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Thursday 12 December

Hannah’s Song

By Stephen Matthews

1 Samuel 2:1-10

A notable feature of Jewish poetry is parallelism of thought, often written in couplets: two statements, written in short lines, that go together. The two lines use different words to express, and repeat, the same meaning; a metaphorical echo. This is what we see in Hannah’s song. This is also a song of contrast and the reversal of fortune.

Take these two lines:
“He raises the poor from the dust,
Lifts up the needy from the dunghill”

The words here attributed to Hannah, are proclaiming that God can transform the circumstances of any person, even those living within the most entrenched social situations. As a childless wife, Hannah was living a life forlorn and unfulfilled; grieving the absence of her unborn children, and to add insult to injury, she was taunted for this. She was desperate and prayed with her whole heart. She vowed that if she were blessed with a child, she would give him to the Lord.

The exceptional birth of the boy to a mother who seemed unable to bear children, is a motif echoing that of the matriarchs Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. To be without children was considered humiliating, a suffering causing great distress. In her anguish she prays to God. Hannah’s prayers were answered, ‘the Lord remembered her’, and like many before her, she is blessed with a son, whom she then ‘lends’ to God’s service. Thus, Hannah’s son Samuel, whose name means ‘God has heard’, as a boy of around three years old was taken up to the temple at Shiloh, and was dedicated to God, as a priest.

Hannah’s song is thus thought of as a hymn of praise and thanksgiving, for God’s blessing.

Hannah’s Song introduces the first book of Samuel, one of two in her son’s name. The books repeat her theme of reversal in the rise and fall of Israel’s first kings: Saul and David. As Hannah asked God for a son, so the Israelites asked God for a king, and he heard their supplications. God instructs Samuel to anoint Saul. Saul is dedicated and God lifts him up, but Saul succumbs to his own arrogance, and so the mighty warrior king fails, and is thrown from his throne, and tragically dies. The second part of this book (2 Samuel) repeats the theme.

Despite being generally depicted in a favourable light, the deeply religious king David is raised from humble origins as a shepherd boy, before also abusing his power and privilege. From the height of his reign when he receives God’s promise that one of his descendants will establish an eternal kingdom, David sins, and although he repents wholeheartedly, David’s family and kingdom slowly self destruct. He is a broken man weighed down by the consequences of his sin. Samuel had warned the people that they would only benefit from a king who is humble and faithful to God.

So, at this point in the story of God’s relationship with the Jewish people we look forward to the coming of a new king, one who is humble and faithful full to God who will reign supreme over all peoples; a king of kings.

Our poetic parallelism returns with Mary’s singing the Magnificat in response to the promise of God, and another reversal. This time God drops down from the heavens above, and is to be born as a humble baby. Thus we are already familiar with the phrases and sentiments of Hannah’s song, as church choristers repeat the words Mary sings in the Magnificat, including:

“…lifted up the lowly,
God has filled the hungry with good things”

These words are Mary’s great ‘yes’ to carrying out God’s will; obeying what God asks of her. And so, in the great reversal of human fortunes, God came down from the heavens, and became incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.

In the New Testament Mary borrows the Old Testament words of Hannah. As Hannah’s words are an echo of what will come, they are most fittingly remembered in the season of Advent, as we too wait in hope and knowledge of what will come, this Christmas.

The words sung by Hannah, and later by Mary, speak of the power of God. From desolation to blessings, God reverses both personal plight and the whole social order. Hannah’s song is in response to a reversal of her personal fortunes. Mary’s song echoes and expands upon this theme.

Mary’s son is the one who is truly faithful to God, passing the tests of the wilderness and the Garden of Gethsemane, tragically dying, and going below, before rising up again on the third day. Jesus Christ, the anointed one, breaks the bonds of sin, and through him our fortunes are reversed and we are brought back into relationship with God. And thus the skies pour down their righteousness.

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1 Samuel 2:1-10

Hannah prayed and said,
‘My heart exults in the Lord;  my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,  because I rejoice in my victory.

‘There is no Holy One like the Lord,  no one besides you;
   there is no Rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

The bows of the mighty are broken,  but the feeble gird on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
   but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.

The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich;  he brings low, he also exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;  he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honour.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.

‘He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,  but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;
   for not by might does one prevail.
The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king,
   and exalt the power of his anointed.’