January 9, 2011
Scripture:
Let’s read a well-known verse in I John 4. This morning, we were reminded that “God so loved the world.” We were also reminded that “the Son of God … loved me and gave himself for me.” We also were reminded that “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” But love should be reciprocal. And, who else but John to remind us in v. 19 that, “We love him, because he first loved us.” This is the reciprocity of love.
Hymn 335 - I am so glad that our Father in heaven
Prayer
Jacob had left his home and headed for Haran because Esau wanted to kill him. Jacob’s mother said that he would only have to be away for a few days, (Genesis 27:44) but he ended up being away for 20 years (ch. 31:38). Twenty years is a long time; what was he doing all that time? Let’s read about it. After the dream that we read about last time, Jacob is back on his way to Haran.
Ch. 29:1-10 — Jacob kept on traveling until he came to a well. There were some shepherds watering their sheep, so Jacob asked them if they were from Haran.
Laban, Rebecca’s brother, lived in Haran. Jacob started to work for Laban and while he did, he fell in love with one of Laban’s daughter’s, Rachel.
Vv. 18 - 25 — Jacob made a deal with Laban: he would work seven years to marry Rachel. So, the day of the wedding came, and the bride had a veil on so Jacob didn’t really know who he had been given until after the wedding. After the wedding, Jacob found out that Laban had tricked Him and given him Leah, Rachel’s older sister. Jacob wasn’t very happy about this and told Laban that he would work another seven years for Rachel. When Leah and Rachel were married, they were each given a handmaid: Zilpah and Bilhah.
As time went on, Jacob had several sons:
Jacob hadn’t done nothing in these twenty year; besides building a family, he had been working for Laban; and Laban had paid him in sheep. He probably had a big herd. Now, Jacob wanted to go home. He didn’t feel that Laban had treated him well. However, going home meant facing Esau. Had Esau forgotten about the lie? We will see what happens as we read on.
Zachariah’s speech was restored after he had written John’s name, and now both Zachariah and Elisabeth are filled with the Holy Spirit. He wasn’t baptized with the Spirit, which we have and which happened at Pentecost; but was filled with the Spirit like we are commanded to be in Ephesians. It’s interesting that when God had a message to give to these people, He sent His angel to tell them; but when He wants them to say something, He fills them with the Holy Ghost. We can have the same blessing.
Zachariah’s first word’s weren’t about his son; they were words of prophecy concerning the Redeemer of Israel. They aren’t redeemed yet, there’s no peace in Israel. But there will be some day, when He visits His people.
“Raised up” means that Jesus was brought into the world, and “horn” refers to power. Salvation is for the whole world, and Christ is the power of that salvation. All the prophets spoke about it; and Enoch was one of the first. Jude 14-15. He said the the Lord wouldn’t come alone, but with ten thousand saints. At that time, He will save the Jews from those who hate them; and there will be a day when the Gentile will be glad to know a Jew, because of the blessing that it brings. In that day the Jews will serve God without fear in piety and holiness. Only those that are saved now know no fear. His coming will be the fulfilling of mercies and promises; promises that were made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Those promises will come to pass, as will the promises made to us.
Then Zachariah talks a bit about his son. John was to foretell the coming of the Lord. He didn’t come the way you would expect, with a blaze of glory, but in a manger. He has more glory now because He came as a humble human, than if He came in all His glory. It was the only way that He could accomplish salvation. He couldn’t die as God, so He took a form that could die; and that way we have the wonders of salvation. “His people” takes in more than the Jews. It was to the Jew first, but spread to us. We have our salvation, but the Jews must wait.
Titles are always interesting. Zachariah calls the Lord, the “Dayspring” or the “Sunrising”. The Lord’s coming was like the sunrise to those people who sat in darkness. They lived in dark times with many wars; but the Lord’s coming was like the light at the end of a tunnel, except it turned out to be much more.
John grew up and he lived in the desert, living the life of a Nazarene, a life of separation. It precious to see that God not only sent the Lord, but he sent a forerunner to prepare the people. Even so, those people still rejected the Lord when He came.
Hymn 367- When He cometh, when He cometh
Prayer