The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-01-16
THE SONG OF zAcHAR,As.
International sunday-School Lesson for
January 10, 1890.

GOLDEN TExT-ThOu shalt 60 before
the face of the Lord to prepare His
ways.--Luke 1:76.
TIME--B. G. 6, June or July.
PLAcE-The hill country of Judea,
perhaps Hebron.
CONNECT IoN--For many months, since
the previous October Uesson ~, Zacha-
rias had been deaf and dumb. This was
q chastisement for his unbelief. and yet
there was inclosed within the chasSise-
ment blessing. In due time son was
born. When, eight days after, the
friends gathered at the house for the
rite Of circumcision, they expected that
of course the only son would be named
Zacharias, after his father. They ac-
cordingly made signs to him, for he
could not speak. In reply, he called
for writing materials, and wrote: "His
name is john" as the angel had hidden
them name him. Then the fathers
tongue was loosed, and its FIRST use was
to utter hymn of praise.
ExPLANAToRY--67. And his father
Zacharias tods filled souh the Holy Ghost.
This shows the source of the hymn
Zacharias now uttered, and Of it's truth.
The Intellectual atmosphere of the time
was full of errors and misunderstanding
in regard to the expected Messiah and
His Kingdom, SO that no eye could dis
Germ the pure truth, and no heart could
separate it from the popular errors, un-
les, guided by the Spirit of all Truth
p. Prophesied In classical Greek this
word means speaking for another, es-
pecially speaking for god and inter
preting his will to man. Zacharias
prophesied by uttering what God in
spi-ed him to speak, without reference
to the question whether that word fore
told future events or not. This hymn
was doubtless composed during the nine
months when Zacharias was dumb. But
that chastisement was the best thing
for him in his state of mind then. As
he could not speak, he therefore read
Gods word, and his meditations were
long and deep, guided by the Holy
Spirit. "He attained higher spiritual
life. He formed new conceptions Of the
power and mercy of God."-Meredith
Then, when his son was born and the
prophecy of the angel was fulfilled, and
speech was restored to him, this song
broke forth from his lips, "as the metal
flows from the crucible in which 1t has
been melted the moment that an outlet
is made for it."-Godet. 1t was the
bursting forth of the sunshine through
the departing storm; it was the advent
OF the verduro and flowers of spring after
adreary winter.-P.
/. FIRST STASZA - Thanks that the
Promised Time has come.-Vers. 6S-70.
6S. Blessed be tie Lord. The first words
of restored speech are words Of praise.
To bless God is not merely ''to acknowl-
edge and proclaim His infinite and eter-
nal blessedness," but to express our Joy
and delight in it, our desire that it may
continue, our gladness that God reigns.
1t shows our perfect sympathy with God
and His Kingdom.
III. SECOND STANZA. Praise for deliv-
erance from Enemies. Vers. 71-7S.
II. That ace should be sared from our enc
mics. They were subject to the Romans,
instead of having king of their own.
They were oppressed by rulers and tax
gatherers. Herod, their King, was an
alien and abounded in cruelties and ar
bitrary exactions. Their land was in an
almost chronic state OF dissension. ''No
doubt in the first instance the enemies
from which the prophets had promised
deliverance were literal enemies (Deut
33:29; lsa. 14:2; SLICE, %, etc., but every
pious jew would understand these
words as applying also to spiritual enc
mies."-Farrar. And from the hand of all
that hate us. The Jews were even then q
despised race, and hated by those to
whose religion and customs they were
opposed. Even Cicero ridiculed the
jews in public speech, and fling at
them would bring cheers in the theat-
rum. Every vile story was believed
against them, as that they. worshiped
swine because they would not eat pork,
and that they were expelled from Egypt
on account Of leprosy.
THIRD STANZA-Praise for the Posi-
tive Blessings of Salvation. "A,
Is. The negative blessings of salvation
-deliverance from evil things-have
great value, and are preparation for
better things; but they are small COM
pared with the positive blessings. 1t is
great thing for q garden to be free
iroh WocuS, anu 10 Do projected from
wild beasts and thieves; but the real
value Of the garden depends on the quail
ity and abundance Of its fruits and fiow-
ers. So in the human soul, tho positive
virtues, moro than the negative, are the
measure of it's value.
FOURTH SrANzA-Praise for the Her.
aid Of the Dawn.-Vers. 76, II, 7s. And,
thou child: Greek, "little child, John
the Baptist, then eight days old. Shalt
be called: not only shalt be, but shall be
recognized as the prophet cfthe Highest,
the Most High God. God IS called the
Highest because He is high above all in
goodness, in nature, in power, in every
attribute and work. For thou shaH 40
before tie face. Precede in time, and 20
in the view, under the eye, on the err
rand cfMe Lord: probably to Zacharias,
the same person as the Highest in the
preceding sentence, and yet the event
shows him to be the Messiah. Bliss. TO
prepare His nays. The figure here used
Ia fOuudad Ov a N 10 town o,,o%o,.