1 Samuel 2:1, 2 says...

Today's verses are 1 Samuel 2:1-2 which read,


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."

Some things to put these verses into context.  Hannah so desperately wants a child and she is so dearly loved by her husband Elkanah.  Hannah's name means "grace."  Hannah's womb was closed up by God for a purpose, much like Sarah's was closed during the time of Abraham and the miraculous birth of their son Isaac.  This situation led her to fasting and praying even during the festival times when it was designated time to celebrate.  There was an answer to her prayer and she came birth to a son and named him Samuel which literally means "name of God" or "heard by God."  Hannah had made a vow to God that this child would serve in the tabernacle and so after he was weaned which would have been maybe 3 years, Samuel was given to Eli the priest.  Hannah has given up her only son for the service of the Lord.
Are you starting to see a picture of Jesus here?  Before Christ the world had been barren, closed up by God for 400 years of silence from Him before Jesus came.  From God's "grace" came One who would be the "name of God" and this child was the only Son of the Father dedicated to fully serve God and His people.  Now look again at her song of thanksgiving.

"My heart exults (rejoices) in the LORD; my horn (my shine or strength) is exalted in the LORD, my mouth speaks boldly (broadly) against my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation (deliverance)."
    
So Hannah's heart and her attitude and her mouth are engaged in something bigger than the child that she is handing over to Eli in the tabernacle.

"There is no one holy (sacred, set apart) like the LORD, indeed, there is no one besides (except) You, nor is there any rock (large block of stone) like our God."
   
Someone was set apart that is exclusive that is described as a rock.  Jesus was sacred and set apart (without sin) that no one comes to the Father except through Him and on this rock (the statement that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God) will rest His church.

Hannah was describing what that salvation at the end of verse 1 looked like and would be.  Read the rest of her song from verse 3 through 10 and see how she is talking about those who follow the Lord and those who don't follow the Lord.  Do you continue to see Christ in her song?

The Old and New Testaments tie together and what was once just a great story that we learned in Sunday School now comes alive when we see that God had been speaking of this Jesus for a long time before His coming.

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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