Which Old Testament passages parallel the themes found in Luke 1:53? Luke 1:53 — God’s Great Reversal “He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.” Key Ideas to Trace Backward • Divine concern for the physically and spiritually hungry • A deliberate humbling of the self-sufficient rich • The pattern of God lifting up the lowly and bringing down the proud Echoes in the Law and Historical Books • 1 Samuel 2:4-8 – Hannah’s song “Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more… The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts. He raises the poor from the dust; He lifts the needy from the ash heap.” “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna…to teach you that man does not live on bread alone.” “For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him.” (God’s strength for the needy, not the self-reliant.) Echoes in the Psalms “Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion…For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” “The young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the trash heap…” “He executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry…The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down.” “I will bless her with abundant provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.” Echoes in the Prophets “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat…Why spend money on what is not bread?” “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry…My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.” “I Myself will pasture My flock…I will strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.” A woe pronounced on the plunderer whose riches will vanish. Common Thread Through Every Passage • God actively opposes proud self-sufficiency. • He delights to meet the needs of those who own their poverty before Him. • Material and spiritual reversals are tools He uses to showcase His justice and mercy. Take-Home Truths • The Lord still “fills the hungry with good things” when we come to Him empty-handed. • Riches, status, or self-reliance offer no special standing; instead they can become barriers that leave a soul “empty.” • The Old Testament repeatedly anticipates the very words Mary celebrates—confirming that the God of Israel has always been the champion of the humble. |
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