Hannah recognizes that her salvation from reproach came from God, who has lifted her far above the taunt of Peninnah. The grief of earlier days is now turned to exaltation in the Lord. The prayer of yearning has given place to the praise of divine strength. Her lips, once closed in silent endurance, are now opened to extol God’s almighty power. She thinks of her experience as a type of the triumph achieved by God for His people both individually and collectively. She finds inspiration for song far beyond the range of her own experience, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit looks forward to the joy of the redeemed as they stand on the sea of glass with a “new song” on their lips (Rev. 14:3). Such joy as Hannah felt was not selfish delight, but an enlarged understanding of the character of God, like unto that which caused the “sons of God” to shout for joy over the creation of the world (Job 38:7), or the Israelites to acclaim the praise of the Lord after deliverance from the Egyptian host at the Red Sea, or the angel host to cry out, at Christ’s birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). The mockings and afflictions at home were the very environment in which such a vision of God’s salvation could be so nurtured as to produce a heaven on earth. Hannah had heaven in her heart, for she had learned to love the world as Christ loves it (see DA 331, 641).