Luke 1:14-15 (NIV)
“He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.”
John the Baptizer, Jesus’ cousin is introduced to us in this Chapter of Luke. Again, we have an elderly couple long past childbearing years, being told they would soon have the son they had been praying for. I am sure Zechariah must have been stunned. Put yourself in his shoes, not only is he in the presence of and angel, but the angel is telling him something that for all intents and purposes is impossible.
Zechariah’s next words should have been something like, “Thank you, I am not worthy,” or “God be praised for answering our prayers,” but he did not respond in this fashion. No, his words were, “How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah’s reply did not result in his death or anything that severe, but his voice was taken away for a time.
When we pray for something, when we faithfully come before God and pour out our hearts, believing He will hear us and answer – that is faith. I don’t think Zechariah’s losing his voice was a punishment as much as a statement that God’s promises are not to be questioned. This time of silence for the priest served as a daily reminder of this until John was born.
Read Luke 1:11-25 here
Listen to Luke 1:11-25 here
No comments:
Post a Comment