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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Thursday, December 24, 2020
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Zechariah’s Prophecy Bible Verse:Luke 1:67-80 (ESV) "And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, Levite Hebrew Priest and Altar As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; To show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us. That we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God; Whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. " Message:
Zechariah’s spontaneous hymn of praise is often called the Benedictus (Latin for “blessed,” the first word of the hymn), but is also simply called “The Canticle (or Song) of Zechariah.” The first half is a general song of thanks to God, for the time of the Messiah is finally at hand for Israel. It seems to have a flavor of the Old Testament, for it recalls the time when Israel was independent and powerful under David (and Solomon), and the theme is deliverance of Israel from her enemies. So Zechariah announces that God’s promise to Israel is on the verge of fulfillment, after almost 2000 years.
brazen altar with horns
Hebrew altar
with four horns
The imagery of the “horn,” used here and throughout the Bible, does not translate well into modern times, but it resonated greatly at the time. The problem is primarily one of technology; 2000 years ago, a horn was a natural symbol of power, because the world was full of oxen and their horns were immensely powerful. Additionally, lacking modern communications, the horn of a ram was used both in battle and in worship as a signaling device. Jewish altars had four horns at their corners, and often one of these horns might be grasped by a person seeking sanctuary.
The metaphor is difficult for us to grasp. A modern-day equivalent to “horn of salvation” just doesn’t exist; a sword of salvation or a tower or rock of salvation, might be more understandable, but they simply are not accurate.
Zechariah then changes voices and speaks directly to his miraculous son, a key player in the road to Redemption. And here the tone changes to distinctly New Testament, for the key themes are forgiveness of sin, peace, and light versus shadow. The Bible is in a period of transition, reflected in Zechariah, who is really preaching Christ before His birth. We also hear an echo of Isaiah 40:
Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; . . .
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;”
Meditation : Prayer : May the Passion of Christ be ever in my heart. May your law and your goodness guide my every thought, O Lord. And may the power of your Holy Spirit flow through my words and my actions today, and always........Amen |
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