ZECHARIAH’S SONG OF PRAISE

Passage: Luke 1:67-80

Key verse: 68

NIV

Zechariah’s Song

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(A) and prophesied:(B)

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(C)
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.(D)
69 He has raised up a horn[a](E) of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David(F)
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),(G)
71 salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors(H)
    and to remember his holy covenant,(I)
73     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:(J)
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him(K) without fear(L)
75     in holiness and righteousness(M) before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet(N) of the Most High;(O)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,(P)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,(Q)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun(R) will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,(S)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”(T)

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit[b];(U) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes a strong king.
  2. Luke 1:80 Or in the Spirit
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Zechariah's Prophecy

67 And his father Zechariah (A)was filled with the Holy Spirit and (B)prophesied, saying,

68 (C)“Blessed be the Lord (D)God of Israel,
    for he has (E)visited and (F)redeemed his people
69 and (G)has raised up (H)a horn of salvation for us
    (I)in the house of his servant David,
70 (J)as (K)he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 (L)that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 (M)to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and (N)to remember his holy (O)covenant,
73 (P)the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him (Q)without fear,
75     (R)in holiness and righteousness before him (S)all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called (T)the prophet of (U)the Most High;
    for (V)you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    (W)in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the (X)tender mercy of our God,
    whereby (Y)the sunrise shall (Z)visit us[a] (AA)from on high
79 to (AB)give light to (AC)those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into (AD)the way of (AE)peace.”

80 (AF)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was (AG)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Luke 1:78 Or when the sunrise shall dawn upon us; some manuscripts since the sunrise has visited us
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

When Zechariah could speak again, it was through the Holy Spirit. He saw what God had already done. He has come to redeem his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for them as he promised. He was faithful to his word through the prophets to raise up David’s descendant as king, and he was faithful to the covenant he made with the patriarchs. When Zechariah saw the birth of his son, John, the Holy Spirit gave him prophetic insight to see and speak of the fulfillment of God’s history, who has redeemed us from a hopeless world to the hope of eternal salvation.

In this context, Zechariah could speak of his son. He would serve the purpose of the Most High. He would prepare the people to hear and believe and accept the salvation provided to them, to know God’s tender mercy and the light of life. God was pouring out his mercy. From childhood, John would grow as a servant to guide God’s people in the path of peace—to proclaim his salvation.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your faithfulness. Bless me with your Spirit, that I may proclaim your salvation work with assurance.

One Word: He has redeemed his people