Delivered - by Greg Steggerda

I was intrigued when my Advent devotional took me to 1 Samuel 2 this morning. I can honestly say I’ve never connected the story of Hannah and Elkanah, a childless couple, with this period of waiting for Jesus.

But it’s interesting to think about this other young Israelite woman, Hannah, who, like Mary and Elizabeth in the Christmas story, had her own song of praise recorded in scripture. Hannah was desperate for a child – childless brides were objects of pity in that society, ones whom God’s blessing had passed by – and she poured out her desperation to God. God heard, and Hannah was a mother.

And this is her response, from1 Samuel 2:1-2:
“Then Hannah prayed and said:
‘My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.’”

When Hannah needed deliverance, she turned to God and was saved. The result was Samuel, one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history.

 When Israel had almost forgotten its promised deliverer, God came to Mary in order to save. The result was Jesus, God with us, who was the ultimate high priest and the savior of us all.

There’s a neat symmetry to these three mothers. Hannah’s blessing from God was the prophet who would anoint King David, the forefather of Jesus. Elizabeth’s blessing from God was the prophet John, known as John the Baptizer, who would announce Jesus’ coming to the world. And Mary’s blessing from God was his great blessing to all of us.

The details of God’s great rescue plan are as beautiful as they are intricate. What else is still to be revealed? Watch and wait.