Hannah Exalts the Lord in Prayer
2:1 Hannah prayed, “My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted high because of the Lord. I loudly denounce my enemies, for I am happy that you delivered me.
Hannah praised Jehovah in prayer. Mary, the mother of Jesus, would incorporate some of this prayer into her song of triumph.
Hannah rejoiced in Jehovah. Her horn was a metaphor for strength and power. Her strength and power were exalted, because Jehovah denounced Hannah’s enemies. Hannah’s main enemy was her rival Peninnah. Jehovah delivered Hannah from Peninnah’s taunts by giving her a child.
2:2 No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one other than you! There is no rock like our God!
Hannah’s prayer glorifies many of the attributes of God. First, he is holy, or set apart from all of creation. There is only one God, so he is one of a kind. He is a solid foundation in which a person can stand upon without sinking or falling down.
2:3 Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly, letting proud talk come out of your mouth! For the Lord is a God who knows; he evaluates what people do.
Hannah warned Peninnah not to speak so arrogantly against her. The words of Peninnah’s mouth were filled with pride. Peninnah did not need to be evaluating Hannah. God knows Hannah better than anyone. God was the only one who could evaluate Hannah.
2:4 The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.
After Hannah gave birth to five children, Peninnah’s bow was shattered.
2:5 Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food, but the hungry no longer lack. Even the barren woman gives birth to seven, but the one with many children withers away.
God often reverses human circumstances. He humbles the proud and exalts the humble. This is what God did with both Hannah and Peninnah.
2:6 The Lord both kills and gives life; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
Hannah believed that Jehovah was able to raise the dead.
2:7 The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy; he humbles and he exalts.
Jehovah is the one who gives wealth or takes it away. Jehovah gives wealth to some so that they can share their wealth with others. However, man is so totally depraved and evil, that he hoards the wealth for himself and allows others to suffer.
2:8 He lifts the weak from the dust; he raises the poor from the ash heap to seat them with princes and to bestow on them an honored position. The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the world on them.
Jehovah elevates the poor out of poverty. He decides who will be rich and who will be poor.
2:9 He watches over his holy ones, but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness, for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.
Jehovah watches over His elect. The wicked will never choose God on their own. The wicked talk a lot now, but they will be speechless when they are thrown into utter darkness. Neither the wicked or the righteous can prevail by their own strength.
2:10 The Lord shatters his adversaries; he thunders against them from the heavens. The Lord executes judgment to the ends of the earth. He will strengthen his king and exalt the power of his anointed one.”
Jehovah will shatter His enemies. He attacks them from the high ground of heaven. Jehovah will judge all who have ever lived upon the earth. Jehovah will strengthen His king. He will exalt His anointed one.
Who is the king in which Jehovah will exalt? In Hebrew, “the anointed one” is מָשִׁ֫יחַ (maschiach), meaning the Messiah. Jehovah will exalt King Jesus as the מָשִׁ֫יחַ (maschiach).
Hannah ended her prayer with a prophecy of the coming Messianic King.
2:11 Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision of Eli the priest.
Eli began training Samuel for his future role.
Eli’s Sons Misuse Their Sacred Office
2:12 The sons of Eli were wicked men. They did not recognize the Lord’s authority.
The Book of Judges ended with “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (Judges 21:25). The priests also did as they saw fit. Corruption had invaded the Levitical priesthood. Eli’s two sons were Levitical priests, but they were unbelievers. They were using the benefits of the priesthood for their own selfish ambitions.
2:13 Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way: Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand.
The priests were so corrupt and so brazen, that they misused their authority in front of the people during holy sacrifices to Jehovah.
2:14 He would jab it into the basin, kettle, cauldron, or pot, and everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they used to do to all the Israelites when they came there to Shiloh.
Part of this sacrifice belonged to Jehovah, part to the priests, and part to the families who were making the offering. Eli’s sons took whatever they wanted right in front of the eyes of the people.
2:15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, “Hand over some meat for the priest to roast! He won’t take boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
The priests made rigid and ungodly demands of the people.
2:16 If the individual said to him, “First let the fat be burned away, and then take for yourself whatever you wish,” he would say, “No! Hand it over right now! If you don’t, I will take it forcibly!”
The priests threatened violence against the families making their sacrifices. The priests were acting like kings who were exacting tribute from their subjects.
2:17 The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.
The priests were supposed to be examples to their people. Jehovah took notice of their actions.
2:18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod.
Eli failed to discipline his own sons. However, Eli did continually train little Samuel.
2:19 His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it up to him at regular intervals when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice.
Hannah would visit her son at least three times per year. She always brought him new robes.
2:20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord raise up for you descendants from this woman to replace the one that she dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would go to their home.
Eli asked Jehovah to bring Hannah more children.
2:21 So the Lord graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the Lord’s sanctuary.
Hannah gave birth to five more children. The family of Samuel was applying bible doctrine, while the family of Eli was falling more into rebellion.
2:22 Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel and how they used to have sex with the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
Eli’s priestly sons engaged in ritual fornication inside of the holy tabernacle at Shiloh. This ritual was closely associated to the Canaanite cultic practices which took places in their prostitution temples.
2:23 He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these people.
Eli questioned his sons, but he refused to discipline them.
2:24 This ought not to be, my sons! For the report that I hear circulating among the Lord’s people is not good.
According to the Mosaic Law, his two sons should have received capital punishment by stoning.
2:25 If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord, who then will intercede for him?” But Eli’s sons would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided to kill them.
The two sons of Eli had committed the sin unto death. Since Eli refused to discipline his sons, Jehovah would do it for him.
Many believers with strong bible doctrine believe that this sin unto death judgment by God is very similar to that of homosexuality today. Since nations will not execute capital punishment on homosexuals, then God is executing the homosexual community by the AIDS virus. Much of the world’s economy is being drained by finding a cure that most likely does not exist.
Satan promotes the homosexuality agenda, because he knows that it will destroy societies and bring God’s wrath upon nations, families, and individuals. AIDS research drains the economy, making the citizens more reliable on government aide. Eventually, the Antichrist will most likely manufacture an economic crisis, making the nations desperate enough to trade in their national liberties for a world wide dictatorship. Homosexual hate laws are already being enforced to silence preachers who teach the anti-sodomitic truths which are recorded in the Word of God. Any politician or any member of the electorate who supports same-sex marriage is making himself an ally of Satan and an enemy of God.
2:26 Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.
The sons of Eli were were being criticized by the people. Thy were about to be slain by God. In contrast, Samuel was growing in bible doctrine and finding favor in the people.
The Lord Judges the House of Eli
2:27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not plainly reveal myself to your ancestor’s house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?
God sent a prophet to Eli. The prophet began his message by reminding Eli that the Levites were called out of Egypt to become priests to Israel.
2:28 I chose your ancestor from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites.
Out of all of the tribes in Israel, God chose the Levites. They were chosen to become priests to God, to offer sacrifices, to burn incense in the Tabernacle, and to wear the ephod. The ephod gave the Levites direct communication from God. The Levites also were supported by all of the offerings of Israel.
2:29 Why are you scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’
The Levites were scorning the sacrificial system which pointed to Christ. Eli honored his rebellious sons more than he has honored Jehovah. The people were making their sacrifices to God, but the Levites were stealing them away from God.
2:30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be! For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!
Eli’s house would come to an end.
2:31 In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength and the strength of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house!
God will remove Eli’s house from the Levitical priesthood.
2:32 You will see trouble in my dwelling place! Israel will experience blessings, but there will not be an old man in your house for all time.
Eli’s house will go through much trouble. There will be trouble at the Tabernacle in Shiloh. Israel would experience blessings, but the House of Eli would not. The descendants of Eli would all die at very young ages.
2:33 Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause your eyes to fail and will cause you grief. All of those born to your family will die in the prime of life.
Eli’s descendants would either be blinded or live very short lives.
2:34 This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die!
Whenever God’s prophets predicted the future, they would give a long-time prophecy which was supported by a short-time prophecy. The purpose of the long-time prophecy was to give the listeners plenty of time to repent and turn back to God. The purpose of the short-time prophecy was to confirm that the prophet was speaking from God. If the short-time prophecy was fulfilled, then the people would know that the man was an actual prophet of God. They could now expect the long-time prophecy to be fulfilled as well. The prophecies must reach fulfillment 100% of the time, or the prophet was stoned.
Modern charismatic prophets do not follow these prophetic principles today, because they are false prophets. They just make a prophecy and expect the people to be gullible enough to believe it.
Satan can assist these modern false prophets sometimes by causing some of their prophecies to take place, but not always. For example, demons can overhear men speaking about assassinating President Kennedy. The demons reveal this information to Jeanne Dixon. She makes a broad prediction. The assassination takes place. It appears that Jeanne Dixon is a prophet of God. She was actually a servant of Satan who used demonic information to make her speculations. The public does not have enough bible doctrine to know the difference, so they become more gullible and began buying her books. These books lead others to white magic, which is a softer form of satanism. The purpose of these books is to lead the biblically ignorant away from Christ and into soft satanism. Soft satanism is often disguised by such names as white magic, astrology, clairvoyance, hypnotism, new age, tarot cards, crystal balls, Ouija boards, etc.
2:35 Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynasty and he will serve my chosen one for all time.
Jehovah will raise Him up a faithful priest who will serve God forever as a dynastic king. This priest is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is prophet, priest, and king. He was prophet at His first coming. He is currently God’s High Priest in heaven, interceding for the believers at the right hand of God. He will return as King of kings and Lord of lords.
2:36 Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little money and for a scrap of bread. Each will say, ‘Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread.’”
The house of Eli will be driven into poverty.