1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

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12 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 2007 EditionSamuel may have been as old as three years before Hannah weaned him and brought himto the sanctuary (v. 23; cf. 2 Macc. 7:27). The three-year-old bull and the flour (v. 24)were evidently for a burnt offering (an offering that represented the worshipper's totaldedication to God, Lev. 1) and for food respectively. 27 Hannah could have offered a lessexpensive animal sacrifice (Lev. 12:6), but she was very grateful.The beginning of Samuel's worship 1:28b"The future of the story now to be told in I and II Samuel concerns notonly the newly born son, but the rule of Yahweh to whom laments areaddressed and thanksgiving uttered. No wonder the narrative ends withyielding, grateful, trusting worship." 28The "he" who worshipped before the Lord (v. 28) may refer to Elkanah, the leader of thefamily and the main man in the context. It might also refer to Eli to whom Hannah wasspeaking. 29 I think it probably refers to Samuel, the most immediate antecedent of "he" inverse 28. If this interpretation is correct, this reference marks the beginning of Samuel'sministry that all of chapter 1 anticipates.Hannah obeyed the Mosaic Law when she fulfilled her vow (vv. 24-28). This contrastswith the disobedience of Eli's sons (2:11-36). In Deuteronomy 28 Moses predicted theoutcome of these two responses to God's Word, and the writer of this book illustrated it in1 Samuel 1 and 2.Hannah's obedience resulted in great blessing. God blessed her with fertility, He blessedher and her husband with this child and other offspring (2:20-21), and He blessed Israelwith a spiritual leader."This beautiful story of a faithful mother in Israel whom God honored bygiving her a son is the crown jewel in the argument of the book. Yahwehlooks for faithful, godly men and women whom He can set over HisPeople." 30Godly parents should give their children away—to the Lord for His service.2. Hannah's song 2:1-10Some commentators have seen Hannah's prayer as a non-essential song of praise includedin the text for sentimental reasons. But this magnificent prayer provides the key tointerpreting the rest of 1 and 2 Samuel. In this prayer, which contains no petition, Hannah27 The Hebrew word for flour used here, qemah, never occurs in a sacrificial context except once where it isunaccompanied by an animal sacrifice (Num. 5:15).28 Brueggemann, p. 39.29 Youngblood, p. 575.30 Homer Heater Jr., "A Theology of Samuel and Kings," in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, pp.121-22.
2007 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 13articulated her belief that God rewards trust with blessing. He turns barrenness intofertility, not just in her case but universally. Mary, the mother of Jesus, incorporatedsome of Hannah's song in her own "Magnificat" (Luke 1:46-55)."The Song of Hannah appears near the beginning of 1 Samuel, and theSong of David appears near the end of 2 Samuel. These two remarkablysimilar hymns of praise thus constitute a kind of inclusio, framing themain contents of the books and reminding us that the two books wereoriginally one. Both begin by using 'horn' (1 Sam 2:1; 2 Sam 22:3) as ametaphor for 'strength,' referring to God as the 'Rock,' and reflecting ondivine 'deliverance/salvation' (1 Sam 2:1-2; 2 Sam 22:2-3). Both end byparalleling 'his king' with 'his anointed' (1 Sam 2:10; 2 Sam 22:51)." 31Hannah praised God because He had provided salvation for His people (vv. 1-2). She hadlearned that God will humble people who view themselves as self-sufficient (vv. 3-4), butHe will help those who cast themselves on Him asking Him to provide what they need(vv. 5-8). Therefore the godly and the wicked will experience vastly different fates (vv.9-10). The Old Testament writers spoke of Sheol (v. 6), the abode of the dead, as thoughit was a huge underground cave where judgment takes place (cf. Deut. 32:22; Ps. 88:3-6;et al.). The whole point of this inspired poetic prayer is that people should trust in theLord. Hannah had done this, and God had blessed her miraculously.Hannah's song contains a reference to a king that God would raise up as His anointedrepresentative to lead Israel (v. 10). This is one of a few such references made by anordinary Israelite that God recorded in Scripture (cf. Judg. 8:22-23). God had revealedthrough Moses that in the future He would provide a king for His people (Deut. 17). Godrevealed His purpose to set up a king over His people as early as Genesis (Gen. 17:6, 16;35:11; 49:10; cf. Gen. 1:26-28). Hannah's reference to this king shows that the people ofIsrael looked forward to the fulfillment of that promise. Shortly after this the peopledemanded a king from God (8:4-7)."This is the first reference in the OT to the king as the anointed of theLord. Later, in the eschatological thought of Judaism, this expressionbecame the characteristic title of the expected Deliverer, the Messiah orthe Christ, who would alleviate world troubles in a Messianic era." 32The motif of God making the barren fertile in response to their trust and obedience runsthrough the rest of 1 and 2 Samuel (cf. Samuel). So does the corollary truth that God willmake the "powerful" who are not trusting and obedient infertile and ultimately dead (cf.Saul). Likewise the motif of the Lord's anointed king is a major one in 1 and 2 Samuel(cf. David). Thus this prayer prepares the reader for the rest of the book.In 1:1—2:10 we also find for the first time the reversal of fortune motif that is a majorliterary device in 1 and 2 Samuel. People apparently unimportant become important, and31 Youngblood, p. 579.32 Fred E. Young, "First and Second Samuel," in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 276.
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1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

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