About Jesus  -  Steve Sweetman

Mary's Prophetic Song Of Praise

Mary's prophetic song of praise is recorded in Luke 1:46 to 56.  Verses 54 and 55 state that God "had helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendents forever, even as He has said to our fathers".  The promised mercies bestowed upon Israel that Mary spoke of was first spoken to Abraham in what is commonly called the Abrahamic Covenant in which God agreed with Himself, not with Abraham, to bless Abraham and his descendents, including one specific descendent. 

When the Abrahamic Covenant was ratified by means of an animal sacrifice (Genesis 15) God caused Abraham to fall into a deep sleep which prevented him from participating in the ratification of the covenant.  This means that God and Abraham did not enter into a mutual covenant where both vowed to uphold his part of the agreement.  Abraham could not agree to anything while asleep.  God made this covenant with Himself, vowing to bless Abraham and his descendents with specific promises and without conditions attached.  The unconditional promised blessings of the covenant were based on nothing but God's mercy as Mary said and will eventually be realized in the way Abraham would have understood the covenant to be fulfilled.     

Mary predicted that God would be merciful to Israel forever, just as He promised her forefathers.  I understand the Greek word "aion" that is translated as "forever" here and elsewhere in the New Testament to mean forever.  I realize that some people understand the Greek word "aion" to be a limited period of time as in an age.  That does great disservice to this covenant but most of all destroys the eternal nature of God.  If forever doesn't mean forever, then God is not eternal and verses like Revelation 1:8 are grossly incorrect.                  

Since forever means forever God's mercies will never cease to be extended to Abraham's descendents Israel.  His blessings, as first spoken to Abraham and reflected upon by Mary, will last through this age and beyond into the eternal state of the newly created earth as I see in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21).    

The promised mercies that God spoke to Abraham weave their way throughout the Old and New Testaments.  They have never been modified or revoked (Romans 11:29).  So, as we reflect on Mary's song this Christmas, consider her words to be among the inspired prophecies of the Old Testament, the age in which she lived.  Know that Israel still has prophetic and historic significance in the mind of God.  Israel will certainly receive its eternal covenantal blessings.   

To read my views on the Abrahamic Covenant, click here