Hannah's Prayer.

by G. PRASHER, SR. | Category: The Last Of The Judges | Jun 1961

Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2 opens with the words, "My heart exulteth." "Exult" is from a word meaning, "to leap." What a change the salvation of the LORD had brought about! It makes one think of the lame man in Acts 3 who, knowing the salvation and healing power of the Lord, "leaping up, he stood, and began to walk, leaping, and praising God." Hannah's heart is leaping with joy. Her hope deferred so long had tended to sickness of heart (Proverbs 13.12); but now the desire having come, it is a tree of life. The heaviness in the heart of a man that maketh it stoop, had been removed by the good word that maketh it glad (Proverbs 12.25).

Then she says, "Mine horn is exalted." Earlier it was Peninnah's horn which was exalted, for she had both sons and daughters. It is written in the Psalms,

"Lift not up the horn: lift not up your horn on high; speak not with a stiff neck (margin, speak not insolently with a haughty neck). For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south, cometh lifting up. But God is the Judge: He putteth down one, and lifteth up another" (75.4-7).

So it is now Hannah's horn that is lifted high, but not with a stiff neck, it is "in the LORD."

Further, she adds, "My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies." Formerly with her heavy stooping heart she had but little to say; she was silent in her sorrow. Now with the load removed, with her heart leaping, her mouth is opened wide, and the LORD has filled it. Her mouth is enlarged over her enemies, and she has something good to say about her Deliverer.

"There is none holy as the LORD;

For there is none beside Thee:

Neither is there any Rock like our God" (verse 2).

Now Hannah seems to have Peninnah in her mind, for she proceeds,

"Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are 'weighed" (verse 8).

Yes, arrogance; the arrogant person is overbearing, presumptuous, haughty. It is the Spirit of God who gives us, through Hannah, this insight into what prevailed within that home in Ramathaim-zophim. The conceit and self-confidence of pride, with the presumption of arrogance, must have proved a combination of evils that fully accounted for the heaviness of heart in Hannah, even though she was conscious of her husband's love. The God of knowledge, who weighs actions, is her Vindicator, arid she tells how the LORD, who has set the earth upon its pillars, can turn the world upside-down to the dismay of His enemies. He deals with the mighty, and the stumbling; the full and the hungry; the barren and the prolific; He kills and makes alive; He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up; He maketh poor, and maketh rich; He bringeth low, and lifteth up

"the poor out of the dust, and the needy from the dunghill, to make them sit with princes, and inherit the throne of glory."

Sobering indeed are the words,

"By strength shall no man prevail. They that strive 'with the LORD shall be broken to pieces."

In closing her prayer Hannah gets away from herself and her horn to the horn of the LORD'S Anointed,

"The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength unto His King, and exalt the horn of His Anointed."

She has discovered the ONE whom the KING delights to hon6ur.

G. PRASHER, SR. | Jun 1961
The Last Of The Judges