Friday, March 29, AD 2024 3:29am

Messianic Prophesies: 1 Samuel 2: 1-10

Continuing our Advent look at Messianic prophecies for this year, a series which we began in Advent 2011 and continued in 2102, 2013 and 2014, the earlier posts of the series may be read here, here, here ,here, here, here, here, here , here ,  here, here, here, here , here, here, here , here,   here, here, and here, we come to 1 Samuel 2: 1-10:

[1] My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies: because I have joyed in thy salvation. [2] There is none holy as the Lord is: for there is no other beside thee, and there is none strong like our God. [3] Do not multiply to speak lofty things, boasting: let old matters depart from your mouth: for the Lord is a God of all knowledge, and to him are thoughts prepared. [4] The bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girt with strength. [5] They that were full before have hired out themselves for bread: and the hungry are filled, so that the barren hath borne many: and she that had many children is weakened.

[6] The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to hell and bringeth back again. [7] The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich, he humbleth and he exalteth. [8] He raiseth up the needy from the dust, and lifteth up the poor from the dunghill: that he may sit with princes, and hold the throne of glory. For the poles of the earth are the Lord’ s, and upon them he hath set the world. [9] He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness, because no man shall prevail by his own strength. [10] The adversaries of the Lord shall fear him: and upon them shall he thunder in the heavens. The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give empire to his king, and shall exalt the horn of his Christ.

Saint Augustine was emphatic that this prayer of Hannah, rejoicing in the birth of her son Samuel, carried Messianic significance:

 

Do you say that these are the words of a single weak woman giving thanks for the birth of a son? Can the mind of men be so much averse to the light of truth as not to perceive that the sayings this woman pours forth exceed her measure? Moreover, he who is suitably interested in these things which have already begun to be fulfilled even in this earthly pilgrimage also, does he not apply his mind, and perceive, and acknowledge, that through this woman— whose very name, which is Hannah, means His grace— the very Christian religion, the very city of God, whose king and founder is Christ, in fine, the very grace of God, has thus spoken by the prophetic Spirit, whereby the proud are cut off so that they fall, and the humble are filled so that they rise, which that hymn chiefly celebrates? Unless perchance any one will say that this woman prophesied nothing, but only lauded God with exulting praise on account of the son whom she had obtained in answer to prayer. What then does she mean when she says, The bow of the mighty has He made weak, and the weak are girded with strength; they that were full of bread are diminished, and the hungry have gone beyond the earth; for the barren has born seven, and she that has many children is waxed feeble? Had she herself born seven, although she had been barren? She had only one when she said that; neither did she bear seven afterwards, nor six, with whom Samuel himself might be the seventh, but three males and two females. And then, when as yet no one was king over that people, whence, if she did not prophesy, did she say what she puts at the end, He gives strength to our kings, and shall exalt the horn of His Christ?

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Thursday, December 10, AD 2015 12:02am

[…] Anne DeSantis, Catholic Stand Books for Christmas – George Weigel, The Dispatch Messianic Prophesies: 1 Samuel 2: 1-10 – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The American Catholic Synod’s ‘Way of Accompaniment’ Is […]

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Monday, December 21, AD 2015 12:45am

[…] Messianic Prophesies: 1 Samuel 2: 1-10 – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The American Catholic […]

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