No suggested interpretation of a Bible passage can be correct if it is not also correct for every Bible passage on the same topic.

 Larry

It has been said that if something is worth saying the first time, it is worth repeating.  To believer’s in Christ, I repeat myself in today’s post as we observe Mary in Scripture.  What an example to the New Testament believer in letting the Word dwell in you richly!

MARY’S SONG OF PRAISE
DECEMBER 21, 2016 

After Mary’s visit from the angel Gabriel and during her visit with Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother, Mary exalted the the Lord.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (to make great) the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden [female bond (willing) slave]: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed (count me happy).

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy (set apart) is his name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

Luke 1:46 – 55

Mary’s song is full of Old Testament Scripture. It contains parts of approximately two dozen Old Testament passages in these nine verses.*  John MacArthur lists the passages in the notes of his NKJV Study Bible and he summarizes her song as follows:

Mary’s Magnificat is filled with OT allusions and quotations. It reveals that Mary’s heart and mind were saturated with the Word of God………….These verses also contain numerous allusions to the law, the psalms, and the prophets. The entire passage is a point-by-point reciting of the covenant promises of God.*

What Mary’s song reveals about her is that she is a willing and obedient servant unto the Lord God. She is trusting in God’s promises of provision for her own sin. Mary is trusting in God her Saviour and she is happy!

Mary is the Old Testament equivalent of a New Testament Spirit filled believer. She knows God’s Word and she let’s it dwell in her richly. The result is humility and obedience.

Her response to the angel Gabriel in verse 38 is; Let it be to me according to your word. This should be the believer’s prayer; Let it be unto me, O Lord, according to your (written) Word.

Note: Although Mary’s song reveals much about her, her song is really all about God.

Word definitions are from WE Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.

*The NKJV Study Bible notes by John MacArthur on Luke 1:46-55.

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  Exodus 20:7

What do you think of Jesus?  Is it alright for you to use His name as an expletive?  Do you use Jesus’ name as you would a four letter word?  Many people who consider themselves to be Christian use His name that way.

Can one really have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ, if His name means so little?   Could it be possible that you don’t truly understand who He is and what He did for you?

True believers worship Jesus.  They do not profane His name.  To the genuine believer, Jesus is the sweetest name he knows.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  Matthew 1:21

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  Matthew 16:13-17

So,……..what think ye of Jesus?

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  Luke 2:11

(A Psalm of David.) Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.

Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.

Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.

O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Jesus Christ

    In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of                      sins, according to the riches of his grace; Ephesians 1:7

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Ephesians 1:11

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: Ephesians 2:21

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Ephesians 3:12

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.      Colossians 2:3

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Colossians 2:11

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:   1 Peter 1:8

For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 2 Peter 1:17

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

The Fullness of God

For this cause I bow my knees (Paul’s prayer) unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

The Fullness of Christ

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  Ephesians 4:11-13

The Fullness of the Holy Spirit

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.  And be not drunk with wine,                    wherein is excess; but be (being) filled with the Spirit; Ephesians 5:15-18

For in him (Jesus Christ) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  Colossians 2:9

Paul’s prayer: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; Ephesians 3:17a.  Faith is a firm persuasion or conviction brought about by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.*

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; Colossians 3:16a

Let  implies submission and obedience to the word of Christ.  The word of Christ is His doctrine or teaching.  It is the written Word of God.  Christ nearly always included it is written in His teaching and instruction.  He taught with objective truth (based on fact) and not subjectively (based on feelings).  Dwell is used as a verb meaning the act of providing a home or a residing place for His truth.  In you describes where this residing place is.  It is in our mind and heart.  Richly describes in one word the quantity and the quality of His Word that we should have within us, compared to anything else within us.

It is difficult to fill a cup with one thing, when the cup is already full of something else.

I AM AMAZED

I am amazed that God could ever love me,

So full of sin, so covered o’er with shame;

Make me to walk with Him who is above me,

Cleansed by the pow’r of His redeeming name.

Refrain: I am amazed that God would ever save me,

Naught but the cross could take away my sin;

Through faith in Christ, eternal life He gave me,

Now He abides forevermore within.

I am amazed that God should grant salvation,

To such as I and all who heed His word;

Eternal life to ev’ry land and nation,

This is the wondrous message we have heard.

Author – Alfred Henry Ackley – 1932

I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.  Psalm 40:10

Have you ever tried a cure, but saw no improvement?  Could it be that the cure is not the problem?  Maybe the problem is understanding the directions.

I recently went to the doctor for a sinus infection.  The doctor wrote me a prescription for an antibiotic, but after three days the symptoms became worse.  I left work early the third day to go home and rest.  The weekend wasn’t any better.  On Sunday morning as I was taking my next dose, I wondered at the number of pills left in the bottle.  As I reread the directions I found that I had been taking half the prescribed dose which was two pills, twice a day. I was taking only one pill, twice a day.

You know I’m afraid that this happens often in the spiritual realm.  We have a problem so we get a prescription from the Bible for the remedy but somehow we conclude that the remedy doesn’t work or so it seems.

The Scripture is God’s Word.  God wrote the book on the human condition and its remedy.  God makes no mistakes.  We have to conclude therefore, that the Bible’s directions are true and sure. The difficulty is with our ability to follow directions.  If we have tried the Bible’s remedy and still say it does not work, then we did not follow the Bible’s directions properly.

As an example, Proverbs 3:6 says; In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.  It doesn’t say when you happen to acknowledge Him then He will direct your ways.  It says; in ALL thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.  The promise of direction is to those who acknowledge Him in ALL their ways. 

Acknowledging Him in all our ways would be walking in the Spirit.  Walking in the Spirit is letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly.  If we are walking in the Spirit, we can be assured that He is directing our paths.

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

Jesus is instructing His disciples on how to pray in Matthew 6.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread….

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

The daily bread asked for here is daily spiritual sustenance.  It is not food and drink.  After instructing His disciples on how to pray, the Lord says the following within the same context of Matthew 6.

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek): for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things (food, drink & raiment) shall be added unto you.                 Matthew 6:25-33

So, where do we get our spiritual sustenance, our daily bread?

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.      Jeremiah 15:16

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…