A. The Change from Barrenness to Fertility 1:1-2:10

In the first subsection (1:1-2:10) we have the joyful story of Samuel's miraculous birth and his mother's gratitude to God for reversing her barrenness and making her fertile. The significance of this story is not only that it gives us the record of how Samuel was born and that his mother was a godly woman. It also shows how God, in faithfulness to His promise to bless those who put Him first (Deut. 28), did so even for a despised woman in Israel (cf. Rahab and Ruth). He brought blessing to all Israel because of her faith.

 1. Hannah's deliverance ch. 1

"I Samuel 1 is presented as a conventional birth narrative which moves from barrenness to birth. Laid over that plot is a second rhetorical strategy which moves from complaint to thanksgiving. With the use of this second strategy, the birth narrative is transposed and becomes an intentional beginning point for the larger Samuel-Saul-David narrative. Hannah's story begins in utter helplessness (silence); it anticipates Israel's royal narrative which also begins in helplessness. As Hannah moves to voice (2, 1-10), so Israel's narrative moves to power in the historical process. Both Hannah's future and Israel's future begin in weakness and need, and move toward power and well-being. The narrative of I Samuel 1 functions to introduce the theological theme of cry-thanks' which appears in the larger narrative in terms of Israelite precariousness and Yahweh's powerful providence. Our chapter corresponds canonically to II Samuel 24 which portrays David in the end (like Hannah) as a needy, trusting suppliant. The two chapters, witnesses to vulnerable faith, together bracket Israel's larger story of power."¹³

 2. Hannah's song 2:1-10

Some commentators have seen Hannah's prayer as a non-essential song of praise included in the text for sentimental reasons, but this magnificent prayer provides the key to interpreting the rest of 1 and 2 Samuel. In this prayer, which contains no petition, Hannah articulated her belief that God rewards trust with blessing. He turns barrenness into fertility, not just in her case but universally. Mary, the mother of Jesus, incorporated some of Hannah's song in her own "Magnificat"(Luke 1:46-55).

"The Song of Hannah appears near the beginning of 1 Samuel, and the Song of David appears near the end of 2 Samuel. These two remarkably similar hymns of praise thus constitute a kind of inclusio, framing the main contents of the books and reminding us that the two books were originally one. Both begin by using horn' (1 Sam 2:1; 2 Sam 22:3) as a metaphor for strength,' referring to God as the Rock,' and reflecting on divine deliverance/salvation' (1 Sam 2:1-2; 2 Sam 22:2-3). Both end by paralleling his king' with his anointed' (1 Sam 2:10; 2 Sam 22:51)."³⁰

Hannah praised God because He had provided salvation for His people (vv. 1-2). She had learned that God will humble people who view themselves as self-sufficient (vv. 3-4), but He will help those who cast themselves on Him asking Him to provide what they need (vv. 5-8). Therefore the godly and the wicked will experience vastly different fates (vv. 9-10). The Old Testament writers spoke of Sheol (v. 6), the abode of the dead, as though it was a huge underground cave where judgment takes place (cf. Deut. 32:22; Ps. 88:3-6; et al.). The whole point of this inspired poetic prayer is that people should trust in the Lord. Hannah had done this, and God had blessed her miraculously.

Hannah's song contains a reference to a king that God would raise up as His anointed representative to lead Israel (v. 10). This is one of a few such references made by an ordinary Israelite that God recorded in Scripture (cf. Judg. 8:22-23). God had revealed through Moses that in the future He would raise up a king for His people (Deut. 17). God revealed His purpose to set up a king over His people as early as Genesis (Gen. 17:6, 16; 35:11; 49:10; cf. Gen. 1:26-28). Hannah's reference to this king shows that the people of Israel looked forward to the fulfillment of that promise. Shortly after this the people demanded a king from God (8:4-7).

The motif of God making the barren fertile in response to their trust and obedience runs throughout the rest of 1 and 2 Samuel (cf. Samuel). So does the corollary truth that God will make the "powerful"who are not trusting and obedient infertile and ultimately dead (cf. Saul). Likewise the motif of the Lord's anointed king is a major one in 1 and 2 Samuel (cf. David).

In 1:1-2:10 we also find for the first time the reversal of fortune motif that is a major literary device in 1 and 2 Samuel. People apparently unimportant become important, and those who appear to be important become unimportant. The crucial factor for them as Israelites was their response to the will of Godas contained in the Mosaic Covenant.

God will bless people who want to further His program in the world by making it possible for them to do that. He will even do supernatural things to enable them to do so. Natural limitations do not limit God. Knowledge of what God has revealed about Himself and His program is what God uses to inspire trust in Himself and interest in His program. God will even reverse the fortunes of people in response to their response to His will.