Little People in God's Big Story

LITTLE PEOPLE IN GOD’S BIG STORY

An Exposition of 1 Samuel 2:1-10

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date: December 5, 2021

Series: Advent

Note: Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

Holy Scripture says:

¹ And Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
    my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because I rejoice in your salvation.

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

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 horn of his anointed.” (1 Samuel 2:1-10)

This is the Word of the Lord, and it is for our good. Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for Holy Scripture. And Father, we pray that these words would dwell richly in our hearts, transform our lives, draw us near to the Savior, and equip us to walk in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. In his name we pray, amen.

INTRODUCTION

I titled this sermon “Little People in God's Big Story”. Little people become surprising participants in the big story as they entrust themselves to the Lord God Almighty. Or to put it another way, the Lord God Almighty graciously shows up in big ways in the lives of his faithful little ones and he gives them an honored place in his story.

Little people, loved and lifted up by a big God.

Little people like Mary, a teenage girl, a virgin, not yet married, from an ordinary Jewish family – and the Lord works it out so that she becomes the mother of our Lord Jesus.

Little people like Elizabeth, Mary's older relative who was barren into her old age, but in her old age the Lord gave Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias a son, John the Baptist, who was a great prophet and who prepared Israel to receive their King.

Little people like Sarah, who was also barren and in her old age. And yet the Lord had given her husband Abraham a promise that through them a great nation would come into existence, but they had no son. But in their old age, the Lord showed up and brought forth Isaac, born to Sarah and Abraham.

Little people, drawn into God's big story.

We see this same dynamic going on with Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2. Before we get into the specific circumstances that gave rise to Hannah's prayerful proclamation in Chapter 2 – that's really what it is, a proclamation prayerfully made in the presence of God – before we get into those specific circumstances, I want you to understand the big story that she is getting drawn into.

Understanding the Times in which Hannah Lived

Here are several observations from that time period.

First of all, you have to go back a couple of books to the Book of Judges, because that really is the time period that we're still dealing with here. It was a very dark time in Israel's history. There was a lot of apostasy and unbelief and turning away from the Lord. The Book of Judges ends by telling us: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) And that wasn't working out so well.

Secondly, look at 1 Samuel 2:12, which says, “Now the sons of Eli were worthless men.” His sons, these worthless men, were the priests at the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And so, the priesthood – at least in Shiloh – was corrupt. Instead of facilitating the worship of God's people, Eli's sons were using their priestly office for their own selfish ends.

Thirdly, revelation from God was rare in those days: “And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” (1 Samuel 3:1) We were made to live in response to the Word of God – to God’s direction and promises – and yet he had withdrawn his Word from this corrupt generation of Israelites.

Fourthly, very soon the people are going to insist on having a human king. This happens in 1 Samuel 8. Now there's actually nothing wrong with them having a human king. A human king for Israel is envisioned in earlier books from the Bible. But nevertheless, in that specific moment of 1 Samuel 8, the people were not walking in faith. They were not taking God at his Word. They actually were turning away from the Lord, and they wanted a human king who would fight their battles for them in the place of God. They were actually rejecting the Lord as their King.

Fifthly, the Lord gave them a king after they demanded one. And their first king, Saul, became an unmitigated disaster. He started off well enough, but quickly got off track and devolved further and further until his entire life was characterized by rebellion and wickedness against the Lord.

Sixthly, for understanding the times during the kingship of Saul, we do well to understand that Goliath, the Philistine giant, was trash talking the people of Israel. And do you think King Saul and the people of Israel clothed themselves in the strength of the Lord and walked confidently in their God? No. In the face of Goliath, “Saul and all Israel… were dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11).

Finally, and on a more encouraging note, a better king was waiting in the wings. The book between Judges and 1 Samuel is Ruth. Why is Ruth in the Bible? Mainly because Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, married Boaz, the family’s kinsman redeemer. Ruth and Boaz became parents to Obed, who became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David, who became king. That's why Ruth is in the Bible. David emerges in 1 Samuel as the better king – the king who is a man after God's own heart – who will come in and replace Saul.

As for Hannah, she is barren. She wants a baby. What in the world does a seemingly unimportant woman named Hannah – whose pressing concerns are barrenness and futility – what does she have to do with Israel's big story? Well, as it turns out, a whole lot.

THE CONTEXT OF 1 SAMUEL 1

In order to understand 1 Samuel 2:1-10, we need to understand the background that unfolds in 1 Samuel 1. I'm not going to take time to read the whole chapter. Let me summarize it and call your attention to a few verses.

Many of you probably are familiar with 1 Samuel 1. Hannah was married to a man named Elkanah. She wasn't Elkanah’s only wife, however. Now God's design is for one man and one woman. Polygamy is not in accordance with God's design, but sometimes it did happen. Sometimes it still does happen in some parts of the world. And when it does happen, you can expect a lot of political intrigue in the family. Peninnah is Elkanah’s other wife. Peninnah was fruitful in that she had several children, both sons and daughters. Hannah on the other hand was barren, and aside from the general normal disappointment that any woman would have, in that day there was really a profound sense of shame and unfulfillment for a woman if she didn't have any children. So, Hannah was disappointed. She experienced shame. But to make matters worse, Peninnah liked to rub it in:

^“And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her.” (1 Samuel 1:6-7)

So Hannah is being verbally abused – you could even say persecuted – by Peninnah on one occasion after occasion. And it's really causing Hannah deep grief (1 Samuel 1:7). And so as you go on in Chapter 1, Hannah pours out her soul before the Lord (1 Samuel 1:15). She takes her burdens to the Lord. Remember, little people become surprising participants in God’s big story as they entrust themselves to the Lord. And that's what Hannah does:

“She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” (1 Samuel 1:10-11)

She made a vow: Lord, if you'll give me a son, I will give him to you in consecrated service. That phrase about no razor touching his head seems to be a reference to the Nazarite vow, thus indicating a heightened level of consecration and devotion to the service of the Lord. And as Chapter 1 continues to unfold, the Lord remembered Hannah and opened her womb and gave her a son named Samuel (1 Samuel 1:19-20), which shows us that the Lord hears and answers prayer.

And as Chapter 1 concludes, Hannah keeps her vow. Samuel has been weaned. This weaning would have taken place at an older age than we are accustomed to in our country in the 21^st century. But even so, this is remarkable. Maybe Samuel was around 4 years old, give or take, and Hannah presents Samuel to the temple and places him into the care of Eli to henceforth live and grow up at the house of the Lord in Shiloh. (1 Samuel 1:21-28)

Can you imagine? My four-year-old growing up in a situation like that, would not be a good situation. The only way it would be a good situation is if the Lord's hand was in it, and the Lord's hand was evidently in it. Hannah keeps her vow. She presents Samuel to Eli the priest. And Hannah is just full of thanksgiving to the Lord. And that brings us to her prayer – her prayerful proclamation – in Chapter 2.

HANNAH’S PRAYERFUL PROCLAMATION

So, let's walk through this prayerful proclamation.

Part 1: Hannah Rejoices in the Lord (v. 1-3)

To begin with, Hannah rejoices in the Lord and in what he has done for her (v. 1-3). She exults in the Lord. She is rejoicing in the Lord’s salvation. Here, salvation or deliverance is not referring to deliverance from sin and death (which is the ultimate form of salvation), but is referring to a temporal deliverance. The Lord has delivered Hannah from her barrenness, from her shame, and from the ridicule of her enemy Peninnah.

The Lord has remembered her and saved her and honored her and made her triumphant. Therefore Hannah says, “My mouth derides my enemies” (v. 1). It literally means ‘my mouth is open wide’ or ‘my mouth is large’ against my enemies. And we have to understand this in terms of what was happening in Chapter 1, when Peninnah was the one opening her mouth wide against Hannah in order to ridicule her and poke fun at her. Now, the tables are turned. The Lord has delivered Hannah, and now Hannah's mouth is open wide against her enemies. Well, who are her enemies? Enemy Number One is Peninnah. And what does she say? Now Hannah is making this prayerful declaration in the presence of God, but it is as if she is speaking to Peninnah in verse 3. What does she say?

“Talk no more so very proudly,

let not arrogance come from your mouth” (v. 3).

In Chapter 1, Peninnah’s mouth was open wide against Hannah. Now the tables have turned and now Hannah's mouth is open wide against Peninnah. Is that okay? What makes it okay for Hannah to open wide her mouth against Peninnah, but what makes it wrong for Peninnah to open her mouth wide against Hannah? Well, the answer is clear. Peninnah’s ridicule of Hannah was motivated by a fleshly sense of superiority. Peninnah was looking down on Hannah because of Peninnah’s own conception of her own success.

But what is the basis of Hannah speaking boldly against Peninnah? What does it say? “My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation” (v. 1, italics added). This isn't a matter of a personal vendetta. This is about the Lord showing up to save his people, lift them up, rescue them, and set their feet on a rock. And when that happens, it is profoundly right to speak forth the praise of God and thanksgiving to God, and express your joy in God and to do that in the presence of your enemies.

Notice that Hannah's joy is God-centered. She “exults in the LORD” and “[rejoices] in your [the LORD’s] salvation” (v. 1, italics added) In verse 2 she says, “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” God is utterly unique. He stands alone as the refuge and strength of his people. The reason why she puts Peninnah and any other enemy on notice is because of the holiness of God.

What does Hannah say at the end of verse 3? Why should proud and arrogant people shut up? Because it says in the second half of verse 3: “for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” The Lord knows about that pride, about that arrogance, about that selfish ambition, about that vanity – and the Lord will bring judgment on the proud, as Hannah's prayer goes on to tell us.

Hannah Celebrates the Lord’s Sovereign Actions (v. 4-8)

Let's move to the second part of Hannah's prayerful proclamation. Now Hannah celebrates the Lord's sovereign actions which turn the world upside down (v. 4-8). She calls attention to a number of beautiful and profound reversals.

Reversal #1: “The blows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength.” (v. 4) This reminds us of Mary's prayer in Luke 1: “he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate” (Luke 1:52).

Reversal #2: “Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.” (v. 5) This also reminds us of Mary's prayer: “he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” (Luke 1:53) And remember what we learned in the Gospel of Mark: blind Bartimaeus comes to Jesus and asks for his sight, and he gets healed and he follows Jesus on the road to Jerusalem (Mark 10:46-52); but the rich man shows up with his hands full of possessions, and he walks away spiritually empty because he couldn't let go of his possessions (Mark 10:17-23).

Reversal #3: “The barren has born seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.” (v. 5) The number ‘seven’ is probably a reference to completeness. In fact, Hannah went on to have five more children, so she had six total (1 Samuel 2:21). This barren woman became a fruitful mother by the grace of God.

Reversal #4: “He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherited seat of honor.” (v. 8) Do you remember Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan? He was orphaned at a young age, crippled and lame in both feet, and lost his inheritance. King David remembered his covenant with Jonathan reached out to Mephibosheth, restored his family's possessions, and gave him a perpetual seat at his table. Mephibosheth “ate always at the king’s table” (2 Samuel 9:13). This is a beautiful, beautiful picture of 1 Samuel 2:8.

Now let’s look at verses 6-7, which I had skipped in the above mention of four reversals. In verses 6-7, Hannah is celebrating the fact that the Lord is sovereign over every circumstance, over every condition, and over every reversal of fortune, such as the reversals that she talks about in verses 4, 5, and 8. What does she say?

“The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.” (v. 6-7)

We are not self-made people who are in charge of our own destiny. And if you think that you are – if you are one of those proud and mighty and self-satisfied and full of yourself kind of people – then the Lord is going to bring you down. But if you are poor and needy and lowly and looking to the Lord to fill your empty cup, then the Lord is going to lift you up.

That said, the main point of verses 6-7 is: the Lord is sovereign over every circumstance and over every change of circumstances. And this confidence in the Lord's sovereignty did not keep Hannah from pouring out her heart to the Lord and asking him to change her circumstances (which she did in 1 Samuel 1:11). Believing in the sovereignty of God doesn't mean you just sit back on your couch and resign yourself to the idea that ‘since God is going to do what he is going to do, there is no point in asking him for anything.’ That mindset is not what the author of this prayerful declaration believes. She sought the Lord earnestly and asked him to show up, and he did.

Going ahead now to verse 8, we learn that the Lord's sovereignty is tied to the fact that he owns this world: “For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and on them he has set the world.” (v. 8) This world – and every part of it – belongs to the Lord, and he can do with it as he pleases.

It is interesting how Hannah's prayer sets the stage for the entire book of 1 Samuel. If you think about how the Lord “brings low and he exalts” (v. 7), keep that phrase in your head, and go over to Chapter 2 for a moment. You see, Eli the priest and his sons – they are not cutting it. They are not faithful. The sons in particular are very corrupt. They have to go. What is the Lord going to do? Well, he has a word for Eli:

“Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.” (1 Samuel 2:31)

Then go down to verse 34:

“And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind.” (1 Samuel 2:34-35)

The worthless sons are going to be brought low. A faithful priest is going to be raised up.

Later, Saul – the first king – becomes a wicked and worthless king. Do you know what is going to happen to him? He is going to be cut down. And a shepherd boy is going to be raised up.

This is what is going on in the Book of 1 Samuel. This is what is going on in Hannah's prayer.

Hannah Declares the Lord’s Resolve to Exalt His King, Guard His Faithful People, and Cut Off the Wicked (v. 9-10)

Finally, we come to the third part of Hannah’s prayerful declaration, in verses 9-10. Here Hannah declares the Lord's resolve to exalt his King, guard his faithful people, and cut off the wicked.

I want you to notice something about this prayer. It really ties in with my theme that little people become surprising participants in God’s big story as they entrust themselves to the Lord. A number of years ago, I attended a Workshop on Biblical Exposition in Columbus Ohio. Many of you know that I attend these workshops, in one location or another, on an annual basis. The Columbus workshop, which happened in the fall of 2013, was my second workshop. Pastor David Helm was the primary instructor, and I was blown away by his instruction and insights from the Book of 1 Samuel. And one of the things I remember is how he called attention to the fact that Hannah's prayer starts with a focus on how the Lord has worked in her life, but her prayer ends with this big view of how the Lord is working in the entirety of his kingdom. Let me show you this in a couple of ways.

First, in verse 1 Hannah says: “my horn is exalted in the LORD.” The Lord had made her triumphant. But how does her prayer end? Verse 10 concludes: “he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” Her prayer ends with this confident assertion that the Lord is going to make his anointed king triumphant.

Second, in verse one Hannah’s mouth derides her enemies: “My mouth derides my enemies”. But whose enemies is she talking about in verse 10? In verse 10 she says, “The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces”.

So, Hannah rightfully begins with an awareness of how God is working in her life, but then she travels a line of thought where she ends up thinking about the big things that God is doing in his administration of the entire world. And there's a lesson in that: go beyond the working of God in your own life, and be diligent to see and understanding the big things that God is doing in the entire world.

As for the wicked, what is going to happen to them? They are going to be “cut off in darkness” (v. 9). “The adversaries of the LORD” are going to be “broken to pieces” (v. 10), and we see this unfold throughout the Book of 1 Samuel. Eli and Eli's sons all die in Chapter 4. The Ammonites are struck down in Chapter 11. The Philistines are defeated in Chapter 14. The Amalekites are defeated in Chapter 15. Saul neglected to put King Agag to death. How does Chapter 15 end? With Samuel hacking Agag to pieces (1 Samuel 15:33). “The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces.” Goliath is struck down and his head is cut off in Chapter 17. King Saul is wounded by archers and then finishes the job by falling on his own sword, and then his head is cut off, in Chapter 31.

Take heed to the warning: The Lord has appointed a day when he will judge the world in righteousness by the man that he has appointed – by Christ Jesus, the Messiah and King and Judge (Acts 17:31). Those who do not know the Lord will be crushed on that day. On the other hand, what does the Lord do for his faithful ones? It says in verse 9: “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones”. Now faithfulness requires that we walk diligently in all of God's ways, but faithfulness especially means that we honor and take refuge in the Lord's anointed king. And this theme runs throughout the Book of 1 Samuel. You see, Hannah prays for the king – for the king that God has appointed. David is the God-appointed king in the most immediate sense. Hannah prays for God's king to be exalted and made triumphant. And remember this: as it goes with the king, so it goes with the kingdom. As it goes with the head, so it goes with the body. As it goes with the king, so it goes with the people.

So, Hannah prophesied about David in 1 Samuel 2:10. Samuel anointed David in 1 Samuel 16:13. Jonathan, at great personal cost, befriended David in Chapters 18-20. Abiathar the priest fled to David in Chapters 22-23. Abigail had a worthless husband, but Abigail made peace with David in Chapter 25. Mephibosheth “ate always ate at the king’s table” (2 Samuel 9:13). Do you see? Faithfulness to God means being rightly related to, and taking refuge in, and remaining loyal to his appointed king. In a limited and immediate sense, David was the king that God had appointed. But in an ultimate sense, Jesus is the King that God has appointed. And our well-being is tied to being in fellowship with the King.

As we are in fellowship with the King, the Lord guards our feet and preserves our lives. King Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit, and after he made purification from sins, he was raised from the dead and exalted to God's right hand. And it says in the Gospel of John:

“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:10-13)

In 1 Samuel 2:9, after telling us that God’s faithful ones will be guarded but that “the wicked shall be cut off”, Hannah then declared “for not by might shall a man prevail.” Are you trying to prevail by your own might? By your own wisdom? By your own effort? Or do you know yourself to be barren and hungry and feeble and weak and poor and needy and lowly? The stunning thing is that to such little ones who trust in the Lord, the Lord shows mercy and kindness. The King is gracious to you. The King is merciful to you and strengthens you and makes you a part of his family.

Let's pray.

Father, I pray that Hannah's prayer would remind us that you are present with your people, that you are at work in our lives, that you are willing to take the smallness of our lives and display your glory and your power and your strength through us, so that we would have some part to play in the administration of your kingdom. Father, we pray that you would exalt the name of Jesus. Exalt the name of Jesus in this congregation. Exalt the name of Jesus in Western Maine, in New England, throughout our country. Father, we pray that the adversaries of the Lord would be convicted that it's all going to come to nothing, unless they turn to the Lord. Father, I pray that you would guard our feet, establish our steps, make us faithful to declare the words of the Lord. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.