Don’t we feel that same pressure in a multicultural society.  It can feel hard, costly, to challenge the assumptions of our society that any spirituality is good, any god is more or less the same, all truths are true, and so on.  But who you worship, who is God, is not a lifestyle choice.

Hannah begins her prayer; “My heart rejoices in the LORD;” anchoring her joy in who God is.  In chapter one she prayed deeply troubled pouring out her soul to God.  But now her horn, her strength, is lifted up by God, it’s as if God has picked her up, brushed her down and stood her up high above everything.  But look at the second part of v1, “My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.”

Doesn’t that seem a bit over the top?  Doesn’t part of you want to say to Hannah, I get it God has been very gracious and good and blessed you with a son, but Hannah Peninnah may have been unkind but to describe her as an enemy is a bit much isn’t it.  And deliverance, which is the word salvation, really?  I think you’re going a bit far!

As Hannah continues (2)she floods her prayer with Exodus language that goes back to Miriam and Moses’ song of praise after their rescue from slavery and the Egyptian army at the Red Sea (Ex 15v11) “Who among the God’s is like you, LORD?  Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”  She echoes Leviticus 19v2 “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”, and Moses final prayer in Deuteronomy 32v31 “For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.”

Hannah praises God for the consistency of his character and actions, but she’s also connecting her answered personal prayer to God’s historic revelation of who he is and always will be, and his plans and purposes to build his kingdom.

He alone is God and there is none like him.

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