Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come and has redeemed his people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David.
Luke 1:68-69 (NIV)
Zechariah had been mute for nine months. Now, at last, he could speak again. Immediately after confirming his son’s name would be John, Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed. Zechariah’s first response? Not, “Wow! Does it feel great to speak again!” Not, “Hey, let me tell you guys what happened to me nine months ago.” Not, “Hey sweety, you did great delivering that baby, especially at your age.” (It’s probably a good thing he didn’t say that!) His first response was to break into a song of praise. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophesied about the coming Messiah, referring to Him as the Horn of Salvation.
A horn symbolizes strength and power. “Horns grew on the male animal and the bull was the strongest of the herd. It would fight off the herd’s enemies by lowering its head and charging fiercely, and woe to whatever might find itself on the end of those horns. He was the protector of the herd… Christ as the Horn of Salvation, is our greatest Protector.” (1)
Many Jews believed the Messiah would offer political freedom and an end to subjugation. But God’s plan wasn’t political, it was spiritual. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our Horn of Salvation. Through His death on the cross, He would liberate all who believed in Him from the oppression of sin.
Thus, we have hope. No matter how strong the enemy torments us, God is more powerful. One day, He will defeat the enemy once and for all. There will be no more sin, no sorrow, no suffering, no pain. We will be free from the tyranny of sin and will be whole. Sickness, disabilities, and pain will vanish forever. Therein is a great reason for praise.
Thought: “The safest place in all the world is in the will of God, and the safest protection in all the world is the name of God.” – Warren Wiersbe
For further reading:
- Psalm 18:2
- 1 Samuel 2:1
- 1 Samuel 2:10
- 2 Samuel 22:3
(1) Henry Gariepy, 100 Portraits of Christ, (Amersham-on-the-hill, England: Scripture Press, 1988), pg. 132-133.