The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 22

t.l1eir helmch: but tn the horns nf ll l~11l-in oh, jny 11n,lrcRmed of! - Is to bo ranked whi<'h the <'hief power of this nnimlll resides. e.mong the glorioua company of the prophets This wn•" figure espooinlly fRmili,u amo11g of the Highest. Rll R!!'l'i<'ul!urnl folk like the lsrRelit<>s. "A Ver. 77.-To give knowledge of ■alvation rRhli'i11ic writer snYB thllt thPre 11re ten unto his people by the remiaaion of their hnn1s-thnse of Ahraham, ls~no, Jacob, sins. Zach1\l'ias goes on to cclebrnte the J0•ep 11. ]\[nses, the hnrn of the Law, of the splendid part hie son was t.o play in the pries! hnnd, of the temp lo. and of Isra"I, and great M('sei,mio drama. He was to be som<' add of the Messiah. They wcre all llfessiah's pioneer in order to give men the plae~rl on the hmtds of the lsmelites till true informntion respecting the Deliverer's tl"''' sinned, an<l then thev were cut otf and work. Israel we.s mistaken nltogether in gi.-en to the Gentiles" (Schott.gen, • Hor. its conception of the salvation which they H"br ..' quoted by Dr. FatTnr). In the house really needed. Godet puts it with grent of his serve.nt De.vid. Clearlv Zacl1Rrias force. "Why," he RBks, "we.a the ministry lnnkcd on l\Ie.ry, as the ang~I !,ad dnne of the Messiah precede,I by that of another (vcr 32), u belonging to the roye.1 house Divine messenger? Bece.11ae the very n<:>tion of Da.-id. of snlvation we.s falsified in lsre.el, and had Yer. 70.-By the mouth of hill holy pro- to be corrected he fore so.I ve.tion could be J'hets. Zacharias looked on all that was realized. A carnal e.nd malignant pntriotiem then happening as clearly foretold in those had taken possession of the people e.nd their ~acred prophetic writings pr,,served in the rulers, e.nd the idea of e. politico.I deliverance nation -with so much care nnd reverence. had been substituted for the.t of e. more.I Which have been since the world bege.n. BR lvation. There was need, then, of e.nother He considered Messianic prnphecy e.s da.ting person, divinely authorized, to remind the from the first intimation after the fe.11 in peoplo lhnt perdition consisted not in sub- Eden (Gen. iii. 15). e.nd continuing in an jection to the Romans, but in Divine con- intermittent but yet unbroken line from demnation; and the.t salvation, therefore, GenPsis to Male.chi. we.snot temporal eme.ncipe.tion, but forgive- Ver. 71.-The.t we should be aaved from ness of sins." our enemies, e.nd from the hand of e.11 that Ver. 78.-Through the tender meroy ot 0111' he.ta 118. When Ze.charie.s spoke these God. And, goes on Zacharias in his noble words, hie mind. no doubt, wns on Rome and hymn, all this tender co.re for Israel (but its cree.tnres, Herod and h;s pe.rty, whom rLaJly for mankind, though perhaps the Rome had',,et up. The deli,ere.nce of Israel, speo.ker of the hymn scarcely guessed it) is in every Hel,rew heart, was the first e.nd owing to the deep love of God. Whereby greitt wnrk of the coming D<'lirnrer; but the the De.yspring from on high bath visited ua. inspired words he.d e. far broader reference The beautiful imagery here is derived from than to Rome. nnd the enemies of lsraelitic the magnificence of e.n Eastern sunrise. prosperity. The expression includes those In hie temple service e.t Jemealem the spiritual evil e.gencies which war their priest must he.ve seen the ruddy dawn rise ceaseless wnrfare age.inst the soul nf man. grandly over the dark chain of the dis- lt was from these the.t the coming Deliverer tant mountnins, and lighting up with a would free his people. It we.e only after blaze of golden glory the everlasting hills the fall of Jerusalem, and the total extinc- aa they stood round about Jeruee.lem. The tion of the ne.tione.1 existence of the people, thought which pictured the e.dventof Mesaie.h that, to use Dee.n Plumptre's longuage, e.s e. sunrise we.s a favourite one with the "wh.e.t was transitory in the hymn vanished, prophets. We see it in such prophecies of e.nd the words gained the brighter perma- Isaiah e.nd Me.le.chi e.s, "Arise, shine; for nent sense which they have he.d for cen- thy light ia come, e.nd f.ho glory of the Lord turies in the worship of the Church of is risen upon thee. For behold ... Gentiles Christ" shall come to thy light, and kings to the \"ere. 74, 75.-Might serve him without brightness of thy risi11g" (Isa. Ix. 1-3). fear. in holiness e.nd righteousness before him, "Unto you tho.t fenr my Name she.II the Sun all the days of our life. What Zacharias of Righteousness arise with henling in his louked on to we.s e. glorious theocre.ey based wiugs" (Mai. iv. 2). n~ natiune.l lioliness. Israel. freed from Ver. 79.-To give light to them thet sit in foreign opp,essiun 1nd internal di.aensione, darkness and in the shadow of dee.th. It would serve God with e. worship at once wonhl eeem the.t for a moment !he Hebrew uninterrnptoo and undefiled. priest se.w beyond the ne.rrow horizon of Ver. 76.-And thou, child; literaJiy, little lHrn.el, und thnt here, In the close of his cltiid. Here the father breaks forth into an glorious wng, he caught sight of the distnnt exprOll■ic,n of gle.duess et the thougl,t oft.he far-reaching iales of the Gentiles, over which 12-reat po.rt his he.by-son we.e to !,ear in this so deep a darkness brooded for ages. (!';cat national deliverance. His son. too- Ver. 60.-And the obild io-ew, and waxed on. 1. 1-80.] THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 13