1 Samuel 2:1-11. Hannah's prayer of praise as she delivers Samuel, the son for whom she had prayed, to the house of the Lord. Hannah's prayer is so reminiscent of the Magnificat! She says her heart exults in the Lord, there is no one holy like him. Do not speak proudly, for arrogance is known by the Lord, and he judges by actions. He breaks the bows of the mighty, but gives strength to the feeble. He kills but brings back to life. He makes poor and he makes rich; he brings low, but he also exalts. The needy and the poor are lifted up to inherit a seat of honor. He will guard his faithful ones and cut off the wicked. He will judge the ends of the earth, and give strength to his king.

Again, there is so much foreshadowing of Mary's Magnificat here - how heart and soul are exalted in the Lord's goodness, how God protects the poor and humble but brings down the haughty and proud, etc. But Hannah is in the Old Testament, she does not know that the King himself will be humble, and will be killed but brought back to life. The inspiration of her using these words is what I love so much about the Old Testament. Everything points to Jesus. It is like finding all the "Easter Eggs" when watching a movie or show (and isn't it coincidental that the hidden revelations of pop-culture are called "Easter Eggs"?! ) I think about Jesus on the road to Emmaus telling the two disciples how he is the fulfillment of everything in Scripture. They did not know, at the time, that it was the risen Jesus explaining all of this to them, but their hearts burned within them! I get that! It is like discovering the greatest secret ever, that isn't really a secret at all!

Reading the Bible is like looking at one of those pictures from the '90s that just looked like a repetition of color until your eyes adjusted a certain way, and then you could see a 3D image so clearly. And, once seen, it cannot be unseen. It is so amazing!