(This image was created with the assistance of DALL·E 2)
Over the past few weeks I’ve been reading the book of 1 Samuel with my 10 year old daughter. We’ve really enjoyed exploring God’s faithfulness in these incredible stories. One of our favorite parts is the story of Hannah. We were both touched and inspired by her longing for a son, her faith in God’s promises, and her beautiful psalm of thanksgiving in 1 Samuel 2:1–10.
So when I recently read Luke 1 in anticipation for Christmas, I was immediately struck by the parallels between the stories of Mary, Elizabeth, and Hannah. These parallels are particularly apparent in Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1:46–55, and Zechariah’s Benedictus in Luke 1:68–79. These poems highlight similar themes with extremely similar language. Luke is drawing on the miraculous birth of Samuel and his role in heralding the coming of King David, God’s anointed king, to point to John the Baptist and his role in heralding the coming Jesus as God’s anointed king of kings who would fulfill all of the hopes and expectations that King David could not fully achieve.
- God’s Sovereignty and Holiness
Both Hannah and Mary emphasize the power and sovereignty and holiness of God. For each of them, God’s matchless glory is what gives them great confidence and allows them to praise God and trust in his promises. Zechariah meanwhile emphasizes the tender mercy of God in preparing for the coming forth of Savior.
Hannah’s Psalm (1 Samuel 2:2):
“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”
Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:49)
“For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
Zechariah’s Benedictus (Luke 1:78)
“[B]ecause of the tender mercy of our God by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven.”
2. God’s Provision of Salvation in his Messiah.
God’s sovereignty and holiness is manifested through his provision of salvation in the coming of the Messiah. Hannah rejoices in the salvation and foresees the day when his anointed king will be exalted on the throne. Zechariah meanwhile sees the coming of John and Jesus as God’s great act of redemption and salvation through the house of David. Mary’s psalm meanwhile is more personal, focused on how her “spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Hannah’s Psalm (1 Samuel 2:1–2):
“My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.”
(1 Samuel 2:10):
“The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46–47):
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Zechariah’s Benedictus (Luke 1:68–69):
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.”
3) God’s covenant faithfulness
Another dominant theme is that God is faithful to the fulfilment of his covenants with Abraham and all of Israel. He has promised and he will faithfully deliver. This is reflected in Hannah’s words about the anointed one exalted on the throne. But it is even more explicitly echoed by both Mary and Zechariah in Luke.
Hannah’s Psalm (1 Samuel 2:10):
“The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:54–55):
“He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Zechariah’s Benedictus (Luke 1:72–73):
“To show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham.”
4) Reversal of Fortune
Finally, the theme of a reversal of fortune is one of the most dominant messages in both Hannah’s Psalm and Mary’s Magnificat. Hannah and Mary both focus on how God has lifted up the poor, the oppressed, and the lowly and put down those who were rich and lifted up. These themes are likely ones that each of them would have resonated with given the challenges that each faced (as well as Elizabeth). For Hannah and Elizabeth, bareness was a severe challenge in a society that associated fertility with God’s favor. Meanwhile, Mary likely had to deal with the scorn and criticism and shame of society given her unlikely pregnancy. Each therefore focuses on God’s act of reversal where those who lack are filled and those who have are brought low. Zechariah meanwhile focuses on a slightly different high-low relationship when he emphasizes how God will ultimately triumph over Israel’s enemies who oppressed them, though not in the way that they had anticipated.
This powerful theme of reversal culminates in the person of Jesus, whose humble birth brought about the greatest transformation of all—our redemption. Jesus, though fully God, humbled Himself to take on humanity and be born as a helpless infant. Jesus was God’s anointed king, and yet he was born to poor parents and lay in a manger. In His life, death, and resurrection, He embodied the ultimate reversal of fortune, raising humanity from sin to salvation.
Hannah’s Psalm (1 Samuel 2:3–8):
“The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. … The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.”
Hannah’s Psalm (1 Samuel 2:5–8):
“Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. … He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes.”
Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:51–53):
“He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.”
I love how the powerful parallels to Hannah’s story enrich our appreciation of the miraculous births of Jesus and John. Their births were not isolated miraculous events but the culmination and fulfillment of God’s covenantal promises across the centuries. In this period of advent and anticipation, these beautiful psalms highlight the sovereignty and power of God and invite us to trust in His holy promises. Above all, they point us to Jesus Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises and the long-anticipated Savior who brought salvation into the world.
This Christmas may we trust in God’s unchanging promises and rejoice in the gift of salvation secured through Jesus Christ.