Hannah is shown favor by the Lord. Until now she had been barren and the other
wife of Elkannah had borne him children.
Hannah’s life had been bitter in that she was childless and she had
prayed to Lord and made a vow to Him that if He would favor her with a child
she would dedicate the child to the Lord all his days. She has now borne a child and her joy is
complete as her shame has been taken away.
The culture would have assumed that she was somehow unworthy before the
Lord to bear children and now she has been vindicated. She sees her reversal as having a more
universal application, this is a time of change she says.
Mary’s question in verse 34 uses the future tense, assuming
that it will happen but wondering how.
Mary knew basic biology and anatomy well enough to know that since she
was a virgin there was no way she could have a child but she believed that she
would according to the word of Gabriel.
Mary’s faith was complete in the word of the archangel. Mary was able to accept that with God all
things are possible and to offer herself for this work in spite of the fact
that it couldn’t have made any sense to her.
She saw herself as merely a servant of the Lord and her humility and
faith made her the perfect one to bear this child. She, like Hannah, was simply a vessel for the
Lord to use to do His will in the world, it was never about them.
What does it mean that we are to be “self-controlled?” Paul has taught in other places that we are
to have control over our bodies and minds, like an athlete we are to have our
bodies submit to us rather than the other way round. In all that he writes here he makes clear
that we are to govern our passions and desires, not be governed by them. That is made possible by sound doctrine,
believing rightly about all things. In
all things the more we understand the more we conform our lives to the
truth. Unfortunately we are capable of
knowing the truth and yet not living according to the truth. All heart attack victims know that regular
exercise is important in recovery and in continuing health yet 80% are not
engaged in exercise one year out from their attack. Let us believe and also live according to the
truth we know.
Praise him for his
grace and favor
to our fathers in
distress;
praise him still the
same for ever,
slow to chide and
swift to bless:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in his
faithfulness.
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