Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving

Hannah’s Thanksgiving                               


Hannah was brokenhearted that she had no children. Years came and went yet her womb remained empty. A godly Jewish woman, she was dearly loved by her husband, Elkanah, who tried to console her but her barren womb yielded barrenness of heart. 


After years of disappointment, Hannah asked the priest to pray for her and promised that if God would give her a son, she would give the child back to Him. God answered her prayer and within the next year Hannah bore a son and named him Samuel. As time went by God blessed Hannah and Elkanah with five more children.

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After Samuel was weaned, Hannah took him to the priest and dedicated her boy to Yahweh just as she had promised. Her expression of gratitude to God became a well-known portion of Scripture, known as Hannah’s Song. 

This beautiful passage exudes many attributes of Yahweh—He is Savior, holy, mighty, all knowing, powerful, compassionate, faithful, sovereign, and a righteous judge. 


The first ten verses of 2 Samuel contain her exultation of thanks to God. With grateful hearts, let’s join Hannah and lift God up using the modern language of The Message. 


“I’m bursting with God-news! I’m walking on air. I’m laughing at my rivals. I’m dancing my salvation. 


“Nothing and no one is holy like God, no rock mountain like our God. Don’t dare talk pretentiously—not a word of boasting, ever! For God knows what’s going on. He takes the measure of everything that happens. The weapons of the strong are smashed to pieces, while the weak are infused with fresh strength. The well-fed are out begging in the streets for crusts, while the hungry are getting second helpings. The barren woman has a houseful of children, while the mother of many is bereft. 


“God brings death and God brings life, brings down to the grave and raises up, God brings poverty and God brings wealth; he lowers, he also lifts up. He puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives—a place in the sun! For the very structures of earth are God’s; he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation. He protectively cares for his faithful friends, step by step, but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark. No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle! God’s enemies will be blasted out of the sky, crashed in a heap and burned. God will set things right all over the earth, he’ll give strength to his king, he‘ll set his anointed on top of the world!” 


WOW! What an impassioned utterance!   


Our world is far from perfect. Our lives are far from perfect. But our God is perfect. 


As Thanksgiving approaches, we can look to God and be truly thankful that He is on the throne no matter what goes on around us. As always, we are thankful for God’s love, for our families, our freedom, our homes, food, and material possessions. But let’s have a fuller perspective on Thanksgiving this time and be like Hannah and focus on the amazing attributes of our mighty God and our wonderful Savior.

©Connie Wohlford 2019