Zechariah's first words in months of time was framed in a prophetic prayer for his son's life. John the Baptist was born six months or so before Jesus, and he was to serve as the forerunner - the one who introduced God's purpose and God's Son to a world so unprepared to see him.
Zechariah prayed and prophesied..Luke 1:68-79 (NRSV)
68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
This life was part of a long line of prophets...voices for God in a world that is filled with darkness and desperately needs the light and life of God.
C.S. Spurgeon wrote this 125+ years ago:
For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29
Am I in the light? Then Thou, O Lord, art my lamp. Take Thee away and my joy would be gone; but as long as Thou art with me, I can do without the torches of time and the candles of created comfort. What a light the presence of God casts on all things! We heard of a lighthouse which could be seen for twenty miles, but our Jehovah is not only a God at hand, but far off is He seen, even in the enemy’s country. O Lord, I am as happy as an angel when Thy love fills my heart. Thou art all my desire.
Am I in the dark? Then thou, O Lord, wilt lighten my darkness. Before long things will change. Affairs may grow more and more dreary and cloud may be piled upon cloud; but if it grow so dark that I cannot see my own hand, still I shall see the hand of the Lord. When I cannot find a light within me, or among my friends, or in the whole world, the Lord, who said, “Let there be light,” and there was light, can say the same again. He will speak me into the sunshine yet. I shall not die but live. The day is already breaking. This sweet text shines like a morning star. I shall clap my hands for joy ere many hours are passed.
The final verse of Luke 1 is one more verse after Zechariah's prayer for his son. It says in Luke 1:80 (NRSV)
80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.
The waiting period would go on for 30 years. His purposes to bring light and life are relentless, even if it takes all of our lives to bring it to past.
Comments