THE DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH

The Lord gave to His people of the old dispensation a promise that Christ, their Salvation, would come in the fulness of time. God spoke often by the mouth of the holy prophets.

Already when Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden, immediately that wonderful promise came in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” God here promised to His people the woman’s Seed, the Saviour, Who, being bruised in part Himself, would bruise the devil’s head and overpower him.

Take also a look at the many Messianic Psalms. To mention but one, there is in Psalm 22 the picture of the Saviour with pierced hands and feet on the cross, forsaken even by God.

Or again, read the wonderful fifty-third chapter of the prophet Isaiah, which speaks to us of “the Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” God’s servant continues, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.”

By another one of the Lord’s prophets, even the place of Christ’s birth was foretold.

We observe that the prophecies become more definite and distinct in the course of the centuries, during which God’s people longed for the coming of the Messiah, Who would be the Horn of salvation raised up for us in the house of His servant David.

However, immediately before the fulfillment of the promise in the fulness of time, there was a long silence. For over four hundred years, prophecy ceased in Israel. The darkness deepened before dawn. Many of the faithful in Israel wondered: Will the Messiah ever come? Will God ever make the promise He gave to our fathers come true?

Imagine, then, the unspeakable joy of the faithful few who had longed for the coming of the Lord’s salvation, when finally the Dayspring from on High visited them to give light in darkness. Behold the devout and humble adoration of the shepherds from Bethlehem’s fields. See the reverent worship of the wise men from the east at the manger of the new born Child. Picture the indescribable joy of Simeon in the Temple at the sight of the Holy Infant in his arms: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word: For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation.” Oh, he had waited so long. Are we, too, waiting for Him?

In our chapter, the cause of the great joy of Zacharias is the birth of his son John, the forerunner of the coming Messiah, Christ Jesus. This birth caused greater joy still because now, soon the Saviour Himself would be born in Bethlehem. From the message of the angel, from the mouth of the virgin Mary, and by the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, Zacharias knew that now the time was being fulfilled of which all prophets of old had spoken and written—that the salvation of Israel was drawing nigh in the birth of the Messiah, the Dayspring from on High.

People of the Lord, is this not the tender mercy of our God? He would visit His people and they would be saved from all their enemies.

Dear reader, are we looking forward to that day that we may come together in the house of God to hear, “The King is born”? If there is no desire to be visited by that Dayspring from on High, the tender mercy of God never touched us.

Search your heart and pray for honest-making grace that you do not imagine on false grounds that you are longing for His coming, but on the other hand, that you do not deny the operations of the Holy Spirit. If you cannot express yourself but your heart is full, beg by day and by night if through the tender mercy of our God you may be favoured by a visit of the Dayspring from on High. Then your mouth shall be opened for your heart will overflow.

Zacharias spoke of Jesus, the Sun of righteousness, as the Dayspring from on High, of Whom his son John would have to be the forerunner.

When an ancient king announced his coming, the authorities of the city would order all highways over which the king would travel to be repaired. All the holes in the road would be filled and the high spots leveled, so that the king might ride smoothly over the prepared highways into the city.

Now, by the preaching of the Law, the Lord used John to break down the ignorance, the arrogance, the self-righteousness of the sinner, to bring him to a realization of his need for the Saviour. It is not pleasing to the flesh when the rough places of sin and vileness have to be made plain. Then we lose everything we have. Yet, the forerunner, the Law, is necessary if the King, the Gospel, is to come. To put it stronger still, there is grace in the Law because it told of the coming Christ. The forerunner does not come or the King must be near.

And so John might give a message of salvation to people who walked in darkness. In God’s holy providence he might teach poor sinners that the Dayspring from on High would visit them to bring them out of the darkness to His marvelous light.

Christ did visit His people in His incarnation. He still visits them in His Word and Sacraments. He will visit them whenever there comes a need for His light in their sinful and sinning heart. See, John indeed told them that there is a way of salvation.

Is there anyone of our readers who is especially burdened with cares and griefs and sorrows? Is it pitch dark? Well, there is the Dayspring from on High to give you light in darkness. Are there some who look to the future with anxiety, trembling because of their sins and for their soul’s salvation? Oh, there can be many temptations of Satan and the world and our own wicked flesh. Then remember, dear reader, that He, the Dayspring from on High, shall rise up to help you and comfort you when you are in trouble, when you are depressed in spirit, when you are burdened with special cares, or when you have to weep about the great distance between the Lord and you.

In Psalm 19 God’s servant speaks of the sun which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. What a great wonder when the Light from heaven, that Dayspring from on High, comes in the poor soul and reveals Himself as the Bridegroom coming for His bride, as the One Who makes a black bride comely. He can save them from all their iniquities.

Do not forget that silver and gold can make your heart glad but for a moment. The Christmas trees and candles, the decorations and the lights are worth even less. Soon you might lose your possessions; at best, you could own them but a few years. Earthly riches are of no value if we may learn to look to the Dayspring from on High Who has visited and redeemed His people. Children of the Lord, both small and great, the Lord God of Israel has raised up an Horn of Salvation for us in the house of His servant David, that He should save us from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us. Oh, my reader, is this your portion?

Observe that salvation is a rescue from our enemies. By the visit of the Dayspring from on High, by His glorious work, Christ has the power to redeem a sinner from his enemies. Oh, that there were more knowledge of the enemies even in the hearts of the children of God. They are sin, Satan, hell, death, our own wicked lusts, and many others. Because there is so little knowledge of the enemies, it is so many a time dark. The enemies often prevail. Might it become our urgent cry, therefore, also in the time of Advent, “Oh, Dayspring from on High, wilt Thou visit us?” The Saviour can take away all darkness and remove all the clouds, so that there is more a view of Him in Whom is no darkness at all. He alone can destroy the works of the devil. He alone can take away the power of the three-headed enemy. Truly, He gives light to them that sit in the shadow of death. At that place we know our enemies. But then, if we may receive some light, we in very deed begin to cry out for the Dayspring from on High—that He would visit us and deliver us from our enemies.

The Holy Spirit give us more experimental knowledge of that shadow of death and of our enemies. Then there would come more spiritual understanding of the miracle that Christ has abolished death and has brought life in immortality to light. The salvation of God is a plentiful salvation. It is all-sufficient to save godless, wicked people from all their sins. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they “shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). This great and wonderful salvation comes to one who is helpless in his own eyes, without any merit or worthiness in himself, solely by the grace of God.

Zacharias describes lost and condemned sinners as sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. They did not know how to find their way out of the darkness and surrounding death, without being able even to raise a finger toward their deliverance. Oh, that is the natural state of man. Is it not a wonder, then, that the Lord will lift such a darkness for people who cannot do anything to save themselves?

If there is anyone who has to acknowledge: I sit here, helpless and hopeless! what a great wonder it is if the Lord will explain that the great Saviour came down from heaven, the Dayspring from on High, to save wretched sinners! Wonder from heaven if we, by grace, may learn to understand, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people!”

If this becomes true, then the last words of our text also receive great value for us: “to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Of ourself we do not know the way of peace. No, Jesus did not come to teach how we should make peace with God, but He came so that He Himself would make peace between God and sinful man. It is necessary, therefore, in the time of Advent, too, that He guide us by His Spirit and Word, that He lead us into the true way of enjoying spiritual peace here and eternal peace hereafter. Then the foes are forever defeated for He is the King of peace.

Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He came to lead them out of darkness to the Light of heaven. The Day spring from on High might guide us on our journey to eternity. That He might prepare us for the peace which passeth all understanding.

Sing a new song to Jehovah
For the wonders He hath wrought;
His right hand and arm most holy
Triumph to His cause have brought.
In His love and tender mercy
He hath made salvation known,
In the sight of ev ‘ry nation
He His righteousness hath shown.

(Psalm 98, Psalter 261)

Chilliwack, B.C.

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