Strength Given Unto Messiah

Little Samuel's mother Hannah gave praise and thanksgiving to God for answering her prayer to have a son when before she was barren. Her prayer expands its scope to exult in God's greatness and power over the entire world.

At the very end, speaking prophetically, Hannah announces a promise of God to the Lord Jesus: God shall give strength unto His King, and exalt the horn of His Messiah!

We do not often consider the strength of the Savior, perhaps because Jesus is shown to be meek and lowly of heart. He didn't use any force, but was gentle with all men during His ministry.

On top of that, there is the conflict in our minds between a promise of strength for Messiah, and the weakness that His dying suggests to us.

This conflict was brought out by Isaiah when he described the Arm of the Lord, strong unto salvation. But then he sees Messiah as having been mutilated.

Isaiah then expands upon the fact that the Lord Jesus would suffer death like a lamb slain in the place of His people. There seems no strength at all in that image, but rather weakness and helplessness.

Yet finally, Christ is shown after His death to be strong, even to the snatching away of the spoils of the Kingdom!

That strength Isaiah foretells is the result of Christ's voluntary sacrifice for sinners. The sacrifice is His strength. The strength of Jesus is the death He died, for thereby is He strong to save His people.

Christ's strength is seen as He goes to the cross to die, a voluntary act of His will. What strength He displayed when He hung there in agony and woe! He had the power to save His life and destroy His foes, and yet by His strength He finished our salvation!