“Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
I can imagine Gabriel was waiting for Zechariah to break out in praise at this stunning answer to his prayers. Yet, did you just catch Gabriel’s tone in response to Zechariah’s question? I mean Gabriel sounded straight up ticked off! And what do you think frustrated Gabriel to provoke such a rebuke? Zechariah’s question was about how he could be “sure” God would do what He said. He was unsure. He doubted God. He doubted whether God would do what He just said He would do, in light of evidence, spiritual advantages and privilege! Apparently Zechariah’s spiritual advantages weren’t a guarantee he would trust God’s word. Now catch the poetic justice in this story. Since Zechariah didn’t trust God’s word, he won’t be able to utter a word. So here’s what we’re learning from Zechariah’s story so far. Faith in the faithfulness of God’s word is hindered when…
APPARENT DELAY TEMPTS YOU TO DOUBT.
Just think about it for a moment. Zechariah and Elizabeth had been faithful to Yahweh at a time in Jewish history when many of the priests were unfaithful to Yahweh. They had prayed for so long to have a child, especially so the social stigma, disgrace and shame of being barren could be removed, yet it seemed like God was silent. And though their story was a strong echo to the story of Abraham and Sarah’s needing to trust God’s promise to give them a son in their old age, they seemed to have interpreted God’s delay as denial.
I love to watch my kids get excited when I ask them, “What time is it?”, to which they’ll answer enthusiastically, “It’s snack time!” I especially love to see my son shout and do a victory lap just at the sight of his father preparing the thing he said he would give him. My daughter will even start to get in position at the table in anticipation of receiving the thing daddy said he’d give her. They’re excited even though they haven’t received it yet, but just the sight of daddy working on it causes them to anticipate me delivering on my word. Are you listening? Yet, something happens when it seems to them that daddy’s delaying the process of getting their snack. They start to doubt daddy’s word and then try to take matters into their own hands by frustrating themselves when attempting to get their snack themselves. Or what some of us do when we get impatient while waiting on our Heavenly Father, is actually continue going through the religious motions, ritualistically, which allows us to look faithful to God to others, but in our hearts we don’t really believe He’s going to come through for us. And this is where Zechariah eventually got.
Commenting on Zechariah’s experience in her book the Desire of Ages, Ellen White says…
““Zacharias well knew how to Abraham in his old age a child was given because he believed Him faithful who had promised. But for a moment the aged priest turns his thought to the weakness of humanity. He forgets that what God has promised, He is able to perform.””
It also seems like Elizabeth may have shared in this doubt as well, for verse 24 says she stayed in “seclusion for five months”, probably to be sure this was actually really happening. I mean can you just image the additional shame she would’ve felt if in addition to being barren, she didn’t get pregnant in her old age at the word of the angel?
Yet even though Zachariah doubted the faithfulness of God’s word, God still loved this faithful priest. The doubt and rebuke would be turned into an occasion for great rejoicing, for the angel said, “…until…”! He wouldn’t be able to speak until God faithfully fulfilled His word that Elizabeth would give birth to the baby boy named John.
Friends, it’s not just important to have believed at one time in the past. You’ve got to continue in belief. You have to continue trusting in Jesus! What may seem to be a delay on God’s part does not necessarily mean denial. God is always exactly on time. He just needs you to trust His heart, His character of unfailing love towards you while you wait. Look, God’s got this! He knows what He’s doing! This makes it critical for us to place ourselves in environments, virtually or in-person, that builds our trust in God’s word. You need this personally in your daily devotional life with Jesus, reading, meditating and journaling through His word. Yet you also need this by hearing each others testimonies and growing in God’s word through small and large Church gatherings. We must not neglect gathering together, especially as we see the day appearing. And trust me my friends, the great day of the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ is at hand!
Now Luke takes us, six months later, to a little village in Galilee called Nazareth. We see a teenage girl probably going about her household chores. She doesn’t have the wisdom and experience of age that Zechariah has. She doesn’t the position, influence or spiritual privileges and advantages that he has. As a matter of fact, she is poor and from a town that is notorious for having a bad reputation. Not to mention she lived in a culture steeped in patriarchy, which privileged men above women. This girl Mary is at a comparative disadvantage, yet let’s take a look at her response to Gabriel’s baby announcement starting in verse 34…