Delivered Out of the Hands of Enemies - Luke 1:74

Luke the physician wrote how “John's”, “father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost” after he was born, and he “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, ...”, and in chapter one and verse seventy-four of his book Luke shared how Zacharias added more to his statement as he added how God, “delivered out of the hand of our enemies” where we read:

That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies

might serve him without fear,

The verse reads, “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies ...” Luke began with the words, “that he would grant unto us” or “that God would give, bestow, supply and furnish Zacharias and Israel”, “that we being delivered out” which means “that Zacharias and Israel would be rescued out” “of the hand” or “of the power, might and strength” “of our enemies” which means “of Zacharias and Israel's opposing, hostile and hateful adversaries”. Luke shared how Zacharias continued to share God's “oath” that He would “rescue” Israel from their hateful foes.

The verse goes on to say, “... might serve him without fear,” Luke continued with the words, “might serve him” which means “would have the ability to minister to, give homage to and worship God” “without fear” or “not being afraid or filled with terror fearlessly”. Luke shared how Zacharias said the benefit of Israel being “delivered” from their “enemies” would be their ability to “worship and minister” to God without being “afraid and in terror”.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see how “deliverance” from “enemies” would enable “Israel” to “worship” God without being afraid. When “enemies” and “fears” dominate a person's life, they tend to forget about worshiping God or they are so occupied with their “foes”, they make no time to “serve” the Lord. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when God is in His proper place, “fears” and “enemies” are put aside, and true worship and ministry to God is done “without fear”.

Next time Luke shares how Zacharias adds, “in holiness and righteousness before him”, 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".