Chapter 9

 

MaryÕs Song

 

ÒAnd Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy 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 his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.Ó                                                                                               (Luke 1:46-56)

 

            After Mary heard the good news of ChristÕs incarnation she went to visit her older, beloved cousin Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with John the Baptist. When the two women met together, they talked of the marvellous things God had done for them and taught them. Both were full of faith and joy. They were mutually inspirational to one another.

 

            What a blessing good companions are! They help each other in the way. Happy are those family meetings where Christ is the theme of thought and conversation! When we meet with our families and friends, let us pray that our time together may be both pleasant and profitable. We ought to always try to be spiritually helpful to those around us, to those who come under our influence.

 

MaryÕs Character

 

Mary, the mother of our Lord, is held before us in the Book of God as a great example of GodÕs saving grace. Being taught of God, she was a woman of remarkable faith. She believed GodÕs revelation concerning a totally unprecedented matter, scientifically impossible, and believed it without any evidence to support her. The angel of the Lord said to her, ÒThe Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of GodÓ (Luke 1:35). In verse 45, after the baby in ElisabethÕs womb leaped for joy, because of the incarnate God in MaryÕs womb, Elisabeth said of Mary, ÒBlessed is she that hath believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.Ó Let every child of God pray that the Holy Spirit might grant us the kind of faith he gave Mary.

 

            Mary was a woman of remarkable knowledge, too. She had a clear, firm knowledge and understanding of Holy Scripture. As we read MaryÕs hymn, though she was but a young woman, she had a ready grasp of the Old Testament. She quoted the Psalms, referred to GodÕs works of old, referred to his goodness to Leah and repeated many of the words of HannahÕs prayer in 2nd Samuel 2. All who have been made the recipients of GodÕs saving mercy should seek to become more and more fully and more and more experimentally acquainted with Holy Scripture. — ÒLet the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the LordÓ (Colossians 3:16).

 

            Such a knowledge of Holy Scripture can never be attained without regular, daily study; but the benefits of such study will prove priceless. When she needed them most, Mary had a firm grasp of the promises of God in the Bible; and these strengthened her faith.

 

            That which Mary knew and believed caused her to be a truly humbled soul before God. True faith and spiritual knowledge never swell the heart with pride. Rather these are the things by which the Lord breaks his own and makes them humble and contrite before him. J. C. Ryle rightly observedÉ

 

ÒShe who was chosen of God to the high honor of being MessiahÕs mother, speaks of her own Ôlow estate,Õ and acknowledges her need of a Savior. She does not let fall a word to show that she regarded herself as a sinless, ÔimmaculateÕ person. On the contrary, she uses the language of one who has been taught by the grace of God to feel her own sins, and so far from being able to save others, requires a Savior for her own soul.Ó

 

            As humility is the daughter of saving faith, gratitude is the daughter of humility. All who experience GodÕs free favor and saving grace in Christ are filled with thanksgiving to God; and Mary certainly demonstrates such thanksgiving. That which stands out in this hymn, perhaps above everything else, is the fact that Mary considered herself a debtor to mercy alone. Therefore she sought to magnify the Lord her God, from whom all mercy and grace springs.

 

            Her knowledge of Christ as God her Savior filled Mary with contentment. She was a poor woman. We have no evidence that she ever ceased to be afflicted with poverty. When the Savior died, he committed his poor mother to the care of one of his disciples. Yet, Mary appears to have been perfectly content. In all that is written about her in Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit never gives even a hint of dissatisfaction in her. Having Christ, she wanted no more. She says, ÒMy spirit hath rejoiced in God my SaviorÓ (v. 47). In verse 56 we read that ÒMary returned to her own house.Ó Though she was blessed in the most extraordinary manner, she was content to go back to her modest home and become the wife of a simple carpenter. May God give us that blessed spirit of contentment, so that we can say with Paul, ÒI have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer needÓ (Philippians 4:11-12).

 

MaryÕs Song

 

In Luke 1:46-56 God the Holy Spirit has preserved for our learning the song Mary composed and sang when she and Elizabeth met one another. It is a song of praise to God, arising from a heart of faith, humility, gratitude and love. Robert Hawker wroteÉ

 

ÒThe song of Mary is full of the breathings of a soul under the influence of the Holy Ghost. How blessedly she speaks of God her Saviour; evidently showing, that she had a perfect apprehension of what the Prophets had taught, concerning the miraculous conception; and therefore knew, that the child then in her womb was, in one and the same moment, her Son and her Saviour! And how blessedly she speaks of the low estate, both in the temporal poverty of her father's house, and the spiritual reduced estate, by reason of sin, to the whole race of Adam. And the personal dignity to which she, a poor, young, and humble Virgin, was exalted. He that is mighty (said she) hath done to me great things. Great indeed, and, until that period, never heard of before; and never to be again wrought in the earth. And how beautifully she ends her hymn of praise, in singing the sure deliverance of the Church, by this stupendous event. He hath holpen (said she) his servant Israel: meaning, He hath redeemed the Church of God, in the Israel of God, his chosen; thus confirming the Covenant made with Abraham, that in his seed should all the families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3. with Galatians 3:16).Ó

 

            Notice, as you read this sweet song of praise, that everything spoken of in it is spoken of as though it had already been accomplished, though, as yet, Christ had not even been born. Why is that? The answer should be obvious: — That which God has purposed was finished when he purposed it (Romans 8:29-30).

 

            First Mary gives praise to the Lord God, who was in her womb, for being her Savior. — ÒAnd Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my SaviourÓ (vv. 46-47). If Christ is our Savior, we have reason to sing! As she sang his praise, unlike most who pretend to sing his praise today, Mary spoke of her God with great reverence. Yet, trusting Christ, she claimed a personal interest in Christ. Thus, she magnified her Lord, by acknowledging him as her Lord and ascribing greatness to him as God her Savior. Yes, Mary called the baby in her womb, her God and her Savior. What a distinct declaration that is of our SaviorÕs eternal Godhead!

 

            The word ÒmagnifyÓ here means to enlarge and make room for. Mary threw open the gates of her soul for the King of glory to come in! She rejoiced in her Lord. The word means ÒdancedÓ. Like her great grandfather David, Mary danced before the Lord.

 

            Second, MaryÕs song of praise was inspired by the wondrous mystery of ChristÕs incarnation. — ÒThanks be unto God for his unspeakable giftÓ (2 Corinthians 9:15). Mary sang this song because she believed the report of the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:30-35).

 

ÒAnd the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.Ó

 

            Let sinners sing praise to God – Immanuel has come; and Òhe shall save his people from their sins!Ó

 

            Third, Mary particularly praised God for his particular, distinguishing grace. — ÒFor he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessedÓ (v. 48). God chose her to be the mother of our Redeemer; but she was far more greatly blessed because of her spiritual union with the Lord Jesus than in her physical union with him. She was blessed of God in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-6). Mary was blessed because Christ was formed in her by a supernatural work of grace and power by God the Holy Spirit. She is called blessed because of GodÕs goodness to her as the object of his grace. All who are the objects of GodÕs special love and distinguishing grace have reason to sing his praise!

 

            Fourth, Mary gave praise to the Lord God because of his glorious holiness. She declared, ÒHoly is his nameÓ (v. 49). That which caused Moses, Isaiah and Daniel to tremble caused Mary to rejoice, because she saw clearly that God in his holiness had provided a holy Sacrifice. Holiness seen through the blood shed at Calvary is the most comforting and delightful thing in the world. Let ransomed sinners sing GodÕs praise. We have seen mercy and truth meet together. We have seen righteousness and peace kiss each other!

 

Great Things

 

            Fifth, Mary offered praise to the Lord for the great things he has done. — ÒFor he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his nameÓ (v. 49). He who is our God is great and mighty. No small things fall from his great hand. Rather, his hand makes that which appears small to be great in his use of it (Psalm 107:31, 42-43). In all the great things he does for the saving of his people, our great god displays his sovereign grace and goodness, and his almighty power, in a way that is altogether consistent with his truth, justice and holiness.

 

            ÒAnd his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generationÓ (v. 50). — The exuberant lovingkindness of our God manifests itself in constant acts of mercy upon his elect, from one generation to another, to all those who reverence his name, because he Òdelighteth in mercy!Ó

 

            ÒHe hath shewed strength with his armÓ (v. 51). — Though all that Mary mentions in this song of praise to the Triune Jehovah may be properly applied to all GodÕs wondrous works, keep in mind that the song is about the incarnation of our Lord Jesus. In the matter of the incarnation, she sang, ÒHe hath showed strength with his arm,Ó the arm of his mighty power in working out the salvation of our souls. He who is mighty to save, traveling in the greatness of his strength, brought accomplished our salvation by his own arm (Isaiah 63:1-5).

 

            ÒHe hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heartsÓ (v. 51). — God always resists the proud, scattering them in confusion. The proud Jews of her day presumed, as John Gill wrote, Òthat the Messiah would be born of one of the rich and noble families in Judea; that he would appear as a temporal prince, and set up a temporal kingdom in great state and splendor, and make them a free and flourishing people. Instead of this, he was to be born of a poor virginÉwho was of Nazareth in GalileeÉa virgin betrothed to a carpenter!Ó

           

            ÒHe hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degreeÓ (v. 52). — Mighty kings and mighty angels God abases and topples from their seats. The lowly he lifts up and exalts. That is certainly true in all things relating to history and providence; but we must not fail to apply it to all things spiritual. The great things of the gospel are revealed to babes, and hidden from the wise and prudent. In the mighty saving operations of his grace, beggars were raised from the dunghill, to sit among princes, and to inherit the throne of glory. That is ever GodÕs way (1 Corinthians 1:26-30).

 

            ÒHe hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty awayÓ (v. 53). — Every needy souls, all who seek Christ and his salvation, every sinner who looks to the Son of God for forgiveness through his blood, thirsting after his righteousness he receives and fills. Those who long to know him (Philippians 3:10), who yearn for communion and fellowship with him, who pant after him in their hearts, seeking him in his Word and ordinances, shall be filled with a sense of their saving interest in him. The needy soul shall be filled with every good thing, to his soulÕs satisfaction. Having Christ, he can say with Jacob, ÒI have enoughÓ (Genesis 33:11). — The rich he always sends away empty. All who are rich in their own eyes, trusting their own righteousness, he leaves to perish.

 

Help and Faithfulness

 

            Sixth, Mary gives praise to the Lord God for his unfailing help. ÒHe hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercyÓ (v. 54). The word ÒholpenÓ means to place oneÕs hand under the fallen, prostrate one, and lift him to his feet. That is what God did for Jacob; and that is what God does for all his elect. First, he prostrates them. Then he puts his hand under them and raises them up. Blessed be his name, he always remembers mercy to his own. — ÒI will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generationsÓ (Psalm 89:1).

 

 

            Seventh, in verse 55, Mary gives praise to the Lord her God for his covenant faithfulness. ÒAs he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.Ó He who keeps his promise to the night and to the day (Jeremiah 33:20, 25) will never break his promise to Abraham and his Seed. In Christ God has fulfilled his promises to the fathers, and particularly his promise to Abraham (Genesis 3:15; 12:1-3; 22:1-14; Galatians 3:13-14). While our God abides faithful, we have reason to sing his praise (1 Thessalonians 5:23-25).

 

            Blessed are they who can, from the depths of their hearts, join Mary in this song of praise to our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, rejoicing in who he is and in all that he has done, giving thanks to him for his free distinguishing grace and his great faithfulness!

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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