Zechariah Song

Nine months of silence. Then one voice, wey don small rough because e never use am for long, start to sing. And di very first word na blessed.

Na di eighth day after dem born John, for one house for di hill country of Judah. Relatives and neighbours full di place for di naming. Zechariah, di old priest wey no fit talk since one angel visit am for di temple, just write for one board, im name na John. And for dat moment, im tongue loose. Now, Luke tell us, di Holy Spirit fill Zechariah, and e prophesy. Everything wey e don dey keep inside for im silence pour comot as song.

Make we bless di Lord God of Israel, because e don come visit im people and e don redeem dem. Zechariah no start with im own son, e start with God. God don come near. E don raise up horn of salvation, one mighty deliverer, from di family of King David. Na wetin di prophets talk about since long time be dis, Zechariah sing. Rescue from our enemies, and from everybody wey hate us. God dey remember im holy covenant, di promise wey e swear to our father Abraham: say e go set us free to serve am without fear, for holiness and righteousness, all our days.

Then di old man look down to di baby wey dey di room, and im song become personal. And you, my pikin. Dem go call you di prophet of di Most High. You go waka for di front of di Lord to prepare im way. You go help im people know say dem fit get salvation, through forgiveness of dia sins. Imagine to hear dat kind word about your newborn son. Zechariah know say John special. But e still know say John no be di main person. John whole life go be to make people ready for another person.

And then, di most beautiful lines of all. All dis na because of di tender mercy of our God, Zechariah sing, through which di morning light from heaven don visit us. Di morning light na di dawn, di first light wey dey break for top di hills. Dat light go shine on di people wey siddon for darkness and for di shadow of death, and e go guide our leg enter di road of peace. Luke close di scene quietly. Di child grow, and e strong for spirit. And e live for di wilderness until di day wey e show imself to Israel for open.

Zechariah na priest from di group of Abijah. King David don arrange di priests into twenty-four groups, and Abijah na di eighth. Each group dey take turn serve for di temple for one week at a time. As di priests plenty reach, dem fit choose one man by lot to burn incense for di holy place only once for im whole life. Na dat honour Zechariah get for di day wey di angel meet am.

Zechariah song dey Luke chapter one, verse sixty-seven reach eighty. Christians dey often call am di Benedictus, from di first word for Latin, and plenty people dey sing am for morning prayer, as dawn dey break. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. For where for your life, or for di world, you dey long make God light break enter like dawn?