Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-13
# R@unoap @rbool lessoa
MA Up Reb. ,Nugb a. Stebenson.

Eight days after his birth. in accordance
with the law which required the presence
of at least ten witnesses. there was
family gathering at tie priests homo
Ito circumcise the child" and they wero
about TO call the boy Zacharias in honoa
of his father. bat his mother sad Nos
so. he shall be called John the gift OF
God. Immediately storm OF protest
was made against the name. because 10
was not family name.
The father. who was a silent spectator
was appealed 10 by signs proving thae
he was probably both deaf and dumb,
requesting him to settle the family dis
pute as to the name. He surprised them
by his written decision. His name 10
John. The command of God gil en- 10
him in the temple had been carried out.
Doubt Of Gods messenger brou mt the
penalty of silence, obedience TO His COM
mand restored his speech. Zacharias inn
mediately commenced to bless G. d. This
experience of the aged priest is ypic l.
The man who doubts God loses pc yer.
The man that has failed when he emon-
startes his faith in God by obe hence is
surprised al his strength for G meets
such a one at the point of weakne g.
Zacharas recovery of lost power re Gals
itself in his praise of trod in song.
s* 50
Song.
The first proof OF his punishment had
been that his tongue refused TO pro-
nounce the benediction. the first proof
that the penalty had been removed was
that he spoke the benediction OF God In
a rapturous burst of praise and thanks
giving. Just as molten metal coming
from the crucible in a stream will tale
the form OF any mold, so the silent study
OF the messengers message, the evai Il
nation OF the promise, psalms and prop
cts in reference the coming messeas
and Messiah breaks forth under the r.
spiration of the Holy Spirit into prop-
ecy of song for the glory of God
The poem prophecy reveales the result
OF the months mediation by its quo atio'.s
eight from different psalms one from the
law and four from the prophe :. two II
which are from Malachi, the messen..r
whose words closed the old d'spensation.
These quo atoms are not a mere string.
for the prophetic psalm is permeated
! With the patriotic hope and joyful ex-
pectatfon of son of David who should
, deliver Israel out of the hands OF their
enemies.
The gem of the psalm may be found in
the most ancient prayer OF the priests
tual. Zacharias had learned it's spirit
ual significance, and he transforms the
prayer into song of praise and predic-
tion.. which marked the revival OF
prophecy. In this song we find as I'm the
Old Testament prophets the elements OF
pa riotfsm and religion fused into striking
unity 1t lacks the clear-cut concep-
tons. however, that marked the vision
or Isaiah, Daniel. jeremiah, Ezekiel, Mi-
| cab and Malachi.
The dark ages. with their 400 years
nieht. without any light appearing. was
about to end. for the day was at hand.
| 1t Is always darkest just before dawn"
Edersheim's suggestion that Zacharias
was not learned priest-in fact, the
scholars OF the day were not found among
| the priests but among the rabbis and
scribes-may explain the dimness OF WIS.,
ION, but not the unexpected exposition Of
the priests prayer. the promises psalms
and prophecies Of the Old Testament
The key to the priests INSIGHT is the
fact that he was filled with the Holy
| Spirit and from the great teacher Zacha-
! rias not only learned, but spoke under
| His inspiration. The psalm divides into
two parts at the end of the seventy-fifth
the Messiah, who would save His peo-
! pie, SO that they might serve God all OF
| their days. The latter portion was adj
| dressed to his little child, who was the
earnest and guaranty of the deliverance
Of Israel. Every word of the song is
| pregnant with meaning. but space will
only permit brief reference to each OF
| the hve strophes of the poem. With
| what had already begun. The deliverance
| through the ransom of the son, as yet un-
| born. of Mary. He praises God for this
salvation, because the Lord had remem-
bered His covenant of old. There are
: times when ii looks dark to u.s. when il
seems as If He forgets His promises. In
such hours the question recorded in
Numbers asks of us: Hath He spoken.
and shall He not make it good?"
Scripture, history and personal experi-
ence agree that God keeps His word He
makes good all Of His promises We
need faith to see it. Ii we put confidence
In Gods word we shall enjoy the bless
ings of His fulfilled promises. The pur,
pose of the salvation and the oath made
to Abraham was that Israel might SERVE
God I'm holiness and righteousness with-
out fear. Gods method of salvation diff,
fers from their conception. They put
material first, while God places spiritual.
They thought OF salvation from enemies,
then righteous service. God makes US
right first. saves us from our sin and then
creates in us spirit of love that COM
quers enemies. Within it's first three cers
turtles spiritual Christianity by the power
OF the gospel conquered Roman civilixas
ton. whenever we put secular affairs
first We depart from the program of God.
He always places spiritual service before
temporal work. With. Him our salvation
involves pardon. which is needed because
Of our sin.
Through the unmerited favor OF Goa
we receive pardon for the past sin.
purity in His sight, peace for the pres.
ent and power for service, giving us a
new view. new heart. new purposes
and a new life in Christ. This was in
the mind of Zacharias. the mission OF
John, as the speaker for God. he would
preach forgiveness and point the way
10 the SaNior. 1t would be the funcs
tion of the babe. who had just been
named. TO guide men to the highest.
TIM entrance of Christ into our lives
promotes the highest knowledge and
spreads the truth that gives men in.
tellectual, civil and religious freedom.
The way of Christ is the path Of peace
for men and nations.
Those who heard this prophecy went
forth telling the marvellous experience
and wondering What can this child
be destined to become?" The hand
Of the Lord was with him" and by
the power of the Holy SpIrit the char
acter Of John the Baptist was fixed
during the formative period OF life.
when, as the lesson tells US, 1.-THE child
grew and became strong in the spirit
and he lived i'm the wilds till the tims
came for his appearance before Israel"
We would like to know more OF tha
education of the great reformer be-
yond the environment of home and
desert presented He probably did not
retire to the desert until he was about
twenty and certainly not until after
his parents death. The Impress OF tho
home was given to him. and early in
life he was informed of the signif-
icance of his Nazarite VOW and the
events that we have been studying.
With the passing of his parents ha
wanted to be alone to solve the prob
lens of his life. II was not easy for
him to master the thoughts concerning
his mission and message. His restless
ness drove him into the desert. There,
in the barren mountain sections. the
Essences gave him sympathy because OF