Mary's Song of Praise
Notes
Transcript
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Introduction
Introduction
Lockdown has presented many challenges, and many hindrances to the worship of God as we normally see it…
One of the key areas is that we are unable to sing!
But one of the most natural and expected reactions to God’s goodness to His people is the singing of praise!
Current situation - Mary and Elizabeth together...
Last week considered Elizabeth’s short song at the greeting of Elizabeth and Mary, as the baby lept in her womb.
Today - Mary’s song of praise in response to God’s grace and kindness
Song commonly known as Magnificat...
Notice firstly with me...
1. Praise for God’s Provision (vv.46-47)
1. Praise for God’s Provision (vv.46-47)
As Mary now responds to her circumstances, there is this song of praise that comes from Mary.
She seeks to magnify God greatly. When we speak about God being magnified, it means that we express something of the greatness of God. Mary recognises through her circumstances just how truly magnificent God is. She praises Him for his worthiness.
The song begins in verse 46...
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
Mary’s song of praise is a means of bringing great glory and honour to God. As we go into this passage, we will find that this is based upon His for His powerful working. It is grounded in His attributes. It is rooted in His kindness, the exercise of His great power, and also His faithfulness to keep promises and bring to fulfillment all that He has promised.
As we go into this text, what we will find is that Mary is very much saturated in the truth of God revealed to Israel in the law and the prophets. Her parents were evidently those who had taught her the law in accordance with the command of God in Deuteronomy 6, and as the truth of what is unfolding in her own life fills her mind, she is moved to praise of God.
Let us be clear that Mary was allowing these great truths that Gabriel had spoken to her to sink into her own mind. Not so much for her personally, but even for Israel, and for all the people of God.
Her sold glorifies and brings honour and praise to God.
She goes on in verse 47 to say..
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
As she ponders the mighty working of God, she is filled with a sense of great joy.
The expression of joy flows from her. Within her spirit, as she is under the power and leading of the Holy Spirit, she is overflowing with great joy within her.
We see great similarities in this expression to that which was spoken by Hannah in the Old Testament. You will recall that Hannah was barren, and year after year she would go to the Temple in Jerusalem, but she had deep grief, because she longed for a child but never had one. But God answered her many prayers for a child.
1 Then Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
We must not think that Mary was unfamiliar with the words that were expressed by Hannah. As a young lady, it is very clear that Mary had been trained in the Scriptures. She had a deep foundation in the truths of God’s word. In that day, it was required of all parents to train their children in the law of God and the prophets. They had to know the Scriptures.
Philip Ryken remarks on this passage...
“The Magnificat either quotes from or alludes to verses from Genesis, Deuteronomy, 1 and 2 Samuel, Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. Mary tried to put virtually the whole Bible into her song!” (Ryken, P. G. (2009). Luke. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (Vol. 1, p. 46). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.)
Let us as parents take note of this. As you read this song, think about her age as she’s writing it, and how much Scripture and biblical truth is conveyed through the song. Certainly, she was under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit as she composed and penned this song, but let us not think that there was not a good measure of teaching that had gone into her life.
The Spirit brought to mind and expressed through her the truths in which she had been grounded.
We as parents must not underestimate the amount of teaching that our children are able to absorb, and we must not underestimate the value of that Biblical Teaching.
To children, don’t underestimate how valuable and important the teaching of God’s word is to you. And if your parents make an effort to encourage you in the learning of the Scriptures, and as they seek to teach you the Scriptures, thank the Lord for that and grab the opportunity with two hands, and don’t let it go!!
We see so evidently in the church today a falling away of people from the church. Particularly young people seem to be walking away from these deep truths of the Gospel and of God. There is a great measure of superficial worship of God - an emotion-filled experience of God. But there is so little real foundational truths about God.
As we draw our attention back to our text, note that her singing echoes the words of other Scriptures, particularly in terms of God being the “God of salvation...”
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord
and delight in his salvation.
10 My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you, O Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
This was a common theme in Israelite thinking. Rejoicing in God the Saviour. They longed for this Saviour, and throughout their history, they looked forward to the true Saviour that had been promised to them by God.
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
But as Mary sings here, the wording is taking on an entire new dimension, because it is focused on the reality of the promised Saviour now coming into the world even through her!!
The Israelites in history were indeed delivered from Egypt - from slavery. God was the God of their salvation in that sense. But so much more now was this true, as the One who would bring deliverance from the ultimate enemy was now coming into the world.
Ultimately, God has always been saving people from sin, and from the guilt and condemnation that this brings man! Notice just one New Testament reference that bring this out (there are many)...
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.
Mary praises God for His Provision - God providing a Saviour.
2. Praise for God’s Power (vv.48-53)
2. Praise for God’s Power (vv.48-53)
As Mary continues in her song, she brings forth expressions of praise to God for the working of His mighty power, particularly on behalf of those who are humble...
2.1. He Considers up the Humble (vv.48-50)
2.1. He Considers up the Humble (vv.48-50)
We see that Mary brings a recognition here of her own humble estate. We have considered this before - she was not someone who thought highly of herself, or considered herself worthy of anything other than she was or had. She didn’t live her life thinking that she deserved better, and that God had now given her her due. She simply lived contented in her situation, and when God gave to her.
Notice her expression in verse 48...
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
Here is just a beautiful expression of humility. She was perfectly aware of her own condition before this grand announcement, and because she didn’t consider herself worthy, her praise is great.
When we consider ourselves worthy of receiving something, then when we receive it, we are not as grateful. We simply think to ourselves, well that’s good, I deserved it. But notice that Mary didn’t consider herself deserving of what she got. Instead, she acknowledges that she was nothing, and yet in this state of insignificance, God has given.
We must see something of ourselves in this picture. None of us are deserving of the extravagant grace of God in Christ. None of us are worthy to be called sons and daughters of the living God! God’s grace and mercy was extended to us as unworthy rebels.
We must see that it is only as we humble ourselves, as we see how unworthy we are, and then we see this great gift, this great price that was paid, that we must say, How great is our God.
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
It should lead us to praise, because he has been mindful of our humble estate as his servants.
6 Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
but the proud he knows from afar.
Mary goes on to affirm the words that Elizabeth had spoken in her own song. You will recall that Elizabeth had said that Mary was blessed among women. This meant that among all the women of the earth, Mary was surely the most blessed of them all. Mary agrees, saying...
“...From now on all generations will call me blessed...” (v.48b)
We get the sense of her own joy and gratitude in her heart because of this great honour that has been granted to her. How God’s grace and favour was granted to her, that she in her humble estate was granted the great privilege and honour that she was.
She goes on in verse 49...
“49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me...”
Her exaltation and praising doesn’t stop with her joy in her situation, but really it is directed at the worship of the Mighty One who has done this. He is great, and His name is to be exalted.
God’s working is always the occasion for great praise and exaltation. Indeed, God works great things on our behalf, so that we may sing His praises and extol Him.
20 Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. 22 Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
Mary says, “Praise God”!!!! He has done these wonders! The eyes that have been opened to the glorious kindness of the Almighty God lead the heart to exuberant praise.
I must pause and ask, what has God done for you, and for us, that deserves this response of great praise for Him?
If you are in Christ, He has blessed you with a great redeemer, who has paid the price for you sin and rebellion against Him. He has adopted you, out of a family of wickedness and evil, where hatred and malice and envy are the order of the day. And He has brought you into a church family - His own special family - where His grace and kindness and mercy abound through the love of the church.
God has delivered a people for Himself, and this people is growing throughout the world, and will continue to grow by His grace. Here is reason for praise!
Dear brother, sister, are you singing the praises of God in your heart because of His great love and kindness towards you.
Mary continues her expression of praise with a declaration of the name of God...
“… — holy is his name.”
Mary now acknowledges / confesses the Name of God.
As a person who has been raised in the teaching of the Torah, she is well familiar with the holiness of God.
But we must recognise that this name of God does not speak merely of His sinlessness, although it would include that. But rather, it speaks of the fact that He is set apart. He is infinitely higher and above all creatures of this world.
Psalm 148 is just one Psalm that bears out the praise that is due to God by all of the created order, including all people, the sun, moon and stars, are living creatures. Indeed, everything in all of creation must praise the name of the Lord because of His exalted nature above all of them.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
Mary rightly recognises the “holiness” of God - how far above and exalted He is above all the created order.
Having focused on the power of God, and that His name is holy, Mary goes on to speak of God’s mercy in verse 50...
“His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”
Note that she speaks about His mercy… the mercy of the Holy God.
Mary speaks here in the context of the mercy and kindness of God that has been granted to her in allowing her to carry the Messiah. But it is grounded again in a deep knowledge of God’s nature as revealed to Israel over the course of their history, and recorded in the law, the writings and the prophets.
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord protects the simplehearted;
when I was in great need, he saved me.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
God revealed himself to Moses in this way...
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
This is the God that we serve. His mercy extends to those who fear Him.
As Mary sings her song of praise, she gives God thanks for His great mercy towards her, and towards His own people.
But Mary goes on to outline the fact that...
2.2. He Opposes the Proud (vv.51-53)
2.2. He Opposes the Proud (vv.51-53)
In verse 51, the words of Mary continue in this way...
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
As Mary continues to acknowledge the mighty working of God in her own life, she goes on to speak about those who are proud in their inmost thoughts, and how God deals with them.
While the arm of the Mighty One is used to lift up, to deliver and to support the weak, it is that same powerful arm that is used to scatter, to bring down, and to drive out where there is pride.
What Mary does here is that she contrasts the bountiful blessings of God toward those who humble themselves before God, over against the grave punishments of God against those who are proud of heart.
5 The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.
12 Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud,
but humility comes before honor.
So says Mary, in verse 52...
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
Even Mary would be well aware at this stage that God has brought many men low who were highly exalted in the human sense. The kings in this history of Israel were testimony to this.
The kings that had proudly opposed Israel were testimony to this.
It’s true through history… think about even the Hitlers and Paul Pots etc. They have disappeared, even though at one time they seemed so powerful.
We must not think that because a man is powerful, and is arrogant, that they will last forever.
God will bring them low.
But God also lifts up the humble.
In this case, God has lifted up Mary, a humble young lady from an insignificant place, to a position of great blessedness.
But see that Christ even is pictured here...
The humble servant comes into the world, becomes nothing....
In due course, Christ will be lifted up...
1 Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.
The fact is, God works contrary to the ways of man.
When we are humble in heart, humbled before Him, dependent upon Him, then He will lift us up!
“The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.” (Job 5:11, NIV84)
53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
Now she turns to give another example.
The hungry are filled with good things....
Note - hungry are those hungry for God, for righteousness, for God’s ways.
The rich are those who trust not in God, but are satisfies with what they have apart from God.
Elaborate.... It’s a heart attitude...
Beatitutes...
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
“Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.” (Proverbs 15:16–17, NIV84)
“for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” (Psalm 107:9, NIV84)
3. Praise for God’s Promises (vv.54-55)
3. Praise for God’s Promises (vv.54-55)
Mary links back to covenant promises, bringing to fulfillment.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”
Mary now turns her attention to the grace of God in keeping covenant promises.
Mary was well-acquainted with covenant promises.
to Abraham etc.
7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
Mary is here confessing that God is keeping his covenant promises.
In the bringing forth of this son - God bringing fulfillment.
Elizabeth herself acknowledged this in her own song, calling this babe in the womb “Lord.”
Now Mary confesses that this is the Lord - the promised Saviour.
NB!!! - she was familiar with God’s promises
She believed God’s promises
It is her belief.... her faith in promises… her belief now bringing to fulfillment - leads her to praise.
Same with us… we must believe in God’s promises.
Familiarize ourselves with God’s promises.
We have His great promises to us as the people of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Omit v.56… ????
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
This is all that we have recorded between these two… two songs.
One song from Elizabeth, and one song from Mary.
But what beautiful songs and reminders they are of the grace of God
Application and Conclusion
Application and Conclusion
A.1. Praise God for His Provision
A.1. Praise God for His Provision
We live this side of Christ - but we yet praise God
He has provided Christ, the Saviour.
He has sent His Spirit
Live rejoicing in God’s gracious provision
A.2. Praise God for His Power
A.2. Praise God for His Power
God’s power for us is great
By His great power, He raised us from spiritual death…
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
“Perhaps you are young and poor like Mary. Perhaps you are struggling with sickness or some other physical limitation. Perhaps you are in a low condition spiritually or emotionally. If this is your situation, do not complain that you deserve something better. Do not grasp after a higher position. Do not rage against your misfortune. But humble yourself to the providence of God and recognize your lowly position before him as a sinner. The Bible gives this promise: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10).” (Ryken, P. G. (2009). Luke. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (Vol. 1, p. 49). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.)
A.3. Praise God for His Promises
A.3. Praise God for His Promises
There remain for us countless promises in Christ..
Most significantly - the promise of completing that which He has begun.
Faith is important - but we are to have faith in the promises of God.
The question is, have you humbled yourself under the mighty hand of God? Are you trusting in His promises?