 |  |
B
2:20.
The shepherds' thanksgiving.
B
2:25-35.
The Psalm of Simeon.
B
2:37,38.
The thanksgiving of Anna.
A
2:39.
They returned unto Galilee, to Nazareth.
C
2:40.
The Child grew, and waxed strong in spirit.
Doubtless meticulous care, and the patient observance of every detail would
uncover a perfect structure, but the flesh is weak, and for the moment this
rather crude analysis must suffice.
Elisabeth's psalm and song is practically a threefold benediction:
Blessed art thou among women
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb
Blessed is she that believed.
This is followed by an assurance that there shall be a performance of those
things which were told her from the Lord. There is something reminiscent of
the prophetic song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, in Mary's song, and it
would be a very natural thing for Mary to ponder the experiences of such a
one as Hannah during her waiting period.
Luke 1:46-55
A
1:46-47.
My soul
Doth magnify the Lord.
My spirit
Hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
B
1:48-54.
He
hath
--
regarded His handmaiden.
He
hath
--
done great things to me.
He
hath
--
shewed strength with His arm.
He
hath
--
scattered proud.
He
hath
--
put down mighty.
He
hath
--
exalted low degree.
He
hath
--
filled hungry.
He
hath
--
sent away rich.
He
hath
--
holpen Israel.
He
hath
--
as spoken to fathers.
A
1:55.
To Abraham.
To his seed for ever.
While Mary in this song rightly exults in the honour put upon her by
being chosen out of all the women of Judah to be the mother of the Saviour,
one looks in vain to discover the remotest allusion to the gospel of grace,
the forgiveness of sins, the conception in any shape or form of the church.
It is 'Israel' that is helped, it is in remembrance of mercy spoken of to the
'fathers', 'to Abraham and to his seed'. If Hannah's song recorded in 1
Samuel 2:1-10 be compared with the Magnificat, both will be seen following a
similar pattern. The structure of 1 Samuel 2:1-10 given in The Companion