<p>1:30 <i>And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary. For you have found favour with God</i>- The emphasis is that she <i>had </i>found favour with God, and she need not doubt the truth of those words of grace; see on :29.</p><p>When the LXX and Hebrew readings are combined, it becomes evident that the Angel is inviting Mary to see herself as the &ldquo;daughter of Zion&rdquo;:&nbsp;</p><div align=center><table border=0 cellspacing=10 cellpadding=0 width=80%>    <tbody>        <tr>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p><b>Zeph. 3 </b></p>            </td>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p><b>Luke 1:28-31 </b></p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>Rejoice LXX <i>chaire</i>, daughter of Zion   (Zeph. 3)</p>            </td>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>Rejoice <i>chaire</i>&hellip;MaryNotice how <i>chaire</i>   is also addressed to the Daughter of Zion in Zech. 9:9, a passage also   applied to Jesus in Mt. 21:5; Jn. 12:14,15.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>The King of Israel, the Lord, is in the midst of   you <i>en meso sou</i> (Zeph. 3)</p>            </td>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>The Lord is with you <i>meta sou</i>.   &ldquo;The king of Israel&rdquo; was a well known Messianic title. He was in the midst of   Mary in the sense that He was now in her womb.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>Do not be afraid, Zion (Zeph. 3)</p>            </td>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>Do not be afraid, Mary</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>The Lord your God is with / in you (Zeph. 3)- the   Hebrew can imply &lsquo;in your interior parts&rsquo;, cp. the womb</p>            </td>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>You have found favour with God.&nbsp; We can   perceive a double meaning now in Zephaniah&rsquo;s words- the Lord God was with   Mary, but was also within her manifest in His Son.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>The mighty one will save you (Zeph. 3)</p>            </td>            <td width=554 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;God my Saviour&rdquo;- as if Mary picked up the   allusions and responded to them.</p>            </td>        </tr>    </tbody></table></div><p>Lk. 1:30 is alluded to in Heb. 4:16. When you ask for forgiveness, be like Mary in her spiritual ambition in asking to be the mother of Messiah.</p>