Road Trippin With Rachael

This week we are going to be taking a closer look at the praise that Zechariah gives after the circumcision and naming of his son, John. As we go through this shorter section of scripture I saw five ways that Zechariah recognizes that God has been keeping his promises. If you learn better by watching or hearing you can also watch these videos on my YouTube Channel, Road Trippin with Rachael. I post every week on Wednesday.

With that, let’s get started on seeing how Zechariah recognizes God keeping his promises.

What God has done

First, let’s be reminded of what God has done. “Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people” (Luke 1:68). Here we are reminded what God has done.

Think back to the Old Testament. Over and over, the Old Testament tells the story of how God keeps the covenant that he made with his people, and no matter how badly the people sin and mess up their lives, God is consistently there, keeping his promise. Continuously, he has provided redemption for his people. There is the promise of redemption in Genesis 3. He promises Abraham that although his offspring would be slaves for 400 years, they would be freed (Exodus). In Judges, we see that there is a continuous circle of the people going their own way, getting into trouble, turning to God, and repeating (Judges). We see this up close in I Samuel while the Israelites are dealing with the Philistines, and we can see this in Ii Chronicles, Nehemiah. Ezra, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel as they are taken to Bablyon and eventually return to the promise land. God has been consistent through it all.

God keeps his promises

As with all that God has done, Zechariah has also reminds us of he has continues to keep his promises.

Continuously God has delivered his people from their enemies. As I listed earlier he has always brought his people out of the situations they have put themselves in when they chose to chase after other gods or the things that are around them. God is unchanging, and he will deliver his people. It might not always be the way that we think it will be, but his people are always delivered.

Zechariah also praises God that he has kept his promise to King David. He preserved the line of David when the people were taken to Babylon. When Isreal split between Northern Israel and Judah there was always a descendant of David on the Judean throne. When the people return to Judah after Babylon, Zerubabbel returned with his family who was descended from David. Now, here is Mary, also descended from David carrying the Messiah in her womb.

God remembers his covenant

Zechariah declares that God continues to remember his covenant with Abraham. Abraham and his wife were barren, but God provided a son through Sarah. He allowed Jacob to enter Egypt with 70 people and they left a a nation. As we go through scripture, we see how God has continued to keep that covenant. He forms a new covenant with the people at Mt. Sinai when he gave the Ten Commandments. He has been faithful to his people, even when they had not been faithful.

John will play a role moving forward

Zechariah deserves some credit for recognizing who his son was supposed to become. Isaiah 40:3-8 talks about one who is going to be a voice crying out in the wilderness.

Zechariah knew that his son was going to be this voice. This person was going to be a prophet at a time when God had been silent. There hadn’t been a prophet in centuries at this time in Jewish history,  so for there to be one was a sign that the Messiah was coming.

And like the prophets of the Old Testament, John was going to be calling his people to repentance. He was going to be calling them to turn away from their sin and to chase after God. To follow the Law, not because it is something that they have to do, but because they love God.

Salvation is coming

Zechariah not only has focused on the things that Christ has done, he also addresses the character of God during his prayer. What are some of the things that he has to say?

• God is MERCIFUL
• God is COMPASSIONATE
• God is CARING

Not only is God merciful, compassionate, and caring but God is also going to give people a way to be reconciled to him thatbis above and beyond the current set up (current for Zechariah’s day) of the sacrificial system. What God is going to do is send someone who is going to light our paths, it will pull people from darkness, and it will push back the shadow of death and shame that hangs over those who are called to him by name (Isaiah 42:1-2).

Salvation is coming.