There Is None Holy as the LORD

TEXT

1 Samuel 2:1 — “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.”

1 Samuel 2:2 — “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”

1 Samuel 2:3 — “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”

1 Samuel 2:4 — “The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.”

1 Samuel 2:5 — “They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.”

1 Samuel 2:6 — “The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.”

1 Samuel 2:7 — “The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.”

1 Samuel 2:8 — “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.”

1 Samuel 2:9 — “He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.”

1 Samuel 2:10 — “The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

INTRODUCTION

Hannah’s prayer begins with the LORD answering one woman’s grief, then reaches outward to the way He rules over strength and weakness, life and death, poverty and riches, saints and wicked men, and finally His king and His anointed.

1 Samuel is Book 9 of 66; this is chapter 2 of 31 in 1 Samuel and chapter 238 of 1,189 in the Bible. Chapter 1 tells how Hannah was barren while Peninnah provoked her year after year. Hannah prayed, the LORD gave her Samuel, and she brought Samuel to Shiloh and lent him to the LORD as long as he lived. Chapter 2 opens after Hannah has received the son she prayed for and surrendered that son to the LORD.

The rest of 1 Samuel will repeatedly show the pattern Hannah sings about: outward strength can fall, the lowly can be raised, and the LORD determines the outcome. Hannah begins where every one of those truths begins: “My heart rejoiceth in the LORD.”

I. THERE IS NONE HOLY AS THE LORD — VERSES 1-3

1 Samuel 2:1 — “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.”

Hannah had prayed for a son, and the LORD gave her Samuel. Now she has brought Samuel to Shiloh and given him to the LORD’s service. Her first words are still, “My heart rejoiceth in the LORD.” Twice she says “in the LORD.” Samuel was the gift; the LORD was the source of her joy.

“Mine horn is exalted” pictures strength and dignity being raised. Hannah had lived under years of provocation; now the LORD had vindicated her. Her mouth is enlarged because she can speak openly of what God has done. “Salvation” here is the LORD’s deliverance in her affliction. When God answers prayer, let the answer turn our hearts toward the One who answered.

1 Samuel 2:2 — “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”

Hannah moves from her deliverance to the character of the LORD. He is holy, set apart from every rival. “There is none beside thee” explains His uniqueness, and “neither is there any rock like our God” speaks of strength, stability, and security.

Deuteronomy 32:4 — “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”

People change. Circumstances change. Human strength fails. The Rock remains true, just, and right. Hannah can surrender Samuel and still rejoice because her confidence rests in the LORD Himself.

1 Samuel 2:3 — “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”

Proud speech is foolish before “a God of knowledge.” The LORD knows what people cannot see, and He weighs actions correctly. Peninnah’s provocation belongs in the immediate background, but Hannah’s warning reaches every proud mouth. Human applause, reputation, position, and success never overturn the LORD’s judgment. Walk humbly before the God who knows the truth.

II. HE BRINGETH LOW, AND LIFTETH UP — VERSES 4-8

1 Samuel 2:4 — “The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.”

The first reversal concerns strength. The mighty man’s bow, the weapon of his power, is broken. The one who stumbled is “girded with strength”; strength is put upon the weak one. Visible strength never makes a man independent of the LORD.

1 Samuel 2:5 — “They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.”

The reversals move into ordinary life. The full become needy enough to work for bread; the hungry have their hunger ended. Hannah then uses the condition she knew personally: “the barren hath born seven.” Later this chapter records Samuel plus three sons and two daughters for Hannah—six children. Seven here pictures abundant fruitfulness rather than a literal count.

Hannah’s experience supplies the language, but the song has grown wider than her household. Present abundance gives no ground for pride, and present lack does not place anyone beyond the LORD’s rule.

1 Samuel 2:6-7 — “The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.”

Now the repeated subject is named plainly: “The LORD.” His rule reaches from life to death, poverty to riches, and being brought low to being lifted up. Even the grave lies beneath His authority.

“He bringeth low, and lifteth up” controls this whole section. It humbles the person who is high and steadies the person who is low. Wealth gives no man independence from God, and poverty puts no one beyond His care.

1 Samuel 2:8 — “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.”

Hannah stretches the reversal from dust and the dunghill to princes and a throne of glory. Then she gives the reason with “for”: the earth belongs to the LORD, and He has set the world in its place. The pillars picture an established world under His rule. The God who owns the world is not limited by the low place we can see.

When God lifts you up, stay humble. When you are brought low, keep trusting Him. Neither position changes who rules.

III. BY STRENGTH SHALL NO MAN PREVAIL — VERSES 9-10

1 Samuel 2:9 — “He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.”

“He will keep the feet of his saints.” Feet picture a person’s steps and course. The LORD keeps His people while the wicked, who spoke proudly earlier in the song, are finally silenced. His keeping is real even through trouble; the strength of the wicked does not control the final outcome.

“By strength shall no man prevail” becomes a key to the book. Eli’s sons hold priestly position while Samuel is a child. Saul will look impressive while David is overlooked. Goliath will tower over David. Visible power cannot overrule the LORD.

1 Samuel 2:10 — “The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Hannah began in verse 1 with “mine enemies.” She ends with “the adversaries of the LORD.” Her prayer has moved from one household to “the ends of the earth.” The LORD is Judge over all.

Later in this same book Hannah’s language is acted out:

1 Samuel 7:10 — “And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.”

Hannah speaks of “his king” and “his anointed” before Israel has a king. Samuel will anoint Saul and then David, and the royal line ultimately leads to Christ, the promised Davidic Messiah. The prayer closes where it began: Hannah’s horn is exalted in verse 1, and the horn of the LORD’s anointed is exalted in verse 10.

Verse 9 says man cannot prevail by strength; verse 10 says the LORD gives strength to His king. Strength given by the LORD serves His purpose.

CONCLUSION

Hannah could surrender Samuel because her confidence was bigger than the circumstance that had once consumed her. She knew the LORD as the holy God, the Rock, the God of knowledge, the One who brings low and lifts up, the Keeper of His saints, and the Judge whose rule reaches to the ends of the earth.

That leaves no safe place for pride and no good reason for despair. If you are strong, remember where strength comes from. If you are low, remember who can lift up. If people misjudge you, remember the God of knowledge. If the future looks stronger than you are, remember that “by strength shall no man prevail.”

Hannah’s prayer teaches us to place the weight of our confidence where circumstances cannot move it. Trust the Rock, walk humbly before Him, and rejoice in the LORD. There is none holy as the LORD.