Hannah's Prayer

The first book of Samuel opens with the brief history of a godly man called Elkanah, who lived in the time of the Judges. His lot was cast in a day of ruin as to God’s people generally, and the priesthood particularly. But this did not deter him from fulfilling the Word of God. He “went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh.” Mention is made of his family; he had two wives, Hannah and Penninah. The latter had children; the former none. These details are noticed to bring before us the peculiar circumstances of Samuel’s birth.

God had been pleased to deny Hannah the blessing of motherhood, to show her, we doubt not, that His intervention on behalf of His people, at a moment of crisis, would not be by way of the flesh, but by the exercise of faith. She had to learn that God would perfect His strength in her weakness. Hence she said, “by strength shall no man prevail.’’ This she learned in the fiery trial of faith.

But, in the trial, she had recourse to God in prayer. “She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.” “She spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard.” It was an unexpressed prayer, like that described by Montgomery:

"Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,

Uttered or unexpressed,

The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast.”

With her it was not a matter of simply saying a prayer, but of genuinely praying. There is all the difference. It is possible to express a desire and not feel it; on the other hand, to feel a desire and not express it. It is possible to pray “out of the abundance of words;” on the other hand, “out of the abundance of grief.” She said, “out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken.” This was genuine prayer that reached God’s ear and brought His answer.

Another mark of its genuineness was her continuance in it. She was importunate before God. She knew He would answer, and waited on Him for the answer. How different is this from mere formal prayer. One may formally ask God for something, without feeling any particular and pressing need of the thing that one asks; and when God remain silent, and withholds the answer, then one makes no further petition to Him. This is not faith; it is mere formality. When one asks God for anything in faith, one waits for the answer, and continues asking till one gets it. God has pledged Himself to answer such as pray to Him in this way. He will answer them that "cry day and night unto Him” (Luke 18:7). We may be sure God will always test our sincerity when we pray.

Hannah’s faith was tested; after that God gave His answer. And after she received His answer, her prayer gave place to praise. Her bitterness of soul was gone; the weight upon her spirit removed, her tongue set free; and an outflow of praise ascended from her heart to God. Then she spoke to Him in easy-flowing strains: "My heart rejoiceth in the Lord; mine horn is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy salvation.” In normal Christian experience praise follows prayer. We may be sure, therefore, that if we begin with prayer, we shall end with praise. In the prayer we may be grieved and sorrowful, but in the praise we shall be exultant with joy. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. God gives His people “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

But God did not allow Hannah to pass through trial, in order that she might simply get an answer to her prayer in the gift of children; He intended her to learn important lessons of Himself, such as she could never have learned in any other way. What we get by experience is ever our own. It is never forgotten.

She learned that He was holy. Hence He was far from the evil that brought dishonour to His name. The state of the people, and particularly that of the priesthood, was appalling. One could scarcely conceive a state of things more unholy, than that depicted in the closing chapters of the book of Judges, and that witnessed in the conduct of Eli’s sons, the Lord’s priests. Evidently the sense of God’s holiness was totally lost. And Hannah, living when all this was enacted, witnessing it in all its shame, learned the true character of God.

She learned too that He was a rock. So that in her trial she found in Him all her support. Her lot was cast in trying circumstances: in the home her adversary sorely tempted her; in the temple, the appointed place of worship, the priests caused God’s people to stumble by reason of their wickedness; in the nation at large, evil was rampant. She had nothing in which she could place confidence, save in God, her rock.

Moreover she learned that He was a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.

The general feeling in her day was just the opposite. It looked as if God did not take notice of the happenings; that man, therefore, bent on evil, could sin with impunity. Under this mistaken conception, as to God’s attitude towards evil, sin assumes a loose rein. If God takes no notice of evil, and requires no account thereof, why exercise restraint? This is the plausible argument by which the devil deceives evildoers. But faith knows, and Hannah knew, God does take cognizance of all that is going on in the world, and will require an account of it all in due time.

Now it is such a God that acts in power, not only killing—man can do that easily enough— but raising from the dead. He also acts in grace keeping the feet of His saints in all generations, acting on behalf of the poor who are downtrodden on earth. Yea, “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust.” They are His special care, for they have all their hope in Him. His strong arm acts on their behalf. Hannah experienced it, and so may we.

Her song of praise reaches its climax when she makes mention of God’s Anointed. “He shall give strength unto His King, and exalt the horn of His Anointed.” In point of fact, there was no king in Israel in Hannah’s day. Her faith, however, looked on to the time when there would be one. Then God’s suffering and afflicted people would be finally delivered from all their enemies, and reign in glory with Him.

This is the first mention of God’s Anointed in Scripture and His exaltation is the hope of His people. Hannah, a striking representative of the spared remnant, when nothing remained as to national testimony, had this experience of God, in delivering power, as to her circumstances of trial, and this sure hope in Him as to the establishment of His kingdom in power and glory. May we have the same.

(Notes of an address.)

Unknown