The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 40

not he mennt thnt they were ~inlessly perfect, especially siuce in such a case the ritual through. which tlic:r :egularly p11s~ed would have been strangely unmeaning. They IYerc a p1011R, G,1d~<•rtrmg _pair, w11lkmg before the Lord, and striving to be perfect, And here 11·c may draw 11tt.cnt1011 to the advantage John thus had in pious parents, It is, we lwlicvo, R physical advantage to be the offspring of those who have learned by God'11 i,:r~ce to sub,lue_ their _passions, and who may otborwise be healthy. Other things bemg eqn111, their physwal development must be superior to thiit of those whoss parents may be addict~ to any forms of sinful indulgence. ~I. NoTIOE THE TRIAL OF THEIR FAITH. This conAisted in their having no child. W1t.h the Jews tbere was, added to the natural desire of husband and wife for children !he stimul;-1s arising from ~he Messianic promises. A Deliverer is expected: why not rn my family? Thus ,Jewish mothers were kept in an expectant attitude, not knowing but that the Messiah was to be their Son. We see in such psalms as cx.xvii. cxxviii. etc., e,idence how the Divine ble~sing was associated with fruitfulness. Zacharias and Elis~beth had hitherto ~een denied the blessing of any child, and, though they he.d contmued to pray about 1t, they he.d ceased really to hope, Just like the people who prayed for the release of Peter, and then would not believe it was he when he came knocking e.t the door (Acts xii. 12-16), so the aged priest and his wife seem to ha\'o kept up the fo1m of pre.~'er for a son long after they had ceased to expect such e. gift. God keeps us wn.iting till we are hopeless, and then he surprises us with his blessings. III. NOTICE Js"'EXT THE PRAYING MULTITUDE AND THE OFFIOIATING PlUEST. Zacharias belonged to the eighth of the priestly conrees, and had consequently to come up twice a year for eight days' attendance at the temple. Those belonging to the same course met and cast lots for the privilege of officiating at the golden altar. So soon as a priest secured the privilege once, he retired from the contest, as once during the sojourn at Jerusalem was deemed ample honour. Zacharias happened to be successful; the Lord's will was that he should officiate on a given de.y, The lot left the destiny of each absolutely in the hands of the Lord. It is quite a different matter when people make an appeal to him in games of chance and such like. 1 Into the sanctuary (vabv) of the LorB accordingly he went, to bum incense at the morning hour, as seems most probable. And while he burned the pure perfume within, the multitude of the people prayed without. It was an acknowledgment that their prayers required something to make them acceptable. They coul.d not ascend alone. And was this not the idea of the arrangement? Man's prayers needed to be supplemented by a divinely arranged per- fume, just as we now expect our prayers to be accepted only through the merits of Jes'IJ,$ Christ. Age.in. must we not suppose that the people were praying for deliverance and the advent of the Deliverer? Their prayers and the aged priest's were really one. There was unison and harmony, even though presented from different standpoints. The people without and the priest within were acting in "pre-established harmony." IV. THE ANGEL OF JOY A.PPEA.lll! IN THE SANCTUARY. It we.s upon the path of duty Zacharias met the angel, just as Jacob had done long before at Mahanaim (Gen. xx.xii. 1). Gabriel's visit at first terrified the solitary priest. But e.s the angel of glad tidings and so, as he has been called, "of evangelization" ( cf. Godet, in loc.), he soon reassures Zacharias. He tells him that his wife is to bear him a son, and his name is to be called "John." 1. This itself is significant. The word "John" is derived from nin• and l!-:, and means "Jehovah giveth grace." It thus signalized the dispensation," The Baptist was really the morning star of the gospel dispensation. 2. He was to be morally great. The gracious name would not belie his character. He would be "great in the siaht of the Lord," who" looketh on the heart." 3. He was to be separated from the world, as a true Nazarite. He was not to drink either wine or strong drink, 4. He was to be inspired from the womb. The inspiration from wine was needless, when he we.s to be borne upwards and constantly exhilarated by the Spirit of God (cf. Eph. "'· 18). 5. He shall be cqrresP.ondingly ,~~sjuJ,. "Many of the J~ws aha~! he ~um to the Lord their God." 6. HIB reformat10n 1s to resemble that of Elias. EhJe.h hved to turn the nation to the worship of the true God; his work we.a preparatory, like the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, before the still small voice. So was it to be with J oho. He we.s by stem and solitary moral gre.ndenr to bring the people to a sense of 1 Cf. Dr. J.M. Mason's •ConeideratioDB on Lot.,' Works, vol. iii. pp. 265-317, 01f. t. 1-HO.) TTTE GOSPEL Acconnrno TO ~T. Ln•:F,.