THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
When that nation was without a king, why does she conclude by saying, “And he shall give strength to our kings, and shall lift up the horn of his Christ”? What inspired her to say this if it was not a prophecy? The Lord will eliminate those who contend with Him—namely, those who envy a man who has vowed something and oppose him to thwart his commitment. Due to a certain ambiguity in the Greek wording, “those who quarrel” might also refer to individuals who are at odds with God’s pleasing ones. When the Lord takes possession of us, anyone who disputes with us becomes contentious against God and ultimately defeated—not through our might, but by the power of the saints that the holy Lord of saints has sanctified.
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Therefore, let the wise not boast in their wisdom, let the strong not boast in their strength, nor let the rich boast in their wealth. Instead, let those who understand and know the Lord boast in their knowledge of Him, as they enact judgement and righteousness upon the earth. Understanding and knowing the Lord means grasping that whatever is received comes from Him, as the apostle states, “What have you got that you would not have received? And if you have received, what do you boast of, as if you had not received?” (1 Cor. 4:7). Thus, boasting as if one’s achievements are one's own is unfounded. Judgement and righteousness are performed by those who live rightly, and to live rightly involves obeying God’s commandments. The essence of God's command is love, stemming from a pure heart, a good conscience, and genuine faith (1 Tim. 1:5). As the Apostle John affirms, “this love is from God” (1 John 4:7). Therefore, rendering judgement and righteousness is also of divine origin.
What does it signify to do so “in the midst of the earth”? Should not those in the outskirts also pursue justice? What reason is there for this specification? If it were simply stated, “He shall do judgement and righteousness,” it would clearly apply to all—both those of the solid land and those of coastal regions. Yet, this phrase clarifies that there is no opportunity after life in this body to perform the judgement and righteousness one neglected while alive, to escape divine scrutiny. Thus, the phrase “in the midst of the earth” highlights the importance of living righteously while still in the body. In this life, each individual carries their own earthly burden, which, upon death, returns to the common earth and awaits resurrection. Therefore, performing judgement and righteousness is essential “in the midst of the earth,” meaning while the soul resides in the earthly body, ultimately benefiting us when everyone will receive “according to what he did while living in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). The apostle uses “in the body” to denote one’s lifetime in the flesh; one who harbors evil thoughts or blasphemy without physical action is still guilty, for their mindset existed during their bodily actions. Similarly, the Psalm statement, “O God, my king from everlasting, who worketh salvation in the midst of the earth,” (Psalm 73:12) acquires a relevant meaning. Our God, the Lord Jesus, who created the ages, accomplished our redemption amidst the earth when the Word became flesh and lived among us.
Following the prophecy of Anna, who declared that one who boasts should “boast not of himself, but of the Lord,” she continues, “The Lord shall ascend into heaven and shall cry: He shall judge the ends of the earth,” affirming the tenets of the faith. The Lord Christ has ascended, and from Heaven, He will return to judge the living and the dead. As the Apostle notes, “And what does ‘ascended’ mean but that He also descended first into the lower regions of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things” (Eph. 4:9-10). He shall ascend through the clouds, which He filled with the Holy Spirit as He did so, foreshadowed by His warning through the prophet Isaiah to Jerusalem, the ungrateful vine: “I will command the clouds not to rain on it” (Isa. 5:6). The phrase “He that judgeth the ends of the earth” is equivalent to stating “He that judgeth the ends of the earth.” The end of the earth refers to the culmination of a person’s life; the final state to be judged is what matters, not the various changes that may occur throughout life. Hence it is said, “He that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 10:22). Those who consistently pursue judgement and righteousness in life will not be condemned in the final judgement. “And He shall give strength to our kings,” so that in judgement, they shall not face condemnation. He will provide them with the strength needed to rule over the flesh and overcome the world through the One who shed His blood for them. “And He shall lift up the horn of His Christ.” How will Christ elevate the strength of His anointed? The same one referenced, “The Lord shall ascend into heaven,” also “shall lift up the horn of his Christ.” Then, who is the Christ of Christ? Is it not the strength of every one of His faithful followers, as she declares at the beginning of her song, “My horn is lifted up in my God”? All who are anointed with His anointing may rightly be called Christ; together with their Head, they form one body—Christ. These prophecies were proclaimed by Anna, the mother of Samuel, an esteemed and holy figure, who represented the shift from the old priesthood that has now occurred, as “the multitudinous shall be wearied,” signifying that the new priesthood in Christ shall bear “barrenness,” although it has given birth “seven times.”