Meeting The Demands For God’s Plan(2023)-1

MEETING The DEMANDS For GOD’s PLAN-I—Luke 1:26-38

Attention:

All the elements for success are present.

On South Carolina highway-34, as you enter Dillon from the west, you’ll cross over I-95 & pass the ‘Harbor Freight’ warehouse on your right. Soon afterward, continuing into Dillon, you may notice an actual ‘army tank’, stationed in front of the South Carolina Army National Guard ‘recruiting office.’ The ‘tank’ is brown, camouflaged, &/or patina-ed from disuse. Normally a military tank is a frightening weapon, especially for private citizens. When fully operational that tank is mobile, can effectively operate in rough terrain, & has tremendous firepower. That tank has a turret that can rotate 360º.

BUT that tank is ‘dead-in-the-water’, unless it’s ‘engine’ is fully operational! It’s a great design to wreak havoc on the enemy, but without an engine to put all the systems in operation, it is just an expensive & veritable death-trap.

In order to fulfill the military’s plan, key elements essential to it’s success(‘an engine’) must be put into operation!

And in order for ‘God’s plan’ to be fulfilled, key elements essential to it’s success must be put into operation!

Need:

All people are lost & homeless from heaven, if they are not saved from the penalty of sin.

God dearly loves His free creation, mankind.

And so, God has provided the means for accomplishing man’s salvation.

Luke informs his audience of the primary/indispensable/essential elements of God’s plan for man’s salvation.

God’s plan for man demands some specifically essential elements.

What elements does God’s plan for man, demand?

1—God’s plan for man demands...

A JEWISH CONTEXT(:26-27)

Explanation:(:26-27)revelatory

1:26—“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,”

1:27—“to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.”

“Now in the sixth month”...

•That is, “in the sixth month” of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.

Lk. 1:36—““Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; & this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.”

“The angel Gabriel was sent by God”...

•“Gabriel” is the same “angel” who spoke to Zacharias in the temple(:11, 19).

“Sent”... “To a city of Galilee named Nazareth,”

“Nazareth” was a small village located about 15mi. to the west of the Sea of Galilee, & about 20mi, east of the Mediterranean Sea.—ISBE(1986)

“Nazareth” would be considered a ‘town’ by American standards, probably consisting of a only few hundred people.

In the Scripture, “Nazareth” is always designated as a poliv(city), but never as a kwmh(town). However, a poliv(city) may describe any place that is continuously inhabited whether large or small.—ISBE/MNTC

“To a virgin”...

Gabriel was sent specifically “to” a young woman who was “a virgin.”

“Virgin”2X—paryenov—Noun Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) A virgin—1a) A marriageable maiden, 1b) A woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man, 1c) One's marriageable daughter; 2) A man who has abstained from all uncleanness & whoredom attendant on idolatry, & so has kept his chastity—2a) One who has never had intercourse with women. Strong—of unknown origin; A maiden; by implication--An unmarried daughter. Used 14X.?English familiarity=‘Parthenon’

“Mary’s” status as a “virgin” is stated outright, & it identifies her as the key player in the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa. 7:14, 8:10; Mat. 1:23).

•Isa. 7:14—“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive & bear a Son, & shall call His name Immanuel.”

•And Matthew’s gospel specifically tells us that:

Mat. 1:23—““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, & bear a Son, & they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””

“Betrothed”...

“Mary” was betrothed/espoused/promised to a man by the name of “Joseph.”

•“Betrothal usually lasted a year & unfaithfulness on the part of the bride was punished with death(Deut. 23:24ff.).”—RWP

•“In Jewish practice, girls were usually engaged[promised] at the age of twelve or thirteen & married at the end of a one-year betrothal period.”

•The betrothal was arranged by the parents. “Only death or divorce could sever the contract.”

•A betrothed couple could officially/legally/rightly be referred to as ‘husband & wife.’

• Upon the death of a betrothed husband, his betrothed would have been legally regarded as a widow.—MNTC

“Betrothal” involved a “formal witnessed agreement to marry”, which was coupled with the exchange of a “bride price.”—BECNT The bride price was given by the bridegroom’s family to the family of the bride.—Oxford Dictionary or English.

About a year later, there would be a days-long ‘wedding feast’, which would be ended by the marriage’s consummation thru sexual intercourse. Following the consummation the couple would begin their lives as husband & wife.—BECNT/MNTC

“Betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.”

“Joseph” was a descendant of king David. That is, “Joseph’s” family lineage could be traced directly to king David—to whom was promised an everlasting kingdom(cf. 32-33).