The utterance of Mary's prophesying was based also upon her knowledge and experience of God, that is, on what God had done over her and for her. Verses 48-50 refer to God's dealing with Mary herself in particular. In verse 48, Mary said, "Because He has looked upon the low estate of His slave." Mary considered herself to be not merely a maid but a slave to God. Moreover, she considered her estate to be low because she was poor. Mary was a descendant of David, but at that time she was a lowly virgin, not in Jerusalem or in Bethlehem, the city of David, but in Nazareth, a despised city in a despised region. Nevertheless, God overshadowed her in her low estate, in her humble situation, and selected her to be the vessel for His incarnation.
In verse 48, Mary prophesied, saying, "For behold, from now on all generations will count me blessed." All generations have blessed Mary. God lifted her up from her low estate to a high position, to be "the mother of my Lord" (v. 43). A young woman from Nazareth was uplifted by God to be the mother of the Lord. In verse 49, Mary continued, "...because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name." This is an indication that Mary believed in the word the angel spoke to her in verses 30-37. In verse 50, she continued, "And His mercy is unto generations and generations to those who fear Him." Mary was a young woman who feared God. Therefore, God's mercy came to her as well as unto generations and generations of those who fear Him. The thought here is marvelous, and the composition, the expression, is very poetic. Mary was not a professor but a "country girl" from Nazareth, yet she could utter such a poetic prophecy. This is a shame to us. We are not "country girls"; many of us have obtained college degrees, and some among us have earned Ph.D. degrees. However, not many among us can compose such a meaningful and poetic prophecy.
Mary's prophesying was also based on her knowledge of God's dealing with people in general. Verses 47-50 speak of God's dealing with Mary in particular, whereas verses 51-53 concern the principles by which God deals with people in general. In verses 51-52 Mary said, "He has done mighty things with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the understanding of their heart. He brought down potentates from thrones and exalted the humble." God is able to deal with everyone. In view of the principles revealed in these verses concerning God's dealing with people, we should not be proud. In his arrogance, Mussolini, the dictator of Italy, invaded Ethiopia in 1935. Likewise, Hitler in his arrogance broke his promise to the British prime minister and invaded Czechoslovakia and Poland in 1939. These events began the Second World War. Eventually, God scattered these two exceedingly arrogant men. To this day no one knows the location of Hitler's corpse. God brought down potentates, including Mussolini and Hitler, from their thrones and exalted the humble. In history God has done this often.
In verse 53 Mary continued, "He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He sent away empty." To give good things is outward and objective, but to fill is inward and subjective. God has filled us with good things, and the rich He sent away empty—not merely empty-handed, but empty inwardly and subjectively. If we consider ourselves rich, we shall be poor; we shall be empty in everything. But if we are poor and are hungry, we shall be filled. In Matthew 5:3 and 6 the Lord Jesus spoke according to this principle: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens...Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."