Luke the physician wrote how, “Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people, And has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began. That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant. The oath which he swore to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear. In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace”, and in chapter one and verse eighty of his book Luke shared how John“grew, and waxed strong in spirit” where we read:
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,
and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.
The verse reads, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, ...” Luke began with the words, “and the child grew” or “and Zacharias and Elisabeth's son John increased, enlarged and became greater”, “and waxed strong” which means “was strengthened” “in spirit” or “in his simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting”. Luke shared how Zacharias and Elisabeth's son John “grew up” and was “strengthened” in his “soul”.
The verse goes on to say, “... and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.” Luke continued with the words, “and was in the deserts” which means “and resided, abode and lived within the solitary, lonely, desolate and uninhabited wilderness” “till the day of his showing” or “until the day of his proclaiming, announcing and inaugurating of his ministry and exhibition” “unto Israel” which means “to Israel which means he shall be prince and was the family or descendants of Jacob”. Luke shared how John lived in the “desert wilderness area” until he revealed himself to his people “Israel”.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see not only the “physical and spiritual” growth of Zacharias and Elisabeth's son John, but also where he resided. John lived in the “wilderness” until the time when he revealed himself and ministered to the people of Israel. God's plan for the salvation of mankind was being implemented, and as John grew, Jesus was soon to be revealed as well. God wants to have a personal relationship with every person who will yield their lives to His Son Jesus, and when they “believe and trust” in Him as their “Savior and Lord”, they align with God's plan, receive forgiveness for their sins and inherit everlasting life with Him.
Next time we begin a new chapter and see Luke share how,“there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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