There’s something really important point about Hannah’s Prayer I need to make clear before we dive into our text study.
Her prayer, while speaking about her own experience, also applies to Israel as a nation and a chosen people.
In other words, non-believers need not apply.
The principles of Scripture are NOT for the unbelieving world.
They are only for God’s people…
And those grafted in together with God’s people.
Or to use a Scriptural metaphor.
God’s Word is only for those who enjoined themselves to Israel when they left Egypt during the Exodus.
It is not for those who decided to remain in Egypt.
When you consider that Egypt always indicates slavery to the devil in the Bible, this should make sense to you.
Now it is true that the pagan world is often spoken about and referred to in the Bible.
But only for 2 reasons.
Either to encourage them to be grafted into the commonwealth of Israel and be saved…
Like Rahab the prostitute…
Or as a point of negative contrast and comparison…
How a believer should NOT live.
So let’s be clear here homies.
God’s laws and commands are NOT for the world.
If general mankind was capable of obeying God’s commands, it wouldn’t have been necessary for God to create Israel.
A people whose mission is to serve as a light to the world.
Plus I remind you that God saved Israel from Egypt FIRST…
And then AFTERWARDS gave them His commands and His Law to obey.
He never said to Israel…
“First obey my commands…
And then if you’re successful in doing that…
I’ll reward you with salvation”.
In other words, the Law was NEVER a vehicle to salvation in the “Old” Testament.
When the Christian church says otherwise, know they’re promoting pure boooooooooooooooooool sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
So salvation by grace FIRST.
Then obedience to God’s commands SECOND.
And I should add that yes, without the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us, no human being on the planet, whether Jew or Gentile, has a snowball’s chance in hell of being able to obey the Lord’s commands the way they were meant to be obeyed.
So to close, I reiterate.
Hannah’s prayer is NOT for the gentile or pagan world.
It is all about Israel…
And those grafted into the commonwealth of Israel.
When we come to the end of studying these 10 verses, you’ll understand why this point is so important.
Over and out.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern
what is the will of God,
what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
-Romans 12:2
“If you were of the world,
the world would love you as its own;
but because you are not of the world,
but I chose you out of the world,
therefore the world hates you.”
-John 15:19
“Do not love the world
or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.”
-1 John 2:15
“Set your minds on things
that are above,
not on things that are on earth.”
-Colossians 3:2
“You adulterous people!
Do you not know that friendship
with the world is enmity with God?
Therefore whoever wishes
to be a friend of the world
makes himself an enemy of God.”
-James 4:4
“And the world is passing away
along with its desires,
but whoever does the
will of God abides forever.”
-1 John 2:17
“For what will it profit a man
if he gains the whole world
and forfeits his soul?
Or what shall a man give
in return for his soul?”
-Matthew 16:26
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