Zechariah and Elizabeth

Lk. 1:25

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 'Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.

 

Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were righteous before God and walked blamelessly in the commandments and statutes of the Lord, but still they had no child. Elizabeth was barren, and in addition to that, they were advanced in years well beyond the age of childbearing.

 

Zechariah was in the temple performing his normal duties at his normal time. People were praying outside at the hour of incense. Nothing was out of the ordinary! But at this precise moment, the angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah who was instantly troubled and fearful. The angel encouraged his heart telling him his prayer had been answered. His wife Elizabeth would bear a child who was to be named John. They would have joy and gladness, and many would rejoice with them because their child would be great before the Lord. The angel went on to say that the child must not drink wine or strong drink and that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from His mother's womb. In fact, the child would lead many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God because he would go before Him in the spirit of Elijah. His message would be one of repentance turning the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. All of this was in preparation for the Lord.

 

Unbelievable! Imagine how you would feel in this same situation! But how did Zechariah respond? 'How shall I know this? For I am and old man, and my wife is advanced in years.' Sounds like a legitimate question! But apparently not! The angel reasserted who he was and who had sent him before he told Zechariah that he would be mute until the birth of the child. His moment of doubt affected the course of his life. Apparently Zechariah had forgotten how powerful God was and that His words must always be believed. Even though he was in the temple [the house of God], his thoughts were rooted in the physical realm. All he saw were the impossibilities! He had forgotten the many miracles God had done in the past. What a lesson! Even though he was a righteous man who ministered daily in the temple of God, his heart was captured by human doubt. Watch and pray unless you fall into temptation. In this case the temptation of doubt.

 

As the angel had said, Elizabeth conceived. God had intervened in the lives of these two people and in the normal laws of nature. What shouldn't have happened, did!  What a powerful God we have! Elizabeth hid herself for 5 months. Was she embarrassed by this? No, I think she was treasuring this time and enjoying every minute of it. God had taken away her reproach among people.

 

Father,

Open my eyes to see Your way and Your words. Give me the grace I need to obey unquestioningly.

In Jesus name,

Amen