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STUDY 2 THE TRUE MESSIAH

THE SEVENTH CHILD OF HANNAH

They that were full have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren has born seven,

and she that has many children has grown feeble. 1Samuel 2:5

Our opening text is just a portion of Hannah’s great exultation in the Presence of hwhy. But why all the rejoicing? What was the occasion? What could elicit such a response? For this was a response of great jubilation (which we shall shortly read in full). Not only had Hannah been barren, but she had also been provoked by the arrogance of Peninnah – a woman who had already brought forth a number of children for their husband, Elkanah.1 Peninnah had children by Elkanah, but Hannah was barren and could not conceive. In bitterness of soul, Hannah made a vow to hwhy promising to present her firstborn for His service should the Almighty grant her the favor to conceive and bear a son.2 The family returned from the Feast in Shiloh, and soon afterwards, Hannah conceived and later brought forth her first born son, Samuel.3 After Samuel was weaned some seven years later, his mother came to Shiloh to present her firstborn son to hwhy at the Feast of Tabernacles.4 It was on this occasion that she exulted in the salvation of hwhy and offered up to Him praise and gratitude for answer prayer in having giving her Samuel:

1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoices in hwhy, my horn is exalted in hwhy: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies; because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 There is none qadosh as hwhy: for there is none beside You: neither is there any rock like our Elohim. 3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth: for hwhy is an Elohim of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. 5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and the hungry ceased: so

1 1Samuel 1:1-8 2 1Samuel 1:9-18 3 1Samuel 1:19-20 4 1Samuel 1:24-28

that the barren has born seven; and she that has many children is grown feeble. 6 hwhy kills, and makes alive: He brings down to the grave, and brings up. 7 hwhy makes poor, and makes rich: He brings low, and lifts up. 8 He raises up the poor out of the dust, lifting up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of splendor: for the pillars of the earth are of hwhy, and He has set the world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of His chasid 5 and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 10 The adversaries of hwhy shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven He shall thunder upon them: hwhy shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His Messiah. 1Samuel 2:1-10

We will refer to the above incident as “Hannah’s Exultation.”

Desire granted is a tree of life.6 Through earnest, heartfelt prayer, Hannah had rolled her burdens upon hwhy and made known to Him the desire of her heart. In response, He provided a miraculous answer to the woman’s petition. Much life came forth from this answered prayer by which hwhy granted Hannah her desire. Much life came forth from this wholesome desire: great praise and gratitude towards hwhy, 5 “Chasid” is the Hebrew for “merciful,” “kind,” and “reverent.” This is the Hebrew word from which the English was derived for “Hasidic” Jew. An adequate translation for “chasid” would be “kind ones,” but the word also connotes the great reverence which the people of hwhy have before Him. Malachi 2:5, 3:16, Hebrews 12:28-29 The above Scripture (1Samuel 2:9) is one of many contrasts between the kindness of His people and the harsh, rough, lawlessness of the wicked who do not possess reverence for hwhy and who do not show kindness to others. See Psalm 37:21, Proverbs 3:1-3, 14:21-22,31, 16:6, 21:21, Daniel 4:27, Matthew 5:7, 38-48 6 Proverbs 13:12

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a great prophet and priest named Samuel,7 and even more children for Hannah following Samuel’s birth!

While much benefit and instruction can be derived from every line of Hannah’s Exultation, we must point out something very interesting about a small segment of this greatly inspired record of praise and worship. It is the opening text seen just below our study’s title:

They that were full have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren has born seven, and she that has many children has grown feeble. 1Samuel 2:5

Reading these words uttered by the prophetess, one would naturally expect she went on to bear a total of seven children. Yet this was not the case. We later read Hannah bore five more children when she returned home after this time at Shiloh:

And hwhy visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bore three sons and two

daughters. And the child Samuel grew before hwhy.

1 Samuel 2:21

Simple addition, then, shows us Hannah only bore a total of six children:

Samuel was the first (1); later, hwhy visited Hannah, and she had five more children: three (3) sons and two (2) daughters.

Simple math gives: 1 + 3 + 2 = 6

But this does not agree with her prophecy! Or does it? We believe it does agree. In the prophecy, Hannah spoke of bringing forth seven children: Her words were not uttered in vain, neither were they spoken apart from the leading of the Spirit of hwhy. This writer believes the remnant of ancient Hebrews, who remained faithful in waiting for the promised Messiah, saw in the words of Hannah another Messianic prophecy. Hannah even closed her exultation with a mention of the Messiah.8 While we certainly acknowledge the priestly ministry of her son, Samuel, provided a partial fulfillment of the words seen in her exultation, those things were only a type and shadow of the splendor 7 1Samuel 3:19-20, 7:3-10, Psalm 99:6, Jeremiah 15:1 8 The word “Anointed” in Hebrew is “Mashiach,” and is often translated, “Messiah.” 1Samuel 2:10

which would be revealed in the Messiah.9 The Messiah would fulfill Hannah’s prophecy as He became her Seventh Child:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government

shall be upon His shoulder: and He shall call His Name: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty El, Father of that which is Beyond (the Ages),

Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Further, the fact that the Messiah was the Seventh Child of Hannah granted by her expectant faith, also shows Him to be the ultimate fulfillment of every wholesome, heartfelt, human desire. The words of the apostle Shaul apply quite well to this principle:

For in Him, we live, and move, and have our being …

Acts 17:28

The fulfillment of every wholesome, human desire can only know its absolute fullness of joy if we are abiding in Him in a covenant relationship. Not only so, our Messiah is also ultimately the only solution to heal the pain and brokenness felt by every grief-stricken heart:

For as in Adam, all die, even so in the Messiah shall all be made alive.

1Corinthians 15:22

Only the Savior can bring life, joy, peace, and healing where there is death, sorrow, turmoil, and sickness:

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3 9 Compare the following prophecies of Hannah with their partial fulfillment in Samuel/David. While these words have some application to the ministry/service of Samuel and David, a number of these things will only know their ultimate, greater fulfillment in the Messiah, the Seed of David: • 1Samuel 2:5 with 1Samuel 2:12-17,29,36. • 1Samuel 2:6 with 1Samuel 2:25,31,33-34. • 1Samuel 2:7-8 with 1Samuel 2:30,35. For the Messiah, see: 2Corinthians 8:9, Revelation 5:12. • 1Samuel 2:10 with 1Samuel 7:9-10. For the Messiah, see: 2Samuel 22:7-16, Matthew 24:27, Revelation 4:5, 8:5, 10:3-4, 11:19, 16:18, 19:6. • 1Samuel 2:8 with 1Samuel 16:7,11-12, 2Samuel 7:8, Psalm 78:70-72, 89:1-4, 1Kings 11:34, 2Chronicles 7:18, Psalm 132:11, Isaiah 9:6,7, Luke 1:31-33, Acts 2:34-36. • 1Samuel 2:10 with Psalm 75:10, 132:7, Acts 2:34-36.

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He is the Prince of Peace. The Messiah will answer every injustice and every grief caused in this sin-sick, apostate world. In His time, He will make all the wrongs, right; He will bring life out of all death; and He will bring forth joy unspeakable even out pain unbearable. Since “the Kingdom of Elohim is righteousness, peace, and joy ba’Ruach haQodesh,” (in the Set Apart Spirit), those who follow Him presently will also realize a great deal of this life, joy, healing, and fulfillment even in this life. Romans 14:17

Hannah’s prediction of a seventh son was nothing less than a magnificent and awe-inspiring, Messianic prophecy. We believe the ancient Hebrews understood the words of Hannah to be a prediction of the coming Messiah. You do the math: in the Spirit, Hannah exults in a prediction of bearing seven children, yet simple addition shows she only bore six. Based on this, we believe those who looked expectantly for the Messiah also realized He would be, He must be, the Seventh Child of Hannah so as to fulfill the word of hwhy spoken by the prophetess. Hannah’s Exultation being a Messianic prophecy, we believe many Hebrew women across the centuries wondered if they would someday be found exulting in the same manner as the mother of Samuel. Who would be the woman to exult in the salvation of hwhy upon realizing she was to bring forth the Messiah? Miriam/Mary, the mother of eswhy, did not just memorize her great exultation overnight! The similarities between what she spoke and what Hannah spoke centuries earlier are far too numerous to be coincidental. Like many little girls growing up in Israel, Miriam hoped to someday exult with the exultation of Hannah upon learning she had been the one chosen to bring forth the Messiah, the Promised Seed of Abraham. And among all those little girls, Miriam had not only prepared her heart, she was called, chosen, and faithful. She was the one woman chosen for this great purpose. We do not know much about Miriam or her “low estate.”10 Was Miriam’s humiliation brought about for reasons similar to those which caused Hannah’s humiliation? It is quite possible that – like her predecessor – Miriam was also barren, and for this reason, she had long been shunned by any

10 Luke 1:48

potential suitors. The words of the messenger, Gabriel, would seem to indicate this.11 We suspect Miriam feared hwhy, but lacked physical beauty12 – perhaps so she could share in the same burden her Son would bear as He, too, possessed no physical beauty.13 Perhaps there is no way to know the certainty of these things, at least for the present.14 But one thing is certain: Miriam was a woman who stood in awe of hwhy and His immutable word,15 and the spiritual fire which zealously burned for righteousness in the depths of her being gave Miriam a beauty which made this woman the unparalleled gem chosen by hwhy for bearing and bringing forth the promised Messiah. How many times did Miriam read Hannah’s Exultation and wonder if she would someday exult in like manner? Maybe those words burned in her heart from the time of her youth? In any case, we now better understand the similarity between Hannah’s Exultation and what is commonly called. “The Magnificate.”16

The Heavenly Messenger, Gabriel, appeared to Miriam and announced she would bring forth the Messiah.17 It was now the “fullness of time”18 and hwhy sent forth His Son to be born of this virgin. It must have been an overwhelming realization, and at first, the outward appearance of things did not leave Joseph wanting to continue in the relationship.19 Not long after Gabriel’s visitation with Miriam, she traveled to visit her cousin, Elisheva – the one who miraculously conceived in her old age so as to become the mother of John, the Immerser, the one chosen to be the Messiah’s predecessor.20 It is not mere coincidence the exultation of Hannah and the exultation of Miriam, though different, are so strikingly similar. As we read and study Miriam’s Exultation in the presence of Elisheva, we also realize why her jubilation was so very similar to the exultation of Hannah: the Seventh

11 Luke 1:36-37 12 Proverbs 31:30 13 Isaiah 53:2 14 1Corinthians 13:9 15 Luke 1:34-38,45. Contrast: Luke 1:18-20 16 We will refer to “The Magnificate” as “Miriam’s Exultation,” and we will read her exultation momentarily. 17 Luke 1:26-38 18 Galatians 4:4 19 Matthew 1:18-20 20 Luke 1:13-17, 76-78

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Child of Hannah, the Messiah of hwhy, was now going to come forth into the world:

46 And Miriam said, My soul does magnify hwhy, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in Elohim my Savior.21 48 For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For He that is mighty has done for me great things; and qadosh is His Name.22 50 And His kindness is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.23 52 He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted those of low degree.24 53 He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He has sent away empty.25 54 He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His kindness; 55 As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his Seed 26 for ever. Luke 1:46-55

The Messiah was Hannah’s Seventh Child by which the word of hwhy was completely fulfilled:

They that were full have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren has born seven, and she that has many children has grown feeble. 1Samuel 2:5

Hannah had six children during her lifetime, and the Seventh, the Messiah, she had by faith.27 The prophetic word which hwhy had spoken through her did not fail in any way.28 hwhy had visited Hannah’s poor counterpart, Miriam, in a very special way. Poverty can be related to wealth, but circumstances may also make one poor, needy, and lowly. Consequently, Miriam may have suffered poverty of several types.29

21 1Samuel 2:1. The footnote references in Miriam’s Exultation are not intended to claim exactness of quote; in some cases, quotations are nearly identical and Miriam is obviously quoting Hannah; in other cases, the general thought is the same. 22 1Samuel 2:2 23 1Samuel 2:3-4 24 1Samuel 2:6-8 25 1Samuel 2:5 26 1Samuel 2:10; the Messiah was prophesied to come forth from Abraham to bless all nations of the earth. Genesis 18:18, 22:16-18, Romans 1:5, 16:26, Galatians 3:8-16, Revelation 7:9 27 Hebrews 11:1-2,13,32-33,39-40 28 Isaiah 55:11 29 Luke 1:48,52-53, 1Corinthians 1:26-29

Yet, in her lowliness, she was a “vessel prepared.”30 We should not fail to internalize the importance of the Almighty’s choice for the mother of eswhy, the Messiah. Nor should we fail to recognize what requirement Miriam surely met as hwhy looked to her and granted her His great favor:

“For all those things My hand has made, and all those things have been, says hwhy: but to this one will I look: to one that is poor and of a

contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Isaiah 66:231

In these last days, we should more fully trust in His great, prophetic word. His promises for the coming Messiah were all completely fulfilled; this gives us strong assurance that none of His yet-pending promises will fail either. All that He has said will surely come to pass in eswhy the Messiah.32 May His Spirit of favor and supplication be poured out upon every thirsty soul.33 And may all of our readers continually know the privilege and honor of bowing in awe before His Great and Qadosh Name. Hallelu-Yah! His Name is Exalted!

Craig Peters Northridge, CA 9/1/2004

t s r q u p e o n m l k y j x z w h d g b a

PC Personal Copyright 2000 - 2004, by the author.

Version 1.2

This article is one in a series of many which has been broken into segments based on a full-length study presented to hwhy in the late

summer of 2000. The original study was entitled:

The True Messiah A Study of the Authentic King of Israel

We believe most copyrights have been abused worldwide in religious circles as false shepherds and other merchants feed on the sin of the people. These many abuses have filled the worship house of hwhy with money changers who hinder True Worship by robbing and oppressing the poor. Zechariah 7:10 Many, if not most, have turned reverence and the worship of hwhy into a means of great, personal gain. Micah 3:11, 1Timothy 6:5-10, 1Peter 5:2 We

30 2Timothy 2:21 31 Psalm 34:17-19, 51:17, Isaiah 57:15, Matthew 5:3 32 2Corinthians 1:18-20 33 Zechariah 12:10-13:1

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assert such things were never meant to be. Isaiah 55:1,2, Mark 11:15-17 Hence, our copyright is intended to allow for free distribution of the word of hwhy with the following, minimal limitations:

This document may be copied and distributed if it is left unaltered and in its entirety and

if it is given away at no cost. Matthew 11:5, Luke 4:19, Galatians 2:10.

This article may not be included in any publication – religious or otherwise – without

the author’s written consent.

All peaceable correspondence is invited:

P.O. Box 280114 Northridge, CA 91328-0114

United States of America

For other free documents which are offered to provide encouragement and edification from the word of hwhy, please refer to the following website:

http://www.yahuyahweh.org/iah

Note: ISRV is an acronym for, “INSTITUTE FOR

SCRIPTURE RESEARCH VERSION.” The INSTITUTE

FOR SCRIPTURE RESEARCH is an organization of Messianic believers based in South Africa. They have published an excellent version of the word of hwhy which is entitled “The Scriptures.” This present study refers to “The Scriptures” as the ISRV. For those who are interested in obtaining this version, the Institute’s web address is:

http://www.isr-messianic.org/