In | How Is Luke like Old Testament “Prophetic History”?

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We have seen that Luke’s account of Jesus has echoes from the stories of prophets like Elijah and Elisha. In this lesson, we’ll begin to see that Luke-Acts—his two-volume work—is very much like historical accounts in the Old Testament (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings) referred to as the Former Prophets in the Hebrew Bible. (These books are also referred to as Deuteronomic History by scholars.) They describe “His Story” in the sense that they represent God’s interpretation and control of events in His world—especially through the words of the prophets.

Check out one example of parallels between 1 Samuel 2 and Luke 1 below:

1 Samuel 2:1-10 (NASB)

Luke 1:46-55 (NASB)

Then Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
²“There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
³“Boast no more so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
And with Him actions are weighed.
⁴“The bows of the mighty are shattered,
But the feeble gird on strength.
⁵“Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
Even the barren gives birth to seven,
But she who has many children languishes.
⁶“The Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
⁷“The Lord makes poor and rich;
He brings low, He also exalts.
⁸“He raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of honor;
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the world on them.
⁹“He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
For not by might shall a man prevail.
¹⁰“Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered;
Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
And He will give strength to His king,
And will exalt the horn of His anointed.”

And Mary said:
“My soul exalts the Lord,⁴⁷And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
⁴⁸“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
⁴⁹“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
⁵⁰“And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
⁵¹“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
⁵²“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
⁵³“He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
⁵⁴“He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
⁵⁵As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

The Gospel of Luke

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In | How Is Luke like Old Testament “Prophetic History”?

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