Word of Encouragement (08/03/2023)
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 6 The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. 8 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. (1 Sam. 2:4-8)
Hannah showed, in view of the matchless transcendence of God, that people should not be proud. But this is not just a recommendation that we can take up or reject at will. God does not simply make a recommendation, sit back, and watch what we will do about it. No, God is the sovereign Lord, who is intimately involved in sustaining and governing the world He created. Here, she gives a few examples of how God goes about humbling the proud and caring for the humble. The pattern is clear: He can remove from the proud what makes them proud—He can break the bows of the mighty; He can take away money and bread from the rich; He can take their loved ones away or make them feel abandoned by their loved ones, etc. He can bring relief to the humble—He can make the weak strong; He can fill and satisfy the hungry; He can give children to the barren, etc. We should remember that Hannah prayed this prayer after experiencing God’s redemptive reversal.
Let us take to heart that the Lord has the power and authority to do so. It is not only ridiculous but also sinful for us to be proud and arrogant in this world; it violates the cosmic moral order God has established. It is therefore offensive to God and destructive to human relationships. How can we forget the malicious ways in which Peninnah persecuted and afflicted Hannah for her barrenness, the sorest spot in her life! Did she think that she was better than Hannah because she bore many children while Hannah could not bear any? If Hannah could not bear children because God closed her womb, could Peninnah bear any of her children without God’s blessing? And if she had many children because God opened her womb, should she be so arrogant as to provoke Hannah to anger for her barrenness? How can we be arrogant about anything when all that we have and are come from the Lord by His grace, not by our merit?
If so, was it not God who gave the mighty their strength, the rich their possessions, and the proud parents their many children? Yes, most certainly! Does that mean that we can accuse God of malevolence for giving them such blessings? Of course not! God’s blessings are an expression of His grace, whether saving (grace) or common (grace). But His blessings end up serving as a test, too, which brings out what is in our hearts. People may seem decent simply because they have not been given the opportunity to sin. It is not that we are incorruptible; it is just that we haven’t had enough power, money, sex, and fame to corrupt us. How we deal with God’s blessings will show whom we love and worship—whether it is God or His blessings. If it is God, we will be humble and full of gratitude. If it is His blessings, we will be proud and full of arrogance. Let us examine our hearts and the choices we make in our daily life to see which is true of us. And let us cry out to God for mercy if we are not where we should be.