Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-01-17
THE SONG OF ZACllARIAS.
LESSON III, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 10.
Text of the Lesson, Luke !, 6T-SO-C Com
NIT Verses rs -70-G olden Text,
Luke i, 76-Commentary by the
ReY. ID. Nj. Stearns.

Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per-
mission of H. s. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
phia
g. "And his father Zacharias was filled
with the Holy Ghost" After Mary had
spent some three months with Elizabeth she
returned to her own home In due time God
gave to Elizabeth the promised son, and when
the day came to circumcise the child, the
people who had come together were about
to call him Zacharias, after his father, but
his mother said that he should be called John;
his father being appealed to asked for writ
ing table and wrote, saying, His name is
John;n then were the ears opened and the
tongue loosed which had been closed and
silent many months because OF unbelief see
vss. 20, 63 and MS he spake and praised
God he was filled with the Holy Spirit and
uttered this prophecy.
6S blessed be the Lord God of Israeli
Thus ends the first, second and fourth books
of Psalms xii, 10; Xxi, IS, cvi, 4S) telling
of Gods mercies and deliverances, past and
future for His people Israel. The name is
first found in Elk. V, l, when Moses and
Aaron demand of Pharaoh that he let Gods
people go, and is always associated with
Gods special interest in that people. The
prophet jeremiah associates the two titles
Lord of Hosts and God of Israel at least
thirty times, indicating His power to care
for His people and deliver them.
"He hath visited and wrought redemption
for His people" r. W. 1t was four hun
bred years since Malachi had said that the
Lord would come on behalf of His people, and
many more hundreds since God had cove
nanted with David and Abraham, but now
His time had come to work redemption.
60. And hath raised up an horn of saliva
ton for us in the house of his servant David"
The horn is the symbol of strength or power.
Hannah sings of her horn and the horn of
His anonted David sings of the horn of his
salvation, which is Jehovah Il Sam. ii, |, 10;
Ps xviii, Q: and in Ps. cxxxii, II, Jehovah
Himself says that in Zion He will make the
horn of David to bud, indicating the coming
of the Messiah from the house of David.
H. '"That we should be saved from our en-
emies and from the hand of all that hate US :"
Let us remember that this lesson, although,
like all Scripture, written for our instruction
Rom. XIV, A refers primarily and chiefly to
Israel and her salvation from all her enemies,
as the prophets had foretold. Let one pas
sage out of hundreds indicate the meaning;
! "Behold, the DAYS come, saith the Lord that
| will raise unto David a Righteous Branch,
and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall
execute Judgment and justice in the earth:
/ In His days shall Judah be saved, and Israel
| shall dwell safely and this is His name
whereby He shall be called, The Lord Our
| Righteousness" der. xiii, 5. G).
70, 70. ITO perform the mercy promised to
our fathers. and TO remember His holy COW
enant; the oath which he sware to our father
Abraham In Ps. cv $40 the covenant is
spoken of as one made with Abraham and
confirmed to Isaac, Jacob and Israel, and one
of the promises in the covenant is distinctly
said to be to give them the Land of Canaan.
If any one will take the trouble to read care
fully the oft repeated covenant with Abra-
ham in Gen. xiii xiii XIV, xvii, xxi, they will
see the full terms Of that covenant and sure
ly be persuaded that it is specially for Israel,
and looks beyond even our days.
"a, 20. "Delivered, serve Him
in holiness and righteousness before
Him all the days of our life" One glance a
Israel's present condition, 800 years out OF
their land, still sifted among all nations anC
yet preserved, the rebuke still resting upol
them, clearly indicates that the words of TIT
Spirit through Zacharlas and the prophet
have not yet been fulfilled. And the reasol
is not far to seek. They rejected John an,
did as they pleased to him Matt. xvii, ~
they rejected Jesus, their Messiah, and cruel
fed Him, and the kingdom which was a
hand, including Israel's deliverance and res
toration, is postponed till He shall return i,
power and glory preceded by another jon
the Baptist, even Elijah himself, as His fore
runner NAL. iv, ., O..
But while Israel's blindness continues be
cause of their unbelef and rejection Of thei
Messiah, He is taking out of all nations
people for His name, and whoever is willin
to receive Jesus their own persons
Saviour becomes thereby a child of AbrG
ham mot an Israelte), a child of God, an hei
according to the promise Gal. iii, Z, 26, %
and shall in due time find what it means t
be joint heir with Christ, a king and prize
unto God, when Jesus shall be manifested d
King of the Jews, King of kings and Lor
of lords whom all nations shall serve an
before whom all kings shall fall down lP
Xxi, 1D. 1t is the privilege of all such, b'
ing delivered from the wrath TO come an
from the power of the devil to harm us t
serve the Lord Jesus without fear all tn
days of our life, walking with Him in Hol
ness and Righteousness As to the power I
live a holy life, see | Cor. i, 40; X, -;
Thess. V, %, "a.
! 76 "And thou, child, shalt be called til
prophet of the highest" Zacharias no
speaks of his son as the herald of the Messia
longer doubts the words of Gabriel. II
, title Highest" or "Most High" is not fouu
over forty times in Scripture, and chiefly
, the books of Psalms and Daniel, Its first u
in Gen. xiv, l7-2l teaches us not to receiN
, favors from the world, but fearlessly stan
apart and let the possessor of heaven an
earth be sufficient for us. John proved 10
: just that kind Of a man.
!! Thou shalt go before the face of the Lor
l TO prepare His ways If we have the spir
. of John we will not seek any reputation
4 glory for ourselves, but be gladly consumed
we prepare His way who is soon to con
again. The two ways in which we can be
a prepare His way are by holy lives separa
/ from this world and by winning souls.
r. "To give knowledge of salvation uni
: His people by the remission of their sins
None but the Saviour can give salvation, b.
Z His servants can give the knowledge of ga
: walton, and they should all be telling of II
salvation from day to day Fs. Xxi, Is, q
There is no salvation that does not ncluC
!, the forgiveness of SINS but our message
BE it known unto you that through til
man is preached unto you the forgiveness