I Samuel 2:1-10

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 honor.
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.”

Right before Christmas during Advent, we hear Mary's Magnificat: the beautiful song of praise and thanksgiving that Mary exclaims after being told by the angel Gabriel about the blessing that is about to befall her for the sake of the world.

Mary's song echoes this similar prayer by Hannah, the mother of the priest/prophet, Samuel. As the members of my Thursday morning Bible Study can tell you (since we just talked about Samuel last week), 1 Samuel is one of my favorite books in scripture. Part of what I love about it is the great drama unfolds between some of God's greatest characters: Samuel, Saul, and David. It's really Shakespearian in its unfolding.

But before these giants take the stage, a humble woman begins the story. It all starts with Hannah - a woman who wished to have a child.

For both Mary and Hannah, their children were unexpected. Mary's because she was young and unmarried; Hannah's because she was barren. And yet both women rejoice in God's faithfulness in similar ways.

They both see God's dream for the world unfolding in the act of their surprising pregnancies. They both acknowledge God's power and God's desire for justice. In both prayers we see God's love for the lowly. The humble. 

God doesn't act in the ways we expect. Turn on the TV and see how our political system lifts up the powerful and the rich.

But God, according to two lowly, humble, women, surprises us by mixing it up. By showing power in ways we don't expect.

Up to and including through the birth of small, helpless, unexpected babies.

We often think we know what to expect with God.

But God will surprise us over and over again.

Can we, like Mary and Hannah, sing praise to God for that?

Lord, you surprise me daily. Thank you! Amen.