LESSON III.-SABBATH, JANUARY 20, 1894

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 8, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 10.

LESSON III.—SABBATH, JANUARY 20, 1894

MAGNIFYING THE NAME OF THE LORD.

WE have in the two previous lessons considered the character of Zacharias and Elizabeth; the appearance of the angel Gabriel to Zacharias, foretelling the birth of a son; the unbelief of Zacharias, and his punishment; the annunciation to Mary, and her humble acceptance of the will of God; and Mary's visit to Elizabeth. This lesson opens with Mary at the house of Elizabeth, who has just pronounced a blessing upon her. We have (verses 46-55) Mary's outburst of rejoicing and of praise to God; and also (verses 57-66) the account of the birth of John, and the wonder of the loosing of the tongue of Zacharias. Thus two points, easily grasped and retained, comprise the whole lesson.

Lesson Scripture, Luke 1:46-66.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is unto generations and generations on them that fear him.
He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.
He hath put down princes from their thrones, and hath exalted them of low degree.
The hungry he hath filled with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen Israel his servant, that he might remember mercy.
(As he spake unto our fathers) toward Abraham and his seed forever.
And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned unto her house.
Now Elizabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her; and they rejoiced with her.
And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marveled all.
And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, blessing God.
And fear came on all that dwelt round about them; and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea.
And all that heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.

After Elizabeth had returned Mary's salutation, with what words did Mary begin to express the overflowing praise of her heart?
What did she say that all generations should henceforth call her?
Who had done to her great things?
Upon whom, and how enduring, is God's mercy?
How does God show his power in the proud and mighty, and in the poor?
What was said of God's dealings with the hungry and with the rich?
What did Mary say that God in his mercy had done to Israel?
Of what was this a fulfillment?
How long did Mary stay with Elizabeth?
What did the neighbors do when Elizabeth's son was born?
When they came to circumcise the child, what did they call him?
What did his mother say to this?
Why did the neighbors think it strange that she should call him John?
To whom did they refer the matter?
What did Zacharias do?
What took place as soon as the words of Gabriel were fulfilled by the naming of John?
What did Zacharias then do?
How did these things affect the people?

NOTES.

1. "He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree." This is true in the present tense, but as the work is not yet complete, it is also spoken prophetically. Compare James 4:6, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble;" and, "Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Eph. 4:7. It is this grace that exalts those who receive it, but the truth is that we are exalted only while we continue humble. If we have humility and grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, there is no limit to the exaltation that we may receive, for it is all in Christ. For "God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened [made alive] us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:4-6.

2. "He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich hath he sent empty away." To supply the needy is what God always does. To bestow nothing on those who are already rich is but reasonable. Such do not feel the need of anything. Now none are actually rich, but many think that they are, and it has the same effect in their action as though they did not need anything. Thinking that they need nothing, they will not accept anything, and so they go away empty. Because they are "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," although claiming to be "rich and increased with goods," and having need of nothing, God counsels them to buy of him gold tried in the fire, and white raiment. Rev. 3:17, 18.—He calls them to buy food, "without money and without price." Isa. 55:1, 2. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." Matt. 5:6. There is no need, therefore, for any to go away hungry.

3. "He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever." The specific promise to Abraham was one concerning land, namely, that he and his seed should possess the whole earth as an everlasting inheritance of righteousness. See Gen. 13:14-17; 17:6-8; Rom. 4:13. It was, in short, the gospel. This of course involved the first advent of Christ, for he was the surety of the covenant with Abraham,—the Seed to whom the promise was made. Gal. 3:16, 17. The birth of Christ, however, like that of Isaac, was not the ultimate fulfillment of the promise to the fathers, but was only in the line of its fulfillment. The fulfillment of the promise will be only at the coming of Christ and the resurrection. It was to this, as the hope of the promise made of God unto the fathers, that Paul, in common with all the true Israelites, hoped to come. Acts 26:6-8. If we are Christ's, we are heirs of the promise made to Abraham. The oath of God to Abraham is to us strong assurance that the promise will be fulfilled. Heb. 6:13-18. In Christ our faith may grasp the promise as an actually accomplished fact. See Eph. 1:10, 11; Heb. 4:3.

4. ALL the circumstances of John's birth being noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea, tended to call the people to him, so that when John came in the wilderness of Judea, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," the people were ready to receive him as a prophet from God. Unfortunately, they rejoiced only for a season in the light that he brought.