Hannah's Horn

And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.” 1^st Samuel 2:1 (NKJV)

In the Old Testament a horn always symbolized strength. Hannah’s horn was the strength of the LORD. He is the only strength we can fully trust in to give us exactly what we need. That is, not always what we may want but always what He knows we need.

We saw that the LORD worked miraculously for Hannah and Elkanah. After Samuel’s birth God give them five more children. In her prayer of praise and thanksgiving in speaking of smiling at her enemies she makes a clear reference to her rival Peninnah. It is notable that the Lord put an end to Peninnah’s vicious verbal assaults, and her name is never again mentioned in Scripture.

In giving Hannah a son, He was also giving Israel what He knew the nation needed. It was at the end of the time of the Judges where people did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). As the last judge of Israel Samuel’s call was different as he was also a priest to the nation.

Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phineas, were priests but they were also wicked and unprincipled extortionists, using the priesthood to threaten and cheat their fellow Jews for gain and using women for sexual exploitation.

Eli knew what they were doing, and he reprimanded them, but he was very old (v. 2:22) and it was too little too late. Even as the rebuke came from the high priest of Israel the men ignored him and continued to blaspheme the LORD. But Eli was held accountable for not reigning them in sooner. God would demand their lives and declared an end of Eli’s priestly line which came some 130 years later in the time of King Solomon (1^st Kings 2:26,35). God proved He reigns in power and authority throughout all time.

Dare we hope He is able and willing to do the same for us in our day? Scripture tells us we can. We may see people pulling a Hophni and Phineas con but nothing gets by the eye of the Lord. He never changes and righteous judgment is an absolute aspect of His character. He not only will judge righteously but currently is judging righteously.

As Corrie Ten Boom said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.” We can trust in His horn of strength and there is rest and refreshing in that.

Ken