The Mercy and Holy Covenant - Luke 1:72

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”, and in chapter one and verse seventy-two of his book Luke shared how Zacharias prophesied the reason for the Messiah was, “to perform the mercy promised to our fathers” where we read:

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

The verse reads, “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, ...” Luke began with the words, “to perform” or “to make, construct, make ready and prepare” “the mercy promised” which means “the kindness and good will committed, expected and hoped” “to our fathers” or “to Zacharias and Israel's progenitors and ancestors”. Luke shared how Zacharias continued his “prophesy” and declared how God was “preparing” His “goodness and kindness” that was “given by oath” to their “ancestors”.

The verse goes on to say, “... and to remember his holy covenant;” Luke continued with the words, “and to remember” which means “and to be mindful of and recall” “his holy covenant” or “God's sacred, pure, morally blameless and religiously and ceremonially consecrated disposition, arrangement and testament”. Luke shared how God “recalled and was mindful” of His “pure and consecrated” testament.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see how God was fulfilling His “promise” to provide “kindness and goodness” to Zacharias, Israel and the whole world. God “recalled” His “pure and consecrated” testament, and because He desired to “save” people from their “sins”, He sent the “fore-runner” to the Messiah and eventually Jesus who is the Messiah to the world. God loves people, and He wants to have a personal relationship with every one of them through His Son Jesus. Those who are wise will consider all God has done to provide for their “salvation”, and because He keeps His promises and testaments given to people, every person has the opportunity to know Him as their “Savior and Lord”.

Next time Luke shares how Zacharias continued speaking about, “the oath which he swore to our father Abraham”, 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".