1 Samuel 2:1-11: The Rule of God
There are two threads that run through Hannah’s prayer, and she weaves them together into one cord that sets the scene for the entire story. The first strand is the rule of God.
Hannah begins with her personal joy in God’s salvation (v1) then moves to describes the God who saves. She starts with the incomparable God (v2): he is holy, on his own, one of a kind. He is unique, unparalleled, and unequalled. There is nothing and no one like him. In verse 3 she speaks of the knowing God, who weighs actions. Like a judge, scrutinising, studying, and weighing up the evidence to see if it matches the legal standard. He measures and marks our actions.
He is the unrivalled judge, who intervenes in the lives of men and women. In verses 4-8 we see the extent of his rule. He rules over military forces, breaking bows and strengthening the feeble (v4). He rules over food, emptying the full and filling the empty (v5a). He rules over fertility (v5b). Here is an obvious reference to Hannah’s own situation. The reference to bearing seven is not literal, but refers to completeness. The God who rules has brought Hannah to fullness of family.
Then we come to the stark and staggering words of v6-7. Every life that is taken – the LORD’s doing. Every life that is given – the LORD’s doing. Every penny that comes in – the LORD’s doing. Every penny that does not come in – the LORD’s doing. Every moment of glory – the LORD’s doing. Every act that humbles – the LORD’s doing.
Our loved ones that are gone, who took them? “The LORD kills”. The loved ones we’re worried about: “the LORD brings down to Sheol (death or the grave)”. The children we never had: “the LORD brings to life”.
“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and on them he has set the world.” (v8b) The whole world sits on his foundation. He built it, he put it together, he set all the rules in place. In verses 6-10 there are 58 Hebrew words. 18 of them are actions that the LORD performs. The LORD reigns. Not one bird falls from the sky apart from him. Not one cell is infected apart from his will. Not one breathe enters our body apart from him.
Questions
- How would you explain God’s holiness (verse 2) to a child?
- Why is it a comfort that God rules over all things, “upholding, directing, disposing and governing all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest to the least, by his most wise and holy providence” (Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 5.1).
Prayer Points
- Pray for the people in your life who need to know that God rules over them and their circumstances.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.