The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 24

"Vers. 5-23.-Zuharias and hi'~ vi.sion. Notice some features in the sketch that is given of the priest and of that which happened at the altar of incense. I. IT IS A PICTURE OF THE SOUL WAITING FOR GoD. That waiting which is empha- sized in the Old Testament Scriptures as one of the e~sentials of piety. How beautifully are the words-" More than they that watch for the morning, my soul waitetb for the Lord;" "It is good that a man should bNh hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord "-illustrated in the life and attitude of Zacharias and Elisabeth! Year on year thry had waited in their hillside home, asking the blessing of a eon. Apparently the hope bad set in heavens that were only brn.,s, But one thing was ever brighL and real-their faith iii the living God; and they walke,l in HII bis command- ments and ordinances h!ameles.~. "Our wills are ours to make them thine." It is, easier to consent to God's will when the dema:1d is to act, than to consent when the demand is simply to wait, to direct our prayer to the Etern 11, and look up. One of the lessons which we are slow to learn is, •· Walk humbly with thy God." II. THE PASSAGE BEFORE us REVEALS THE HEARER OF PRAYER, (Ver. 13,) "Thy prayer is beard." Was this the prayer for the son? Or was it the priestly prayer, offered at the altar and through the incense, for the hope and salvation of Israel? Both, it may be, are included. For it is noteworthy that in the two scriptural instances of intense longing for a son-that of Hannah and that of Zacharias-the blessing to the indi..- ·ddnal is associated with blessing to the whole Church of God. The prayer of faith has interconnections with the purpose of God far beyond our power to estimate, ar:d the doing is" exceeding abundantly abo\'e all that we ask or tbink.n II Thy prayer is heard;,.~ the answer often looks a great way back. Matthew Henry quaintly says, "Prayers are filed in heaven, and are not forgotten though the thing prayed for is not presently gi,en us. The time as well as the thing is in the answer; and God's gift ah,·sys transcends the mee.sure of the rromise," llL A.gain, LET THE FORM OF THE ANSWER RETURNED SPEAK TO ua OF THE REALITY OF THE srm1TCAL wonLD, (Ver. 19.) "The angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that staud in the presence of God : and I was sent to ~peak unto the!!, anu t.o hiing thee tlwse good ti,lings." The same presence as that we meet in the Ikok of Da11ieL Gabriel is the au gel for the wcatly beloved, the angel with the glad tidings; ]ip whn afterwards bore the most wonderful of messages to the Hebrew maiden. Our 1"eas are Yery cuufused as to the holy angels. There can be no doubt that the tendency of 1bouo-ht in our day is t-0 narrow the sphere of the supernatural. Formerly, it domiuat:d over tl,oug,.t and action; the influeuce of spirits &nd occult spiritual forces was bruu"ht in to ~ccuunt for much that is referable to laws and powers in nature. :Kowaclay; m(·n are occupied in tracing "nataral law in the spiritual world." D11t wlio can accl,pt the truth of this first chapter of St. Luke's Gospel and doubt as to tbo reality of a B)'iritual universe encompassing the material? And if there be such a universe, w!,y should it ~eern incre<lible that spiritual presences should, at surrdry times, be declared to men-that Gabriele and Michaels should "at God's bidding speed and poat o'er land and ocean without rest; n "mini~tering spirits, sent forth to ministr.r for them who sl,all be heirs of salvation"? The spiritual mind can have no difficulty :is to thil!. It will recognize in the vision of Zacharias a truth for all. Where there ia 1 •:e praying heart thore is "the angel on the right Bide of the e.lt&r of incense." OD, L 1--80.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. l:.,