Hannah’s Song (1 Sam 2:1-10)

Hannah’s Song, which reads like a psalm, may remind us of the Beatitudes about the blessedness of those who are poor, who weep, who hunger and the reversal that comes in their receiving the kingdom of God, laughing and being satisfied, while the rich go hungry and end up mourning (Luke 6:20-26). This thought pattern has become so familiar and something of a cliché for Christians that it is difficult to recapture its edge. A subtle shift has taken place these days that skews our reading because many treat being poor or on the margins as an automatic entry point into the kingdom of God as if somehow such a state was a qualification for God’s blessing.

The truth is though that there were many barren women in Hannah’s time and not all came to bear children. There are also many in poverty today whose status will never be reversed by God, certainly not in the sense the song describes. What makes the difference then? Hannah acknowledges that the Lord gave her strength (horn here is a symbol of this) and He is the source of her deliverance (1 Sam 2:1-2). The advantage of being helpless is that we can see more clearly God’s hand, but trust not poverty is the key. Conversely, the trouble with having power is the temptation to attribute our success to ourselves and boast (1 Sam 2:3). That perspective may only be corrected when we lose what we have, hence the reversals mentioned in different areas: military, economic and social (1 Sam 2:4-8).

Imagine a company representative acting as if he owned the company. He will soon be demoted to learn his true status. We, too, as human beings have only delegated authority in ruling over creation as God’s representatives (Gen 1:26-28). Just recently I heard a debate on voluntary euthanasia, a hot topic in NZ as the country is about to vote on the associated bill in a referendum. A man suffering from cancer was on a panel of four and almost thumped with his fist on the table that he had the right to choose the circumstances of his death so that he could die in dignity. We desperately want mastery over our life (and death), yet along comes a global pandemic and we are brought to realise how little control we have.

The real issue then is our attitude. It is possible to be rich and powerful and still recognise that such achievement is due to God’s gracious gifts in giving life, abilities, health, strength and the kind of circumstances that allow for such developments. Conversely, it is not inconceivable to be poor, powerless and bitterly jealous of those who have more in possessions or status, rather than trusting God. In the story of 1 Samuel, we shall see two kings, both from humble and insignificant backgrounds, yet one (Saul) will forget the true source of his power and rebel against God’s authority, while the other (David) will acknowledge it and be ultimately rewarded (1 Sam 2:9-10).

Hannah’s Song then reflects on the issue of power and powerlessness and the difference that trusting in the Lord makes. The themes she sounds in the song will reverberate throughout the story of Israel’s first kings and beyond them in our own lives. Where do we find ourselves on the spectrum of what we have? Can we acknowledge God as the source? This need not be false modesty. After all, our actions and attitudes make a difference in how our life turns out and this can be recognised too. It is not enough to receive gifts and talents, they have to be developed and used and so we have a responsibility in what we do, as Jesus’ parable of the talents indicates (Matt 25:14-30). Neither should acknowledgement of our helplessness mean becoming a victim and doing nothing. Hannah’s story demonstrates that trust in the Lord leads to hope and appropriate action.

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