In our modern secularist society, we’ve manage to push God into a dark corner which is conveniently far from where we’d like to live our lives. We say God’s domain is over our spiritual needs and no more. Even for us Christians, we believe in Jesus in order to be saved but the day-to-day reality shows God has no place in other areas of our lives: not in our work, leisure, politics, finance, education. What the whole Israel Folau saga has highlighted is precisely this point: in todays world, faith must remain private. We’re told that sports, work, politics are not the domain of God.

In some ways, it kind of make sense, doesn’t it? Back in 1000 BC, people relied on God for healing, food, protection, social order. Now, we rely on our human ingenuity – in medicine, food production, our management skills, economics, technology, government. In Hannah’s time, people took great long trips to the temple each year and every day had to offer sacrifices for everything; nowadays, for many Christians, even church is not a sacrifice worth making.

But 1-2 Samuel reminds us that God is sovereign.

In 1v5-6, twice it says: the Lord had closed her womb.; in v19-20, “… the Lord remembered her. ²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah conceived”

In Hannah’s song, hunger and satisfaction, defeat and victory, poverty and wealth, death and life, are all attributed to God. The God of the OT remains the same God of the NT who remains the same God for us. We might be able to explain the science behind Hannah’s barrenness and her conception, just as we might be able to explain how the oxygen exchange from the air into our bloodstream keeps us alive. But if can’t recognize God’s hands in the provision of life, then our pride and presumption will spell our end.

 

St Phils Editorial