Anchor My Faith

Title: A Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69-70)

In the previous lesson, Zachariah began his prophecy by blessing the Lord God because he noticed our miserable condition and sent his Son to redeem us. Zachariah continues: “and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1:69 ESV). God has taken the initiative and has raised up or brought into action that which is needed. That which he has raised up, our redeemer or Messiah, is described as a horn of salvation. The horn is a symbol of strength among horned animals. Consider the rhinoceros with his large horn located on his head near the end of his nose, which provided him with a powerful weapon. That idea of great strength is carried into the Scriptures. Psalm 148:14 speaks of God raising up a horn for his people; Daniel 7:7-8 speaks of beasts with horns, which were terrifying, dreadful and exceedingly strong; Daniel 7:21 speaks of the horn that made war with the saints and prevailed over them. That idea of strength and prevailing over is applied to salvation in the sense that our Redeemer is a mighty redeemer and is able to overcome any opposition and is able to save us. As we flee to him we are safe.

This horn of salvation is being raised up in the house or his servant David. He would be a descendant of David. In previous lessons we learned that Jesus, who Elizabeth saw as her Lord when visited by Mary, was being raised up through a virgin birth. Jesus, as our redeemer and savior, will have the strength to overcome the powers of darkness and death and provide life and light for our lost souls.

This concept of a mighty savior is not new, but is found early in the Old Testament: “as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old” (Luke 1:70 ESV). God had spoken about a Messiah, through his prophets, from the beginning of the world. As early as Genesis 49:10 this is spoken of through Jacob: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor” (NLT). Moses speaks of this in Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.”

One that we probably all familiar with is spoken of by Isaiah: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:6 – 7 NASB).

Prayer

Father, as I think about this lesson and the horn of our salvation and how he is spoken of early in Scripture, I am reminded of Jeremiah 15:16 (NET): “As your words came to me I drank them in, and they filled my heart with joy and happiness because I belong to you, O Lord, the God who rules over all.” What a picture this is of where we need to be found.