"My heart exults in the LORD;
my horn is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation" (1 Samuel 2:1).
Hannah’s prayer of praise opens with exclamation for personal reversal. Many a song has been ruined by a predominance of “my” and “I.” But “my” and “I” are not necessarily poisonous to every song. If you are to rejoice in redemptive reversal, it must be personal. David sang, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:5–6). If you cannot sing “my” and “I,” you have no reason to sing.
What separates the bad “my and I” songs and prayers from the good ones? Much of it can be seen in this: Hannah’s song is as theological as it is personal. Matthew Henry well expresses what it is that makes this song beautiful instead of ugly.
“What great things she says of God. She takes little notice of the particular mercy she was now rejoicing in, does not commend Samuel for the prettiest child, the most toward and sensible for his age that she ever saw, as fond parents are apt to do. No, she overlooks the gift, and praises the giver, whereas most forget the giver and fasten only on the gift. Every stream should lead us to the fountain; and favors we receive from God should raise our admiration of the infinite perfections there are in God.”
"There is none holy like the LORD:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God" (1 Samuel 2:2)
The gift was good, but Yahweh is peerless. Our God is not only incomprehensible; He is incomparable. He is incomprehensible. We cannot comprehensively master His infinite glory. He is incomprehensible, but one thing we may comprehend about Him, is that He is incomparable. “There is none holy like Yahweh.” When Moses asked God what he should say when the people ask the name of the God of their fathers, God answers “I AM.” Names define. God alone can define Himself. There is no other. “There is none besides you.” God always wins His class because He is the only one in His class. His position is uncontested. This is not because His class is low and insignificant. It is the highest and most esteemed.
“There is no rock like our God.” After the Red Sea swallowed the Egyptian forces, Moses sang, “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). The understood answer—no one! As Israel prepared to take Canaan, Moses gathered all the people and sang to them of this Rock. “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. …their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves” (Deuteronomy 32:4, 31).
With Hannah we may rejoice that the incomparable Lord is our God. He is our Rock. We are not by ourselves. It’s personal. It’s theological. Such is the stuff of true praise and prayer.
No Other Boast 