Introduction
The greatest desire of the apostle Paul was to know Jesus better. In Philippians 3:7-11, the apostle says:
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
He describes this desire as the normative experience of the Christian. The Christian desires to know his God. It is a necessary result from being redeemed by the Lord. We may not act on this desire, or we may suppress it, but it is there.
We are commanded to taste of God and to see that he is good (Ps. 34:8). As read Hannah's song, we are struck by how she knew her God. She had tasted of God and had seen that he was good. Her song is a response to knowing who God is and how he works, and it exhorts us to know our God, to taste of him, so that we may see that he is good.
I. A Couple Structural Comments.
A. This is labeled a prayer, but it is written as a song.
B. At the end of 2 Samuel, we find a song of David that is very similar to Hannah's
II. The Actual Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for Your Deliverance, 1.
A. Keep in mind that Hannah is in Shiloh in order to give her one and only son to the Lord.
B. She knows that God delivered her from barrenness.
C. The Lord has delivered us from much more than barrenness.
D. The result of God's deliverance
III. In Her Song, Hannah Based Her Joy and Thankfulness on Four Things She Knew about God, 2-10
A. She knew God's nature, that is, who he is, 2-3.
B. She knew God's providential government of all things, 4-8.
C. She knew that God treated his saints graciously, 9.
D. She knew that God was going to establish his kingdom through his anointed king, 10.
Conclusion
In one of the visions in the book of Daniel, God's messenger describes the attacks of the king of the north. And he describes the powerlessness of the enemy against those who know their God.
Dan. 11:32 – He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.
So, where are you today? Do you know your God? Have you come to know Jesus Christ by faith? Having believed in him, have you then grown in his grace and knowledge? Our sister, Hannah, teaches us that we must know our God, whom to know aright is life eternal.
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2015/01/know-your-god-1-sam-21-11.html
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