50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Verse 50 marks a transition from Mary’s praising God to the national response to the coming Messiah.
The Greek verbs in verses 51-55 are point action (aorist), which implies they are events certain to occur (prophetic aorists).
1:50
And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
Mary’s prayer moved from her personal praise to the nation of Israel. It was a prophetic anticipation of what the Messiah would do for a believing nation, for those who “fear” Him.
1:51
He has shown strength with His arm;
Mary’s praise turned from God’s mercy to His power toward His nation. God’s “arm” is an anthropomorphism for His omnipotence.
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
The “proud” are those who do not respect God. These people hold disrespect for God in their hearts or attitudes; it is their orientation to life.
1:52
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
Rulers of the world are proud; God can summarily put them down from their thrones.
And exalted the lowly.
God exalted Mary, indicating His working on behalf of the less influential in society.
1:53
He has filled the hungry with good things,
God chose to do something based on the behavior of those with fewer possessions.
And the rich He has sent away empty.
God did not choose to work through those with many possessions. He would reverse their orientation to wealth by lifting the humble.
1:54
He has helped His servant Israel,
Israel is the Lord’s “servant.” God would eventually vindicate Israel as a nation by the coming of the Messiah. He had already “helped” or held up His promise to the nation.
In remembrance of His mercy,
God would help Israel with His mercy. The basis of God’s vindication for the nation Israel is His “mercy.” “Mercy” in Hebrew means loyal love. God is faithful to His people.
1:55
As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
Mary harked back to the first Jew—Abraham—and his descendants. God would continue His plan through Abraham’s ancestry. The history of salvation would continue with the coming Messiah. The basis of God’s mercy to His people was His unconditional covenant with Abraham (Gen 12-15).
1:56
And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned to her home in Nazareth. She did this at about the time of John’s birth.
PRINCIPLE:
Believers should keep material and spiritual things in balance and perspective.
APPLICATION:
God honors the humble. God will vindicate His will with the coming of the Messiah. God will be active in the affairs of humanity. He values the heart and not the status of people in the eyes of the world. God values who we are, not what we possess. Believers need to prioritize spiritual things and keep material things in perspective.
