Learning How To Pray Pt. 45 Hannah Praises The Providential Care Of Jehovah

Hannah's prayer is filled with a perception of God's tender care and awesome splendor. 

The battle always belongs to Jehovah.

1 Samuel 2:4  The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. 

The picture is of Jehovah fighting for His people when they are in distress. When God fights for His people, even the strongest of enemies cannot prevail. 

The historical narratives contain many accounts of Jehovah fighting for His people. He called men to go to battle and they obeyed.

He used timid men like Gideon, young men like David, and leaders like Joshua to prepare for battle. Then, Jehovah went before His people to fight for them. 

Abraham defeated a vastly superior army with 318 men (Genesis 14).

Jehovah drowned Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea (Exodus 14). 

Jehovah pulled down the walls of Jericho when the people shouted (Joshua 6).

Gideon took 300 men and defeated a vastly superior army (Judges 7-8). 

Young David defeated Goliath and Israel was victorious over the Philistines (1 Samuel 17). 

The angel of the LORD slaughtered an army of 185,000 Assyrians (2 Kings 19:35). 

Jehovah rained down massive hailstone upon an Amorite army (Joshua 10:11). 

Jehovah dropped great thundering upon the Philistine army (1 Samuel 7). 

Jehovah caused an enemy army to smite themselves with their own swords (See Judges 7:22; 1 Samuel 14:20).

Hannah remembered what Jehovah did to Pharaoh and how He fought for Joshua. She prayed prophetically about future battles, when Jehovah would fight for His people and when Messiah would rule and reign. 

In this petition, she echoes the prophet Zechariah who said "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6. See also 1 Samuel 17:47).

Hannah's prayer reminds us that our battles belong to the Lord. Our duty is to obey Jesus Christ, the Captain of our salvation. We are to go where He wants us to go and to do what He wants us to do. We are His soldiers. 

Jehovah cares for the poor and for barren wives. 

1 Samuel 2:5  They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. 

Hannah's prayer is filled with praise for the providential care Jehovah has for His redeemed people. 

Those who were wealthy and lacked nothing, were brought down low, so that they had to find work in order to buy bread. 

Those who lacked the basic essentials of life, were lifted up by God's providential care, and their needs were met. 

The second part of this text addresses Hannah's barren condition and God's provision for her. 

Hannah was barren, but God gave her Samuel, along with five additional children, three sons and two daughters (See 1 Samuel 2:21; Psalm 113:9). 

Empty homes are filled with children and large families diminished. Hannah's son Samuel would be greatly used of God, but we do not hear anymore about Peninnah or her children. She waxed feeble. 

Hannah speaks of herself as the barren woman who hath borne seven children. It pictures her receiving a quiver full of children from the LORD. 

Hannah was once bitter and barren, but God heard her cries and blessed her with children. Now she was greatly blessed and fulfilled. 

This figure of speech reminds us of Elkanah telling Hannah that he was better to her than ten sons (1 Samuel 1:8). 

God's providence lift ups the humble and brings down the proud.

1 Samuel 2:6-7  The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 7)  The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

History is full of men who became wealthy at the expense of oppressed or poor people. God will ultimately hold them to account.

Notice, God makes both the rich and the poor. He is not against wealth, but he is against those who are proud because of their wealth. The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).

God allows some believers to have more resources than others, but they are not to hoard it for themselves. Rather, He will use them to be a blessing to others who have needs. 

God watches over the poor and needy and He will exalt them according to His sovereign purposes. He uses weak, feeble people like us to accomplish His kingdom purposes. 

Why? So that no man has anything to glory of, for all glory and honor belongs to God (See 1 Corinthians 1:26-29).  

We must be content to cast our cares on the Lord, just as Hannah did in her first prayer.  

God's good providence in human affairs.

1 Samuel 2:8  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

Hannah gives a picture of the perilous plight of the poorest people. They are mired in the dust and dunghill, which adds misery to their already wretched condition.

Yet, in His law, God makes provision for the poor, the needy, the oppressed, the fatherless and the widows. 

There are many examples of God’s providence in raising a person from the lowest estate to the highest, from the dungeon to the throne. 

Job experienced being brought low through no fault of his own, and he experienced vindication and was exalted by God. 

Joseph was wrongly sold into slavery, wrongly imprisoned, but ultimately vindicated by God and placed second to Pharaoh in power (See Genesis 40-41). 

God's promises to keep us safe for all eternity. 

1 Samuel 2:9  He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 

Jehovah will keep the feet of his saints. This pictures the protecting hand of our Great Shepherd, who will not allow an enemy to harm His sheep. 

Believers in Christ are safely gathered in the Father's hand and no man or devil can dislodge us (John 10:28-29). Our feet are firmly planted upon Jesus Christ, our Rock and we will not slide. 

More evidence of God's tender care for us is recorded by the Psalmist. He tells us that when he was old, he never saw the children of God forsaken, or saw them begging for bread (Psalm 37:25).

Our God will provide and supply for all our needs (Philippians 4:9; 13). 

Messiah will come as King and judge the nations. 

1 Samuel 2:10  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed. 

Hannah's closed her prayer with the assurance that the wicked will be judged by Jehovah. A day of final judgment will arrive, and none shall escape God's wrath for their sins. 

All Jehovah's enemies shall be utterly destroyed. This is the first text in the Old Testament that speaks of Israel's Messiah. It is the first place we find "His anointed" which repeatedly refers to Messiah. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Hannah's prayer reminds us that we are involved in spiritual warfare, and that the battle belongs to the LORD. 

Hannah's prayer reminds us that God is against the proud but He gives grace to the humble. 

Hannah's prayer reminds us that God cares for the poor, needy, the orphans and widows. If God cares about their needs so should we.

Hannah's prayer highlights the good providence of God's care, throughout human history. 

Hannah's prayer reminds us that we must have our gaze fixed upon the things of God, rather than the things of this world. 

Jesus Christ will return one day as Judge and King. Our task until He calls us home, is to be His faithful witnesses and to keep His commands. 

May we praise God for His tender care over us, and for the security of our salvation through faith in Christ.

May we pray for God's strength each day so that we are prepared for the spiritual warfare that is all around us. 

May we ask God to point out any pride in our lives, so that we might confess and forsake this sin.

May we be humble servants of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bob