Verse 76
Yea, and thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways.
Only the inspiration of the Holy Spirit could have prompted the father of this child of such long hopes and prayers to have deferred any mention of him until near the end of the prophecy. One is reminded of the cows that went lowing away from their calves (1 Samuel 6:7-12).
Most High ... See under Luke 1:32.
Go before the face of the Lord ... These words are an elaboration of the prophecy in Malachi 4:5,6. The imagery is that of a herald going before a king to prepare the way for a royal visitor. Here too the subordination of John, the child of hope, to the royal dignity of the yet unborn Christ (by these words of Zacharias) is contrary to all human behavior and must be attributed solely to the inspiration of the prophet Zacharias by the Holy Spirit.
To make ready his ways ... The principal burden upon John was to enlighten Israel with regard to the fundamental truth with regard to just who were really the sons of Abraham.
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