Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 1:67- 80 "THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCRIPTURES"
Day 25 – Luke 1
Text: Luke 1:67- 80; (Additional reading : 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; Ezekiel 2, 3)
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCRIPTURES
Zacharias was gloriously filled with the Spirit of God! He then went on to “prophesy”. In order to understand this passage, we would need to understand that the Holy Spirit is deeply involved when we seek to understand the Scriptures!
The Apostle Paul wrote authoritatively on this subject in 1 Corinthians 2:10-16. In this important passage, we must note the things that Paul highlighted:-
1. Our understanding of God comes as a result of His revealing things to us through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10)
2. Paul emphasizes the fact that, “The Holy Spirit teaches (us), comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
3. The “natural man” (that is, if we tried to understand God without the aid of the Spirit of God) “does not receive the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
The insights that Zacharias came up with as he prophesied of the birth of his son, John, and even more so, of the Messiah to be born, came from the special work of the Holy Spirit in his life. Enlightenment from God, so that we understand the full meaning and application of the Scriptures, is a treasured work of the Holy Spirit in our life. This is the kind of filling of the Spirit of God that we must all pray for and desire with all our hearts!
APPRECIATING THE HOLY SPIRIT’S ROLE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS
We know that the Old Testament prophets spoke with tremendous power and authority. They were able to proclaim true prophetic statements. True prophets of God would see how the Lord would confirm their prophecies. We have a very clear statement in Isaiah 44:26.
“Who confirms the word of His servant,
And performs the counsel of His messengers”.
There are some today who claim that they are prophets! They also claim that they are filled with the Holy Spirit and can make prophetic announcements! It is one thing to claim, and it is quite another to prove. The true prophet will see God confirm his word, and perform his counsel always!
One of the clearest examples of the involvement of the Spirit of God in the lives and ministries of the Old Testament prophets may be found in the life of Ezekiel. The prophet Ezekiel humbly notes the Presence and Power of the Spirit of God in his life. He wrote…
1. “Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me…” (Ezekiel 2:2). Note the link between the Lord declaring His Word to Ezekiel, and the Spirit of God entering into Ezekiel so that he might understand the word given to him by God.
2. In Ezekiel 3, the prophet was told to “eat the scroll” (a reference to the Word of God; Ezekiel 3:1-2) Soon after, we read, “So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me” (Ezekiel 3:14). Ezekiel had a strong human spirit. As he read and digested what God had spoken to him, he felt great anger for God had revealed to him the sins of Israel (Ezekiel 3:1-9). The Spirit of God needed to master the spirit of Ezekiel, so that his own human spirit would not carry him away.
The reading of both passages, (1 Corinthians 2:10-16; Ezekiel 2,3) helps us to appreciate why Luke mentioned the filling of the Spirit of God in the life of Zacharias. This old servant of the Lord was being given a special revelation from God. He would need the filling of the Spirit of God in order to comprehend what God was revealing to him.
ONCE AGAIN, AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO SEEK THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD
If we are to ever fully appreciate the depth of God’s Word, we will need to seek the filling of the Spirit of God again and again.
May this hymn, “Fill Me Now” specially bless your heart. You might like to sing this prayer-hymn as you read the Lord’s Word today.
Hover o’er me, Holy Spirit, Bathe my trembling heart and brow;
Fill me with Thy Hallow’d Presence, Come, O come and fill me now.
Thou canst fill me, gracious Spirit, Tho I cannot tell Thee how;
But I need Thee, greatly need Thee, Come, O come and fill me now.
I am weakness, full of weakness, At Thy sacred feet I bow;
Blest, divine, eternal Spirit, Fill with pow’r and fill me now.
Cleanse and comfort, bless and save me, Bathe, O bathe my heart and brow
Thou art comforting and saving, Thou are sweetly filling now
Refrain:
Fill me now, fill me now, Jesus, come and fill me now;
Fill me with Thy hallow’d Presence- Come, O come and fill me now.
Text: Elwood H. Stokes