salvation in the house of His servant David". This expression can only refer to the Lord

Jesus Christ, David's greater Son. In fact, at the end of Hannah's prayer she speaks

prophetically (under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit) of the glory of the coming

Messiah (verse 10). The prophet Ezekiel says "In that day will I cause the horn of the

house of Israel to bud forth . . . . . and they shall know that I am the Lord" (29: 21).

Hezekiah in Psa. 132: writes "There (in Zion) will I make the horn of David to bud: I

have ordained a lamp for Mine Anointed" (verse 17). The Lord was of the house and

lineage of David, and these four occurrences of the word `horn' refer to Him; so we

know exactly what Hannah meant when we read the words "mine horn is exalted in the

Lord". Surely we understand her to say, "my spirit is lifted up--because I rejoice in the

salvation of the Lord".

We come now to verse 2 where she speaks of the supreme holiness of Jehovah:

Here we have the peerless Being of unparalleled perfection. Not only is there none

like Him, but there is also none beside Him. All others are pretenders. This is the One

Who Isaiah saw in the year that the leprous king Uzziah died, and heard the seraphims

cry, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory" (6: 3).

It was a favourite simile among the inspired song-writers of Israel. The image,

doubtless, is a memory of the long desert wandering; the steep precipices, and the

strange, menacing, fantastic rocks of Sinai towering up in the midst of the shifting sands.

This supplied an ever present picture of unchangeableness, of majesty, of security, and

The title of the "Rock" as applied to Jehovah is first found in the book of

Deuteronomy. The song of Moses recorded in chapter 32: just before his death on the

very boundary of the promised land speaks of Jehovah as the "Rock" six times. It was

the command of God that every child was to be taught this song in every family in Israel.

Hannah, therefore, would know it well.

It is a good thing to learn portions of Scripture by heart. They can be a source of

infinite comfort and joy, no matter where one may be. Enforced idleness can be enriched

and turned into a period of profit as some of the amazing passages of Scripture which

have been memorized are quietly turned over in the mind. We all have a song we can

sing to the Lord, for all can say, "I rejoice in Thy salvation".

Was Hannah here referring to Peninnah, who had so cruelly humbled her, and

maligned her so maliciously before Samuel was born? Or is she speaking to the people

of Israel, who had forsaken their God and turned away from Him to worship, against His