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THE KING’S BUSINESS
and will taken possession of by the Spirit of God. It is the inestimable privilege and bounden duty of every believer to be thus filled (Eph. 5:18; Acts 2:38, 39; 4:31). it is evident that the Holy Spirit can work even in the heart of an infant. As the re sult of being filled with the Holy Spirit he would have great converting power (v. 16, cf. Acts 2:4, 41; 4:31, 33; 9:17, 22). The greatest honor John was to have was that he was to go before the face of “the Lord their God” (vs. 16, 17, R. V.). It is evi dent from this that Jesus Christ is the Lord our God (cf. also Mai. 3:1; 4:5, 6)- He was to go before the Lord (Jesus) “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” It is well to study in what respects John was like Elijah. Every true reformation is char acterized by “turning the hearts of the fath ers to the children.” Thursday, September 16. Luke 1:18-25. Though Zacharias was a righteous man, “walking in all the commandments and ordi nances of the Lord, blameless,” he was not by any means a perfect man; and God’s message seemed so wonderful and so good that instead of believing it at once, as he ought, he began to doubt; he asked for something more than the mere word of God: but the one lesson that God would teach men is to believe what He says with out any other proof than that He has said so (cf. Gen. 15:5, 6). Doubt of God’s word is never excusable, no matter how im possible of fulfillment His promises may ap pear our business is to believe them, simply because God has promised. The doubting even of a Zacharias must be punished, so the angel said, “Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed.” Many of God’s priests and prophets today are dumb because of their unbelief. Zacharias, in spite of his doubt, proved himself a true man for he remained faithfully at his post of duty in spite of his punishment until the “days of his ministration were accomplish ed.”- Then he went home to ponder and pray, and wait.
(our) course.” On this particular day Zacharias had a peculiar honor (v. 9). He had been waiting for it for many years (v. 7). Though there were 20,000 priests, he was absolutely alone in the temple that day. Outside the temple “the whole multi tude of the people were praying.” It was the supreme moment of his life. Just then he saw what very few men in any age have seen. His eyes were not merely opened to see an angel who was already there (cf. 2 Kings 6:17), but the angel came from a distance to appear and speak with Zach arias (vs. 73, 19 cf. Dan. 9:20-23). Notice the minute particularity of the whole story (v. 11, cf. v. 5). If Zacharias had known thé purpose for which that angel had come, there would have been overwhelming joy, but instead there was “fear.” And we too would be filled with great joy, instead of fear, when God’s messengers come to us, if we only realized the purpose for which they had come. Wednesday, September IS. Luke 1:13-17. Note carefully the angel’s first words. These are usually the first words of God’s messengers (cf. v. 30; 2:10). True religion is a matter of great and constant joy, not of “fear” (Phil. 4:4; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 Jno. 4:18). Ponder deeply the reason the angel gives for not fearing, “Thy prayer is heard.” It almost seemed as if Zacharias had given up all hope that his prayer would ever be heard (v. 18, cf. Acts 12:14, 15). The rea son why God had answered Zacharias prayer is found in verse 6 (cf. 1 Jno. 3:22; Jas. 5:16). The son was to be named “John,” which means “To whom Jehovah is gracious” or “Whom Jehovah hath grac iously given.” The reason why he should bring “joy and gladness” was because he was to “be great in the sight of the Lord.” That is the only real greatness. He was also to be a total abstainer. Notice the close connection between his not drinking wine or strong drink and his being “filled with the Holy Spirit” , (cf. Eph. 5:18). To be “filled with the Holy Spirit” means to have the whole personality, mind, feeling
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