November 14th

Numbers 4:1-5:10, Luke 1:57-80, Psalm 34:11-22

There is a strong biblical precedent for sons taking on the job of the father, it’s not just a modern pit village phenomena. The roles of carrying the various parts of the tabernacle are divvied up and it is by family. If dad did it, you’ll do it. Even John goes into God’s business like his father and Jesus into the salvation of the world.

I love the naming part of the story of John. There is so much pressure on Elizabeth and Zechariah as to what they are going to call the wee lad, and it doesn’t really change today, with people piling the pressure on. But the only people that the proud parents are listening to is God. And God says he is to be called John. In fact, when they do what God asks on this one, Zechariah get’s his voice back. And then the people see that it is the almighty at work, “they were filled with awe”.

And then those amazing words in v76:

“You my child, will be called a prophet of the most high. For you will go on before the Lord and prepare a way for him”

John is singled out for a role of supreme importance. He is following in his father’s footsteps but here his dad is saying that he will go a step further. John is to go far beyond what his dad could dream of, he is to baptise the Christ.

The most powerful thing that can be said for this verse though is that they are words that can be said about you and about me. When we devout ourselves to the work of the Lord, when we seek to proclaim his kingdom, then we are his prophets. We may be practical people like the Kohathites or Gershonites and we live out our gospel message in practice, our actions pave the way of the risen Lord. Or we might be like John, where our words point people to the coming of the kingdom. Either way, when we devout ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord, when all we seek to do is to help others come to a living relationship with the Lord, then we are prophets of the most high, preparing the way of the Lord.

So know you are a prophet and life the life of the prophet in all you do.