Hannah’s Prayer of Thanksgiving
(Luke 1:46–56)
At that time Hannah prayed: Luk 1:46-56Psa 13:5Isa 12:2-3Php 4:6Psa 92:10Psa 89:17Php 4:4Psa 20:5
“My heart rejoices in the LORD
in whom my horn 1is exalted.
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
for I rejoice in Your salvation.
There is no one holy like the LORD. 2Sa 22:32Isa 44:6Psa 86:8Exo 15:111Pe 1:16Jer 10:6Psa 89:8Isa 57:15
Indeed, there is no one besides You!
And there is no Rock like our God.
Do not boast so proudly, 1Ki 8:39Pro 8:13Pro 24:12Jud 1:15-16Heb 4:12Pro 16:21Sa 16:7Dan 4:30-31
or let arrogance come from your mouth,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by Him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken, Psa 37:15Psa 76:3Php 4:13Psa 46:92Co 12:9Heb 11:34Isa 10:4Psa 37:17
but the feeble are equipped with strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for food, Jer 15:9Luk 1:53Psa 113:9Psa 34:101Sa 1:6Isa 54:1Luk 16:251Sa 1:20
but the starving hunger no more.
The barren woman gives birth to seven,
but she who has many sons pines away.
The LORD brings death and gives life; Deu 32:39Isa 26:192Ki 5:7Job 5:18Jon 2:2-6Rev 1:18Jhn 5:25-29Hos 6:1-2
He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; Psa 75:7Deu 8:17-18Job 5:11Jas 4:10Job 1:21Jas 1:9-10Isa 2:12Psa 102:10
He humbles and He exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust Psa 113:7-8Dan 2:48Jas 2:5Dan 6:31Sa 15:17Ecc 4:14Rev 1:62Sa 7:8
and lifts the needy from the ash heap.
He seats them among princes
and bestows on them a throne of honor.
For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s,
and upon them He has set the world.
He guards the steps of His faithful ones, Psa 91:11-12Psa 121:3Psa 33:16-171Pe 1:5Job 5:24Psa 37:28Psa 94:18Psa 97:10
but the wicked perish in darkness;
for by his own strength shall no man prevail.
Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. Psa 2:9Psa 89:24Exo 15:6Psa 18:13-14Psa 96:131Sa 7:10Psa 20:6Psa 21:7-9
He will thunder from heaven against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth
and will give power to His king.
He will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest. 1Sa 2:181Sa 3:11Sa 1:281Sa 1:191Sa 3:15
Eli’s Wicked Sons
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD Rom 1:28-30Jer 2:82Co 6:15Jdg 2:10Rom 1:21Hos 4:6-9Jhn 17:3Jhn 16:3 or for the custom of the priests with the people. Lev 7:29-34
When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 1Sa 2:29Exo 29:27-28Isa 56:112Pe 2:13-15Lev 7:34Mal 1:10
Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” Lev 3:16Lev 3:3-5Php 3:19Rom 16:18Jud 1:12
And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!” Lev 7:23-25Lev 3:161Pe 5:2-3Jdg 18:25Mic 2:1-2Mic 3:5Neh 5:15
Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they 2were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt. Mal 2:7-9Gen 13:13Gen 6:11Mal 2:132Ki 21:6Gen 10:9Isa 3:8Mat 18:7
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod. 1Sa 3:1Exo 28:41Sa 2:112Sa 6:141Sa 22:181Ch 15:271Sa 2:28Lev 8:7 Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 1Sa 1:31Sa 1:21Exo 23:14 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD. 3” Then they would go home. 1Sa 1:27-28Luk 2:34Gen 14:19Gen 27:27-29Num 6:23-27Rut 2:12Rut 4:111Sa 1:11
So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Luk 2:401Sa 3:19Gen 21:11Sa 2:26Jdg 13:24Luk 1:80Luk 1:681Sa 1:19-20
Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Exo 38:81Sa 2:13-17Jer 7:9-101Sa 8:1Ezk 22:26Hos 4:9-11
“Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people. 1Ki 1:6Act 14:15Act 9:4Isa 3:9Jer 3:3Jer 8:12Php 3:19 No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people. 1Ki 13:18-211Ki 15:301Sa 2:171Sa 2:221Ti 3:72Co 6:82Ki 10:312Pe 2:18 If a man sins against another man, God 4can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” 1Sa 3:14Heb 10:26Jos 11:20Num 15:301Ti 2:5Pro 15:10Heb 7:252Ch 25:16
But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man. Luk 2:52Luk 2:401Sa 2:21Act 2:47Luk 1:80Rom 14:18Pro 3:3
A Prophecy against the House of Eli
Then a man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s house? Jdg 13:61Ki 13:1Deu 33:1Exo 4:14-16Exo 4:271Sa 9:41Ti 6:112Pe 1:21 And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire. Exo 28:1Lev 8:7-8Num 18:19Exo 28:4Lev 10:14-15Lev 2:10Lev 2:3Lev 6:16
Why then do you kick at 5My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’ Mat 10:371Sa 2:13-17Deu 32:15Ezk 34:2Luk 14:26Mal 1:12-13Deu 12:5-6Mic 3:5
Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: Jhn 12:26Jer 18:9-10Pro 3:9-10Mal 1:62Ch 15:2Isa 29:13Psa 50:23Psa 91:14
‘I did indeed say that your house
and the house of your father
would walk before Me forever.
But now the LORD declares:
Far be it from Me!
For I will honor those who honor Me,
but those who despise Me will be disdained.
Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no older man will be left in your house. 1Sa 22:17-201Ki 2:26-271Ki 2:351Sa 14:31Sa 4:11-201Sa 4:2Ezk 30:21-24Ezk 44:10 You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age. Zec 8:41Sa 4:11Psa 78:59-641Ki 2:26-271Sa 4:221Sa 4:4 And every one of you that I do not cut off from My altar, your eyes will fail and your heart will grieve. 6 All your descendants 7will die by the sword of men. 8 1Ki 2:26-271Ki 1:191Ki 1:71Sa 22:21-23Mat 2:16-18
And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day. 1Sa 4:111Ki 13:31Sa 4:171Ki 14:121Sa 3:12
Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one for all time. 2Sa 7:271Ki 11:382Sa 7:111Sa 25:28Heb 7:26-28Psa 18:501Ch 29:221Ch 6:8-15
And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’” 1Ki 2:271Sa 2:29-30Ezk 44:10-12Mal 1:13