An OT Mary

Most Christians are familiar with the story of Mary the mother of Jesus. She was a virgin who was approached by an angel and ended up having a baby despite her virginity. However, as one reads the Old Testament, one quickly sees and hears bits and pieces of Mary's story in the lives of women who preceded her. Or perhaps more accurately, Mary's story contains echoes of the stories of these earlier women.

One such instance is the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2. Here is a woman who cannot have a child (her womb is closed). After being approached by a messenger of God (the priest Eli), she ends up having a son named Samuel. The son ends up being dedicated to the Lord's service.

Even more fascinating is that both Hannah and Mary sing a song of praise to God after the birth of their sons. In fact, both songs start off the same way: "My heart/soul exalt the LORD." As both songs progress, both praise God for His humbling of the rich and powerful and for His raising up of the lowly. For example:

1 Sam. 2:4-"The bows of the mighty are shattered,
                    But the feeble gird on strength."
Luke 1:52- "He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
                    And has exalted those who were humble." (NASB)

Yet, the comparisons do not end there. Compare these passages in 1 Samuel to the description about Jesus found in Luke 2:40 that says he "continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.":

1 Sam. 2:21- "And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD."
1 Sam. 3:19- "Thus Samuel grew and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fail."

All of these parallels are hard to ignore. However, it reminds us of a basic fact about the mindset of the Biblical writers. For them, history was somewhat circular. History does repeat itself. The stories of the past are also the stories of the present and of the future. That's also why eschatology at times looks so much like protology. So, as we see these elements show up in Hannah's life, and then in Mary's, we may also wonder how these same elements are being played out in out lives today.