1 Samuel 2:8b-10 Anointed, Messiah, Christ

“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.”“

‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s: Hannah was confident in God’s ability to humble the strong and exalt the weak because God is in control. If God were not in control, then perhaps the strong could do what they wanted, and God couldn’t stop them. Hannah knew that the foundation of the earth itself (the pillars of the earth) belonged to the LORD.

b. For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces: God uses His power to set things right. It isn’t enough for us to believe God has this power. We must know He will use it for His glory and righteousness.

c. He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed: At this time Israel did not have a king and didn’t seem to want one. So when Hannah spoke of His king she looked ahead to the Messiah, who will finally set all wrongs right. He is His anointed.

i. This is the first place in the Bible where Jesus is referred to as the Messiah. “She first applied to him the remarkable epithet MESSIAH in Hebrew, CHRIST in Greek, and ANOINTED in English, which was adopted by David, Nathan, Ethan, Isaiah, Daniel, and the succeeding prophets of the Old Testament; and by the apostles and inspired writers of the New.” (Hales, cited in Clarke)

ii. Zecharias, the father of John the Baptist, quoted Hannah in Luke 1:69 when he prophetically called Jesus a horn of salvation, quoting from 1 Samuel 2:10. Mary the mother of Jesus quoted Hannah’s song often (Luke 1:46-55) (Guzik)

Anointed, Messiah, Christ

When studying the Bible I am seeing Jesus Christ throughout all the Scriptures. The Angel of the Lord, Prophecies, Christophanies, Sacrifices and much more.

“By some counts, more than 300 Old Testament prophecies point to Jesus Christ and were fulfilled by Him in His life on earth.”

“Another way that Jesus is in the Old Testament is in the form of Christophanies—pre-incarnate appearances of the Son of God. The Old Testament uses the term angel of the Lord interchangeably with the Lord in reference to these visitations.”

https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-in-the-Old-Testament.html

“Scripture finds its focus and fulfillment in Christ. The real test of how deeply God’s word is dwelling within us is not our ability to articulate a story line but to see Jesus in all the Scriptures. He is not just the start of the Christian faith but the sum total of it. Aim to go deeper into Christ, not to move beyond Him.” (Alistair Begg)

Thank you for allowing me to send you this devotional as it helps me daily to stay focused on Jesus. Without it I would revert to my old self, deserving of a second death.

Blessings 

1 Samuel 2:4-8a Wait Humbly

 ”“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 borne 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.

‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The bows of the mighty men are broken:We should be humble before God because He knows how to humble the strong. Those who were full are now begging and she who has many children has become feeble. If we are strong or exalted now, we should keep humble because the LORD can change our place quickly.

b. Those who stumbled are girded with strength…. the hungry have ceased to hunger…. Even the barren has borne seven: We should be humble before God because He knows how to exalt the weak. If we are weak or in a low place now we should wait humbly before God and let Him lift us up (Luke 14:7-11).

c. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up: Hannah knew she was barren because the LORD had closed her womb (1 Samuel 1:6). She knew God first set her low and then brought her high. She could see the hand of the LORD in it all. (Guzik)

Wait Humbly

Waiting In our society is hard to do! But concerning the Lord, His timing is not ours. 

I once prayed for patience and the Lord taught me the hard way! 

I would have been better to wait humbly before God!

When we are weak and in a low place, we should wait humbly before God and let Him lift us up!

But will wait humbly?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 2:3 Arrogance and Pride

 ”“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.“ 

I Samuel‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Talk no more so very proudly: Hannah certainly had her rival in mind but she also saw Peninnah as a representative of all the proud and arrogant people in the world. Hannah wisely told the proud to talk no more and to let no arrogance come from your mouth. Pride can be expressed in many ways, but it usually is expressed by our words. It would be better if proud people just did not talk so much.

b. For the LORD is the God of knowledge: This, of course, is the best reason to forsake our pride. Next to God, we know nothing. He knows us, and by Him actions are weighed. (Guzik)

Arrogance and Pride

Talk of arrogance and pride seems to be everywhere today, in the news, social media and in public. 

I’m reminded of these particular verses,

”These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.“ ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬-‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When it comes to arrogance and pride we all could start with ourselves and look at our own reflection in the mirror and say, stop it!

Can you honestly say you don’t have any?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 2:1-2 Rock

 ”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.” I Samuel‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Hannah prayed and said: 1 Samuel 1:28 ended, So they worshipped the LORD there. This song records the worship Hannah offered on the very day she left her little boy – her only child – at the tabernacle, never for him to live in her home again.

b. My heart rejoices in the LORD: Hannah showed a depth of commitment and love for God that may humble us. On the day she made the biggest sacrifice of her life she rejoices in the LORD.

i. Notice though, that she rejoices in the LORD. She could not rejoice in leaving her son, but she could rejoice in the LORD. In the most desperate situations, when we have nothing else to rejoice in, we can rejoice in the LORD.

c. My horn is exalted in the LORD: The horn is used often as a picture of strength in the Bible (Psalms 75:4-5 and 92:10). This is because the strength of an ox or a steer could be expressed in its horn. Hannah spoke of strength and power being exalted in the LORD.

i. “We have often seen that horn signifies power, might, and dominion. It is thus constantly used in the Bible, and was so used among the heathens.” (Clarke)

d. I smile at my enemies: Hannah had a strong sense of vindication over her rival, Elkanah’s other wife named Peninnah. Peninnah cruelly brought Hannah low (1 Samuel 1:6-7), but now Hannah rejoiced because the LORD lifted her up.

e. No one is holy like the LORD: This shows a classic form of Hebrew poetry – repetitive parallelism. To say the LORD is holy is to say He is completely set apart; that He is unique, and not like any other. When she continued in the same verse and said, “For there is none besides You,” she said the same thing as “No one is holy like the LORD,” only saying it in different words. When she said, “Nor is there any rock like our God,” she again says the same thing in different words.

i. In this, Hebrew poetry does not rhyme words by sound as much as it rhymes ideas. The ideas of the three lines of 1 Samuel 2:2 all rhyme together, having different words yet “sounding” the same. (Guzik)

ROCK!

“God is the Rock of my salvation,” but what does it mean in the Old Testament?

“In the OT, salvation refers both to everyday, regular types of deliverance—as from enemies, disease, and danger . . . and to those major deliverances that are specifically interpreted as being a definite part of God’s unique and special involvement in human history as well as special revelations of his character and will” (The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, entry for “Salvation,” definition 1, p. 1272).

”The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In the New Testament as Jesus begins His ministry, His disciples did not understand that He was The Living Sacrifice. But after Jesus’ life, death on the cross, and resurrection, all doubt was removed, they understood His mission. 

The spiritual Rock they had always worshiped had now become the physical Rock. 

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples’ bold preaching demonstrates their certainty that Jesus truly was this same Rock.

“Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone’” Acts 4:11

”Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.“

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.

He is precious!

IS Jesus your Rock of Salvation?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 1:24-28 Worship

 ”Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, 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.“

‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬-‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. She took him up with her: This was hard for Hannah and Elkanah. Their willingness to fulfill the vow even at great personal cost is evidence of godliness in Elkanah and Hannah.

b. With three bulls: The fact that 1 Samuel 1:24 mentions three bulls brought to Shiloh but 1 Samuel 1:25 mentions only one being sacrificed (with some of the meat available for a fellowship meal) emphasizes that one of the bulls was specifically made as a burnt offering for the cleansing and consecration of little Samuel.

c. I also have lent him to the LORD: The idea was not that Hannah “owned” the child and “lent” him to the LORD. Instead, the idea is that the child is her “prayer,” or the fulfillment of her prayer to the LORD.

i. The name Samuel means “Name of God” but Hannah – as was common among the Hebrews – made a pun on the name by saying that she had “asked the LORD for him.” Asked in Hebrew sounds like Samuel.

d. So they worshiped the LORD there: Worship is a repeated characteristic of this family (see also 1 Samuel 1:3, 19, 28). Even in difficult situations, they could worship the LORD. Praising God on the day you give your little son away may not be easy, but it is praise God is pleased with, even as we are told to bring a sacrifice of praise to God (Hebrews 13:15).

Worship

Worship for Christians is an important part of faith. It is communion with the Holy Spirit in praising and singing to the Lord. Recently we started leading a Life Recovery Bible Group at church and I selected 3 worship music videos with lyrics which are projected on the wall of the chapel using the chapel’s computer, sound and video systems. After last Thursday’s meeting I had several members asking for the name of the songs and artists of the music videos. 

They said they were moved during worship with the selections.

Do you participate in worship at church?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 1:21-23 That he may appear before 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 Elkanah 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.“

‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Until the child is weaned: In that culture, a child was usually not weaned until two years of age, or sometimes three years. It is reasonable to assume that Hannah was in no hurry to wean Samuel.

b. Only let the LORD establish His word: This was wonderful counsel from Elkanah. He said, “do everything in obedience to God so we may see His word established among us.”

That he may appear before the Lord

Hanna was preparing her son that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever and serve Him in the temple. 

In the similar way, we that are born again Christians are preparing to appear before the Lord when we leave this earth and remain there forever in the service of the Lord in the kingdom of God.

”Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’“ John‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If you are not preparing to appear before the Lord, where do you believe that you will remain forever?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 1:19-20 Faith and Patience

 ”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.”“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped: Hannah could genuinely worship the LORD in faith while the promise was still not yet fulfilled. This is a glorious pattern of faith.

b. And the LORD remembered her: To use the term remembered is an anthropomorphism, a way of explaining God’s actions in human terms that we can understand, even if it doesn’t perfectly describe God’s action. It isn’t as if God ever forgot Hannah, but it is proper to say He remembered her.

c. It came to pass in the process of time: It didn’t happen right away. Hannah had reason enough to be discouraged, but when the promise of God was spoken she did not lose faith in the promise, even when it took some time. She is a great example of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12). (Guzik)

”that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.“ Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Patience is not an easy thing for us! It wasn’t easy for Abraham and Sarah but Hannah had a promise to patiently lean on and didn’t loose faith. 

I once prayed for patience and with that prayer the Lord taught me what patience really was by testing me to my limits!

With my faith in Jesus, I hang on patiently to the promise of what is to come! My home is not of this earth but in heaven and when I take my last breath on earth it will be my first breath in heaven!

When you take your last breath on earth, will your first breath be in heaven or where the rich man ended up?

Blessings