Messianic Perspectives

Chris Rodriguez: Shalom and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinctly first-century Jewish point of view. Today, our Bible teacher, Stephen Ger, begins his five-part series on Messianic Prophecy in the Writings.

This is Chris Rodriguez. Please stay tuned after the message for some important information you won't want to miss. And now, with today's teaching, here's Stephen Ger.

Stephen Ger: Shalom, this is Stephen Ger. Welcome to our discussion of the Messianic prophecies of the Hebrew Bible. In today's session, we are going to explore 1 Samuel 2, verses 1 through 10. You say, "1 Samuel 2? What kind of Messianic prophecy is in 1 Samuel 2?" Well, let's get into the text and see what we're going to find.

First, we set the context. Of course, you're familiar with the opening of the book of 1 Samuel. You're introduced to this fellow by the name of Elkanah. Elkanah has two wives. I'm not concerned with one of the wives; I'm only concerned with his wife, Hannah. Hannah was childless, and she prayed to God that she would become pregnant. Lo and behold, she does indeed. She has a son, his name is Samuel.

She dedicates him to the Lord at the tabernacle and brings the boy for the high priest Eli to raise. And she sings a remarkable song of praise. Within that lofty expression of praise, we will see a particularly significant grammatical first. Getting into the text, Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the Lord. My horn is exalted in the Lord." Hang on a second. When the horn shows up within a biblical passage, you see it a lot.

This was a symbol of power, a symbol of might. You see this in some of the writings of various different ancient Near Eastern kings. The horn is exalted; my power is great because I'm like a big ox or like a big giant bull, and I'm powerful. It refers to power and ability. "All that I have, in other words, all my power, all my energies. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation."

By the way, I want to point out one simple thing, just a reminder. This is not a Messianic prophecy point, but I want you to see when she says, "I rejoice in your salvation." I want to remind you that the Hebrew word for salvation is Yeshua. What was Jesus' Hebrew name? Yeshua. So, when I see a line like this, "because I rejoice in your salvation," and "your Yeshua," I'm not thinking as a Bible interpreter that she's prophesying Jesus here.

Not at all. But I do take great satisfaction knowing how the story progresses and that 2,000 years ago there was a Messiah who came who was given the name Yeshua, who has provided salvation. I can, in a sense, enjoy the foretaste that this particular line brings some 1,000 years earlier.

Verse 2 says, "There is no one holy like the Lord. Indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. Boast no more so very proudly. Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge and with Him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are shattered"—that's the weapons of war—"but the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, but she who has many children languishes."

What we see here is Hannah is expressing the upside-down nature of what's just happened right now. She has become pregnant, who was once barren. That is the God that we see. He turns things upside down for His purposes. Verse 6 says, "The Lord kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol and raises up." Interesting imagery there regarding people when they die, going to the place, the abode of the dead, Sheol, but then the idea of being raised up.

I believe that that indicates a belief, even at that early stage, of resurrection, of a future resurrection for the righteous. Verse 7 says, "The Lord makes poor and rich. He brings low; He also exalts. He has power over everything, in other words. He raises the poor from the dust. He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with nobles and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He set the world on them. He keeps the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail."

Verse 10 is where we're going to see what I want to point out here. "Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered." Don't take that bet. Don't bet against the Lord; you're going to break yourself. "Against them He will thunder in the heavens. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth, and He will give strength to His king." Hang on a second. This is the beginning of 1 Samuel. We're in the period of the judges here. What kind of king? There is no king yet.

Is it possible that Hannah is expecting what no one in Israel is yet expecting and that she is speaking prophetically of the future when there will be a king? Maybe that would be a general prophetic abstraction. He will give strength to some king that may come in the future, at such time as the period of judges progresses to a period of kingdom.

But here's the kicker. The verse doesn't stop here with "He will give strength to His king." It goes on to say, "and will exalt the horn"—remember, horn is a symbol of power, energy, and might—"of His anointed, of His Mashiach, of His Messiah." And this is the first time, the very first time, that we readers of the Hebrew Bible are introduced to one of the Bible's central theological terms and concepts.

Right here in the concluding verse of this gorgeous song of praise to the Lord, we see the scripture's initial use of the word Mashiach, Messiah, and the biblical concept of the Messianic king. Everything that progresses from this point historically, all that the prophets write about the Messianic king, all that is expected once we know who David is and once we have the Davidic covenant, all of this finds its origin in this passage's prophecy.

What is the context in which we find it? The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king, and He will exalt the horn of His Messiah. Is this a full-blown prophecy such as we'd find in the book of Isaiah? Of course not. This is a seed prophecy. This is a small kernel that will not sprout and will not bloom for generations to come.

Nonetheless, it has exceptional importance and pride of place in that the Messianic king, the Mashiach, is highlighted here in his role as judge of the entire earth, in his role as God's regent, as God's agency to judge the entire earth. Well, how have the rabbis interpreted this passage? Do they see any Messianic importance to this?

This passage has long been interpreted in Jewish tradition as possessing Messianic importance. For example, when we read the Aramaic paraphrases of the scripture called the Targums, when we read the Targum on this particular passage, let me just read you a small section here: "The Lord shall shatter the adversaries who arise to do evil to His people. He shall blast them with a loud noise issuing from heaven. The Lord shall exact punishment from Gog and from the marauding armies of the nations who come with them from the ends of the earth. He shall give strength to His king and shall make great the kingdom of His Messiah."

Certainly, in the first century, this was popularly read as a Messianic prophecy of the end times, even inserting the concepts from Ezekiel of Gog and Magog. But what I want you to understand is from this brief preliminary reference here in 1 Samuel, tracing through both books of Samuel, the remainder of the writings, the Hebrew prophets, the entire complex of Jewish Messianic thought, hope, and expectation develops from this point.

And it culminates in the revelation of the Messiah Himself within the Gospel narratives. Frankly, when we get to Luke 1:46-55, which contains what we call the Magnificat, that beautiful ancient poem that Mary wrote praising God for what He's going to do through her, one cannot help but be dazzled with Mary's familiarity with Hannah's song.

Its Messianic content prompts her, following that angelic visitation, the Annunciation, to use Hannah's poem as a prototype for her own song of praise to the Lord, particularly with the concepts of God turning that which was upside down, exalting the humble, bringing down, and raising up.

Furthermore, it's not just Mary who is familiar with Hannah's song here in 1 Samuel. This imagery that Hannah uses is echoed by John the Baptist's father, Zechariah, in his prophetic song of praise found also in Luke 1:68-73, who speaks of God raising up a horn of salvation, a horn of Yeshua for us in the house of David, His servant, as He has spoken of old.

While this one line in 1 Samuel 2:10 may seem to be a very small thing, the repercussions of this echo quite loudly and largely throughout the rest of scripture as our Messiah has indeed come, Yeshua, God's provision for our salvation.

Chris Rodriguez: Thank you, Steve. If you missed part of this series or would like to share it with a friend, you'll be glad to know that it's available on one convenient compact disc for the suggested gift of just $6. Just point your web browser to our online store at messianicspecialties.com and search for "Writings" and place your order with our secure server.

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This is Chris Rodriguez. Join us tomorrow for another edition of Messianic Prophecy in the Writings, right here on Messianic Perspectives. Messianic Perspectives is sponsored by CJF Ministries in San Antonio, Texas, and is made possible on this station by the freewill contribution of our listeners in this area.