Joy Nugget #19: Hannah on Joy II

So what does Hannah do? She breaks out in spontaneous praise and rejoicing! Stop for a moment and read her song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. No, really, stop and read it. OK, I’ll print it here for you:

"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. 3 " Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the LORD is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed. 4 " The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength. 5 "Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes. 6 " The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 " The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8 " He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He set the world on them. 9 " He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail. 10 " Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed."

When I ponder the circumstances of Hannah’s life, coupled with the way that she reacted in her story, I am floored. I try to put her words in my mouth, and I am struck: there is no doubt that long before this event took place, she has long been cultivating a heart of worship. It’s not something she drums up in the moment. The rejoicing is the overflow of the heart soaked in the promises and trustworthiness of God.

Two observations about her praises:
-She rejoices because she is keenly aware of how God has blessed her personally.

-She rejoices because she knows how her ‘little story’ is connected to God’s bigger story. In fact, there is not yet a king in Israel, but she knows that God will exalt “His anointed” – this word is mashiyach … in English, Messiah. While God has blessed her personally, she knows it is much bigger than her. She is banking on it.