Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
1) Why was Hannah moved to worship God in this way?
2) What do we learn about how to worship God through Hannah’s song?
3) What does Hannah’s worship reveal about her heart?
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Hannah prayed:
My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horn is lifted up by the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one besides you!
And there is no rock like our God.
3 Do not boast so proudly,
or let arrogant words come out of your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and actions are weighed by him.
4 The bows of the warriors are broken,
but the feeble are clothed with strength.
5 Those who are full hire themselves out for food,
but those who are starving hunger no more.
The woman who is childless gives birth to seven,
but the woman with many sons pines away.
6 The Lord brings death and gives life;
he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up.
7 The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the trash heap.
He seats them with noblemen
and gives them a throne of honor.
For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
he has set the world on them.
9 He guards the steps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked perish in darkness,
for a person does not prevail by his own strength.
10 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered;
he will thunder in the heavens against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give power to his king;
he will lift up the horn of his anointed.
Original Intent
1) Why was Hannah moved to worship God in this way?
1 Samuel 1 reveals the background to Hannah’s beautiful hymn of worship. For years, Hannah had longed and prayed for a child. As the barren, second wife of Elkanah, she had lived in perpetual torture by the fertile and cruel Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife. Then in a moment, her whole world changed: God promised her a child. Some time later, she became pregnant. Her broken heart, anguish and resentment (1 Samuel 1:15-16) were replaced with strength, joy and peace. Hannah had promised to give her child to God as a gift back to Him. Her son would be His servant in the temple, if He would answer her prayer. The words of her worship come as she is taking Samuel to the temple as a young boy to live with Eli the priest, fulfilling her vow to the Father. (1 Samuel 1:24-28) In a moment of great personal sacrifice, Hannah worshipped God because of His work on her behalf. He had removed her shame from being barren (a common cultural belief), and had taken away her sorrow from being childless. Though she was leaving her son behind, her focus remained on God and His provision in her life.
2) What do we learn about how to worship God through Hannah’s song?
Think about where Hannah was at the moment she voiced this song…she was leaving her son behind! Let that sink in. What Hannah knew in the moment was that God had been faithful, and she would be faithful to her promise. In her song, Hannah worshipped God for who He is, in both character and attributes. She acknowledged God as her salvation (verse 1); for being altogether different from other gods; for being her rock (verse 2); and for being the God of knowledge (verse 3). She spends the rest of her song explaining how He has a plan, is in complete control, and will see that justice is done (verses 4-10). She demonstrates a deep trust in His plan beyond anything she can fathom on her own. Hannah knew what she had promised to God, and she was committed to following through, yet she did not know how God would ultimately put her sacrifice to use. Samuel would grow up to play a pivotal role in Israel’s history, serving as the nation’s last judge and ushering in a new era with King Saul being anointed to lead God’s people. (1 Samuel 7-9)
3) What does Hannah’s worship reveal about her heart?
This worshipful response shows us that Hannah worshipped God from a heart grounded in truth. She was well-balanced in the truth about God and the truth about herself. Hannah was solid in her understanding of God’s character and the fact that He is in control of everything (verses 4-10). Even more, she was clear in her need to remain humble (verse 3), acknowledging God’s holy perfection. Hannah’s accurate view of herself allowed her to fully trust in God and find herself in a place of rejoicing and strength, despite the fact that she was about to leave her child in the care of another.
Everyday Application
1) Why was Hannah moved to worship God in this way?
How often do you worship God because of His work in your life? Really think for a moment. Like Hannah, we must learn to thank God regularly for His work in our life and on our behalf. Do you wait for God to do something major? Or do you remember to worship Him for even the smallest things? Even when we are waiting for God to answer a big request or a deep longing we may have, we still have the reality of the gospel: God gifted us with salvation through the death of Jesus Christ, His Son. (Romans 6:23). Nothing we can worship Him for is greater than that! Do you keep your focus on God alone in those moments of worship, or do you have a tendency to allow your mind to become self-focused? We must be careful in times of worship to not become preoccupied with ourselves, and end up praising ourselves for the faith I had, or the suffering I fought through, or the pain I endured, or the worship I am giving. Our focus should be on the One and only who moved on our behalf and is the giver of all good things.
2) What do we learn about how to worship God through Hannah’s song?
How often do you worship God simply for who He is? Do you find yourself mostly focused on the work God has done in and through your life? Though that aspect of worship is critical (as discussed in the previous question), when we lack balance, we risk missing the fundamental component of worship that focuses on God and His character. We must develop our worship of God for his attributes and character. This aspect of our worship is important because it reminds us exactly WHO we worship. God isn’t like anyone or anything else. He is different in every possible way. Remembering God and His character builds our trust in Him and His plan for our lives. To do this, we must put effort into continually growing and expanding our knowledge of God and what we know of Him. This is a lifelong pursuit we will never exhaust as we seek to know more about our infinite Creator.
3) What does Hannah’s worship reveal about her heart?
When you worship the Father, what is revealed about your heart? Think back to the last time you were in church, or your car, or your bed, or in a chair in the morning, offering worship to God. What was on your mind? What occupied your thoughts? What feelings and emotions did you have? How do all of these reflect your heart and what preoccupies you? Our worship and thoughts reveal much about our hearts and their current status, whether we are preoccupied with ourselves, with fear, with doubt, with demanding expectation, with truth, with faith, or with love. Just as we learn from Hannah, we need to ensure that our worship is built on truth and focused on God alone. Take a good look at yourself and see what comes to mind and what the Father shows you as you seek insight into your own motivations in worship. You may want to even pray Psalm 139:23, “Search me God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns,” as you seek His wisdom.
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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