V.
ANNUNCIATION TO ZACHARIAS OF THE BIRTH
OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.
(At Jerusalem. Probably B. C. 6.)
cLUKE I. 5-25.
c5 There was in the days
of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan
or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa
from B. C. 40 to A. D. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation
of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named
Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four
bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple
(I Chron. xxiv. 3-19). Of these courses that of Abijah was the eighth]
of
Abijah: and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron [The Baptist was
of the priestly race by both parents, a family distinction much esteemed
among the Jews. He who was thus doubly a priest proclaimed Him who changed
the priesthood], and her name was Elisabeth. [She was named
after her ancestress Elisheba, the wife of Aaron.]
6 And they were both righteous before God [that is, truly righteous,
or righteous in God's judgment, and not in mere appearance--Gen. vii. 1],walking
in all the commandments and ordinances [Strictly construed, commandments
would refer to moral, and ordinances to ceremonial laws. The two words
include all the positive and negative precepts] of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child [this fact was a reproach and shame to her,
barrenness being considered even a punishment for sin by many],
because that Elisabeth was barren [the births of Isaac, Samson,
Samuel and the Baptist were all contrary to nature, and were faint foreshadowings
of the greater miracle which took place in the birth of our Lord],
and they both were
now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, [9] that while
he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course
[that is, when it came the turn of his course to minister in the temple],
9 according to the custom [there were many duties in the temple service,
and the priests in each course daily drew lots for these duties] of
the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the temple [not that
group of buildings, courts, and enclosures which was all called the temple;
but the real sanctuary itself, the small but holy building which took the
place of the tabernacle of the wilderness] of the Lord and burn incense.
[Made of a mixture of sweet spices. The temple incense was made of stacte,
onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense, in equal parts, beaten very small--Ex.
xxx. 7, 8, 34-38.] 10 The whole multitude
[the presence of the multitude indicates that it was a sabbath or a feast
day] of the people were praying [Incense is a symbol of prayer (Ps.
cxli. 1, 2; Rev. viii. 3). Each of the multitude prayed in silence] without
[outside the sanctuary, in the temple courts, particularly the court of
the women] at the time of incense. [Incense was offered evening
and morning (Ex. xxx. 1-8). Probably at 9 A. M. and
at 3 P. M. Compare Acts iii. 1. The text favors the
idea that Zacharias' vision came in the morning.]
11 And there appeared unto him [one of God's invisible messengers who
came visibly--II. Kings vi. 17; Ps. xxxiv. 7] an angel of the Lord
[Luke frequently tells of the ministration of angels (ch. i. 26; ii. 9,
13, 21; xii. 8; xv. 10; xvi. 22; xxii. 43; xxiv. 4, 23). They are also
often mentioned in the Book of Acts. There had been no appearance of an
angel for about four hundred years] standing on the right side [the
place of honor and dignity--Acts vii. 56] of the altar of incense.
[The altar on which Zacharias was burning incense. It stood in the Holy
Place in front of the veil which hung between the holy and the most holy
places. It was a small table twenty-two inches in breadth and length and
forty-four inches in height. It was made of acacia wood, and overlaid with
gold--Ex. xxxvii. 25.] 12 And Zacharias
was troubled [as men always are at the sight of heavenly beings [10] --Gen.
iii. 9, 10; Dan. x. 7-12; Rev. i. 17, 18] when he saw him, and
fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said
unto him, Fear not [These are the first words of the gospel which began
at that hour to unfold itself], Zacharias: because thy supplication
is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt
call his name John. [This name means "the Lord is gracious," or "the
Lord is merciful."] 14 And thou shalt
have joy and gladness [thou shalt feel as Abraham did when he named
his new-born son Isaac; that is, "Laughter"]; and many [but
not all] shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord [compare verse 6],and
he shall drink no wine nor strong drink. [Strong drink is any other
fermented liquor. Wycliffe's version calls it "syder," and the Anglo-Saxon
version calls it "beor," of which palm wine was the most common kind. As
to the temperance of the Baptist, compare the history of Samson (Judg.
xiii. 3-5) and the law of the Nazarite--Num. vi. 2-4]; and he
shall be filled with the Holy Spirit [the stimulation of the Spirit
is elsewhere thus contrasted with alcoholic stimulants--Acts ii. 15-18;
Eph. v. 18], even from his mother's womb. [See verse 41.]
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their
God. [These words were quoted from Mal. iv. 6, and resumed the thread
of prophecy which had been broken nearly four centuries before. Roman rule
had brought in the vices and profligacy of Italy and Greece, and the nation
needed to turn back to its former godly life.]
17 And he shall go before his face [the face of Messiah, who is also
the Lord God--Mal. iii. 1] in the spirit and power of Elijah [And
thus in fulfillment of the prophecy that Elijah should come again (Mal.
iv. 6; Matt. xvii. 9-13). The Jews still expect Elijah as the forerunner
of Messiah. John showed the spirit of Elijah in his ascetic dress and life
(II. Kings i. 8; Matt. iii. 4) and in his message of repentance--I. Kings
xviii. 21-40], to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children.
["These are the last words of the Old [11] Testament,
there used by a prophet; here expounded by an angel; there concluding the
law; here beginning the gospel." The phrase may mean: 1. John will restore
unity to the families of Israel, now divided into political factions, as
Herodians or friends of Rome, and zealots or patriots; and into religious
factions, as Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, etc.; or more likely it may
mean, 2. That John would restore the broken relationship between the patriarchs
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their degenerate descendants--Isa. xxix.
22, 23; lxiii. 16; John viii. 37-40], and the disobedient to
walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people
prepared for him. [As in the East the "friend," or go-between,
prepares the bride to understand and appreciate her bridegroom--John iii.
28, 29.] 18 And Zacharias said unto
the angel, Whereby shall I know this? [In asking for a sign Zacharias
showed his unbelief (Matt. xii. 38, 39). His question in the original is
in four words. Four faithless words cost him forty weeks of silence.] for
I am an old man [So said Abraham (Gen. xvii. 17). The law which retired
Levites from service at the age of fifty years (Num. viii. 25, 26) did
not apply to priests. They served to extreme old age], and my
wife well stricken in years. 19 And the
angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel [This name means "hero,
or mighty one, of God." Gabriel announced to Daniel the time of Christ's
birth and death, and the overthrow and final restoration of the Jewish
nation (Dan. vii.-xii.). He also announced the birth of Jesus to Mary (verse
26). The Bible gives the name of but one other angel; viz.: Michael, meaning
"Who is like God?" Since Gabriel was the messenger who announced God's
merciful and gracious purposes, and Michael the one who executed his decrees
and punishments, the Jews had a beautiful saying that "Gabriel flew with
two wings, and Michael with only one." The very ancient book of Enoch (Jude
14) gives us the name of two other archangels; viz.: Uriel, meaning "God
is light"; and Raphael, meaning "healer of God"], that stand
in the presence of God [Seven angels are [12] spoken
of as standing in the presence of God (Rev. viii. 2) and may probably be
called angels of the presence (Isa. lxiii. 9). But to see the face of God
is no doubt accorded to all angels (Matt. xviii. 10). One who stands in
the presence of God should be believed by men without approving signs];and
I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings.
[Our word "gospel" means good tidings.]
20 And, behold, thou shalt be silent [it was a sign; and also a punishment
for having sought a sign] and not able to speak, until the day that
these things shall come to pass, because thou believedst not my words,
which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marvelled while
he tarried [The Jews considered slow service as irreverent and displeasing
to God. The punishment attached to displeasing service made them fearful--Lev.
xvi. 13] in the temple. 22 And when
he came out, he could not speak unto them [Could not dismiss them with
the usual blessing (Num. vi. 23-26). Disbelief is always powerless to bless]:and
they perceived [probably by his excited manner] that he had seen
a vision [the most vivid and objective of all spiritual phenomena--ch.
xxiv. 23; Acts xxvi. 19; II. Cor. xii. 1; Dan. ix. 23] in the temple:
and he continued making signs unto them, and remained dumb.
23 And it came to pass, when the days of his ministration [They are
said to have lasted from the evening of one Sabbath (Friday at sundown)
to the morning of the next. Though doubtless chagrined at the punishment
which had come upon him, the old priest remained at his post, and dwelt
in the temple until his week was finished] were fulfilled, he departed
unto his house. [Some guess that he lived at Hebron, others at Jutta,
five miles south of Hebron, others at Ain Karim, four miles west of Jerusalem,
but no one knows.] 24 And after these
days Elisabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself [probably through
mingled feelings of modesty, humility, devotion, and joy] five months
[at the end of which time her seclusion was interrupted by the visit [13] of
Mary], saying, 25 Thus [graciously
and mercifully] hath the Lord done unto me in the days wherein he looked
upon me, to take away my reproach [the reproach of being childless--Gen.
xxx. 23] among men.
[FFG 9-14]
