Entrails of Mercy

Hello everyone.

I am nearing the end of Luke 1, and I have learned a great deal.  I hope that you benefitted from some of what I have shared.  Luke 1 ends with Zechariah's song of praise. Zechariah, like Mary, sings a song of praise to God after these miracles unfolded.  The birth of his son John, the return of his ability to speak, and the miraculous pregnancy of his recent houseguest Mary.  Zechariah sees all of these miracles and sees them as signs of the redemption of Israel.  Mary had started her hymn of praise by looking at how God had chosen her and blessed her. Zechariah’s initial focus is on how God has set salvation in motion.  

In verse 68 Zechariah says that the God of Israel has ἐπεσκέψατο (epeskepsato). According the Greek-English Lexicon of New Testament Words, this word means ‘to go to see a person with intent to help, to visit.’ Zechariah is saying that God will visit his people to help and to make or provide redemption for them. So God is coming, in person, for the purpose of helping his people. Verse 69 - God, in His visitation, is raising up a horn of salvation.  According to Darrell Bock, the idea of the horn symbolizes power and strength, like the horn of an oxen. (Bock, 180) He is not referring to a musical instrument, like I had always thought. This powerful horn from the House of David, brings us salvation.  

In verse 70, Zechariah points out that the prophets of the Old Testament had prophesied about this deliverance that God was now bringing into place - deliverance from their enemies and from those who despise them.  Deliverance had been promised and God was making good on His promise.  This salvation would be from their enemies, as well as the μισούντων (misountōn)- a participle meaning ‘those who hate.’ They would ber delivered from thier enemies and those who hate them. In this we can see this fitting both the physical and the spiritual enemies of God’s people. And with this deliverance, we can then serve God without fear, for the rest of our lives. (verse 74-75)

Now for my favorite part: In verse 78, Zechariah talks how our forgiveness comes from God's Σπλάγχνα ἐλέους (splangkna eleous) - a rough translation of which would be entrails of mercy.  The Greek-English Lexicon of New Testament Words defines splangkna as 'inward parts, entrails.' It goes on to say 'that in the ancient world the inner body parts served as referents for psychological aspects of the seat of emotions.'  Today we would say ‘heart.’  ἐλέους means 'of mercy.' The point here is that to say that our forgiveness originates in the mercy is coming from deep within Him (His entrails.)  In my own translation, I have translated it as, ‘the mercy that comes from God’s inmost being.’

Still in verse 78, Zechariah says that God causes the sunrise to shine upon us from the heavens.  Is this speaking about the sun coming up each day, or is it referring to Jesus, ‘the rising sun’ that is visiting us and delivering us God’s great mercy? Either works for me.  Jesus comes to give light to those who sit in darkness. This is a great way to describe those who live in ignorance of the Lord. Sitting in the darkness and in the shadow of death. 

There are a lot take-aways from this song of praise from Zechariah.  Most notable to me is the depth of the mercy of God, and how it springs from deep within to rescue me at a time when i sat in darkness. 

Tom