Category: Advent

³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)

How do you respond when the Lord reveals His will to you? It may be through His Word, always the place to begin, by promptings through prayer, counsel from godly mentors, along with the providential circumstances of life. Regardless, how do you respond?

Are you reluctant? This means to be unwilling, unenthusiastic, and hesitant. You know what the Lord wants of you but you are unwilling, unenthusiastic and hesitant to submit to what He wants of you. Ultimately you serve but you’re not happy about it. You go kicking and screaming, figuratively or literally, as you submit to His sovereign leading.

Or maybe you are fearful of the unknown. Your fear is because of the many intangibles or questions you have in which there are no immediate answers. You submit but to say you are truly happy and contented is a stretch at best.

Or perhaps you submit willingly and gladly knowing that God can be trusted and that He will never leave you nor forsake you.

I often find that submitting to the Lord’s will involves a process of proceeding through all three of the aforementioned responses, along with many others. This process ultimately ends up with me being at peace because regardless where, when and how the Lord leads, He is always there.

Examining today’s text reveals to us Mary’s immediate reaction to Gabriel’s message and answers to her questions and concerns. She said, “I am the servant of the Lord.” She acknowledged her position before the Lord.

The word servant (δούλη; doule) in this context means female slave or slave woman. Mary recognized her humble positon before the Lord. She solely belonged to the Lord. The word Lord (κύριος; kyrios) means ruler, owner and one who commands. In other words, Mary acknowledged that she was a slave of the sovereign God of the universe. Whatever He wanted, that is what she was willing to do.

Mary then said, “Let it be to me according to your word.” This statement revealed her heart. She was willingly submissive to whatever the Lord wanted of her.

One commentator writes that, “Mary expresses her submission to the Lord’s will in regular Old Testament terms for submission or acquiescence (e.g., 1 Sam 1:18; 25:41; 2 Sam 9:6, 11; 2 Kings 4:2; 2 Sam 7:25).”

Dr. John MacArthur writes that, “Mary was in an extremely embarrassing and difficult position. Betrothed to Joseph, she faced the stigma of unwed motherhood. Joseph would obviously have known that the child was not his. She knew she would be accused of adultery—an offense punishable by stoning (Deut. 22:13–21; cf. John 8:3–5). Yet she willingly and graciously submitted to the will of God.”

Submitting to the Lord’s will may not always be easy. Doing the Lord’s will may be even harder. However, submitting to and carrying out the will of God for our lives is always best.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

³⁵ And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:35–37)

What do we mean by the phrase the providence of God? You probably noticed that a variation of the word providence is contained in the title of today’s blog.

Providence, means to see in advance, beforehand and/or to provide for. It means that God is not a mere spectator in the world’s events. Rather than just being the creator of the universe, the Lord is also the sustainer of the same. The universe, and all its inhabitants, are not only dependent upon God for its origin but also for its continued existence.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes that, “The central point of the doctrine of providence is the stress on God’s government of the universe. He rules His creation with absolute sovereignty and authority. He governs everything that comes to pass, from the greatest to the least. Nothing ever happens beyond the scope of His sovereign, providential government. He makes the rain to fall and the sun to shine. He raises up kingdoms and brings them down. He numbers the hairs on our head and the days of our life.”

Therefore, there are no chance events. There is no such thing as chance, luck or fate. With respect to Mary and the virgin birth of Christ, it was not by chance that God had Gabriel visit her with the news that she would conceive and give birth to the Messiah. It was also not be chance how God would bring this event to pass.

In response to Mary’s questions concerning how this virgin birth would occur, Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” There are three key phrases Luke used to describe this miraculous event.

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you.” The virgin birth will be the result of a divine act by God the Holy Spirit. The first person of the Trinity, God the Father, will direct the third person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit, to participate in the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity, God the Son.

To come upon means to arrive or to cause to happen. The Greek word ἐπέρχομαι (eperchomai) refers to the general conception of life. The Holy Spirit would miraculously cause the conception of life to occur within the womb of the Virgin Mary.

“The power of the Most High will overshadow you.” The word power (δύναμις; dynamis) means ability or supernatural energy. This power and energy originates from and is solely sourced in the Most High, which is name for God stressing His majesty and supreme authority. This creative, active and productive power solely belonging to God would overshadow (ἐπισκιάζω; episkiazo) Mary and resembling the Shekinah glory of God in the Old Testament mysteriously conceive the virgin birth of the Christ.

“Therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” The result of this miraculous work of the Holy Spirit is that the Holy One who is to be born of Mary will be the incarnate Son of God. To be called the Holy One means One who is separate, a cut apart or a cut above.

Jesus Christ would be transcendentally separate from other human beings. He would be different in unique way. He would be consecrated and set apart unto purity. He would be inherently separate from sin but would become the object of God the Father’s wrath by bearing the curse of the sinner’s sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Gabriel concluded his message to Mary by informing her of what God was doing in the life of her relative Elizabeth. She too would bear a child who would be intricately involved in the life of the child Mary would conceive and deliver. The conclusion is that nothing is impossible with God. He is in control.

Both pregnancies were within the providential plan and design of God. So also is everything which occurs in our own lives. He still is in providential control.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ²⁹ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:28–33)

God chooses ordinary people to serve Him. People just like you and me. People just like a girl named Mary. How does God go about choosing people to serve Him? First of all, He finds you. Second, God reveals His will to you.

In the case of Mary, God’s will was revealed to her by the angel Gabriel. As we noticed with Zechariah, an angel is a sent one from God. They are God’s messengers who possess an unqualified surrender to God’s will. Gabriel, as one who stood in the presence of God, was one such angel. God actively sought out Mary. Gabriel came to her and said, “Greetings” meaning glad tidings.

Gabriel addressed Mary as a favored one. It is the Greek word κεχαριτωμένη (kecharitomene) meaning kindness and graciousness. God was bestowing kindness and grace upon Mary. Gabriel also said that the Lord was with her. As a devout Jew, Mary would know the Lord was with her.

Mary’s reaction was typical. She was greatly troubled. This would be not only because she saw that she was in the presence of holiness, but also because of what she heard from the angel. Consequently, she tried to think out carefully and reason thoroughly what was occurring.

Why did the angel come specifically to her? The principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture comes into focus in this scene. Consider the words from the following Old Testament passages to receive insight upon the character of Mary.

• Psalm 138:6 – “Though the LORD is on high, Yes He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.”
•  Isaiah 57:15 – “For thus says the high and lofty One, Who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

It was at this moment that Gabriel communicated his message to Mary from God. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

 First of all, Gabriel told Mary not to fear because God had favored her.

Second, he told her that she would conceive in her womb and give birth to a son. Remember, this visit was in the days prior to ultrasound technology. There was no way to accurately determine a child’s gender until their birth. Yet, the angel revealed to Mary that she would give birth to a son, a fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6.

Third, her son’s name would be Jesus.

Fourth, Jesus would be great and called the Son of the Highest. This title refers to Yahweh’s majesty and sovereignty. In effect, Mary’s child would be God incarnate.

Fifth, the Lord God would give Jesus the throne of His ancestral father David. This would fulfill the prophecies from 2 Samuel 7:12-14, Psalm 89:29, Psalm 132:11, Jeremiah 23:5-6 and Isaiah 11:1-10.

Sixth, Jesus would reign and rule over the house of Jacob forever. This would fulfill the prophecies contained in Genesis 49:10 and Numbers 24:17.

Finally, Gabriel told Mary that Jesus’ kingdom would never end. It would not be an earthly kingdom nor a political kingdom, Rather, Jesus’ kingdom would be one of love and grace initially established in the hearts of men and ultimately extending to the entire universe.

God communicates His will through His Word. Gabriel’s message from God was in complete harmony with the Old Testament Scriptures. There was no contradiction.

God’s will for our lives is always in harmony with how He has gifted and equipped us for the task He has in mind for us to accomplish. This was certainly the case with Mary. It also true for you and me.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

^26 “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.” (Luke 1:26-27)

Let’s take a quiz? And you thought we were done with surprises? Surprise!

Pull a sheet of paper out of the memory bank of your mind and answer the following questions:

1. Who taught Max Lucado to write?
2. Who visited Dwight L. Moody at a Chicago shoe store and spoke to him about Christ?
3. Who gave Michael W. Smith piano lessons?
4. Who refreshed the Apostle Paul in that Roman dungeon as he wrote his last letter to Timothy? (2 Timothy 4:17).
5. Who was responsible for leading R.C. Sproul to Christ?
6. What art teachers encouraged Terry Redlin and Thomas Kinkade to pursue their dreams and refine their God given talents?
7. Who were the parents of the godly and gifted prophet Daniel?
8. Who encouraged John MacArthur to pursue the pastoral ministry?
9. Who encouraged Charles Billingsley to sing?
10. Who was the elderly woman who prayed for Billy Graham for over twenty years?

Before you excuse your inability to answer these questions by calling this quiz “trivia”, let’s stop and think. Had it not been for these unknown people, a huge chunk of church history would be missing and a lot of lives would remain untouched.

You will notice I refer to these individuals as unknown people. Unknown to us perhaps, but not to their loved ones and certainly not unknown to God. By the way, they are not, and were not, nobodies. They were “somebodies” God used and perhaps is still using. In short, they are (were) servants. In many ways, servants of God. They were obedient to His leading, and fervent in their serving.

So today, as we ponder the thought of “When God Chooses You to Serve Him”, ask God what He wants you to do. If you listen closely, and pray obediently, He will reveal His answer.

God chooses ordinary people to serve Him. People just like you and me. People just like a girl named Mary. How does God go about choosing people to serve Him? First of all, He finds you. What do we know about Mary the young girl God found and chose to use?

To begin with, she lived in Nazareth. Nazareth was a town located approximately 22 miles east from the Mediterranean Sea and 15 miles west of the Sea of Galilee. It was located in the lower region of Galilee. It was surrounded by hills. It was a small town: not a capital but rather a village.

Nazareth had a reputation during the first century. It was known for bad morals and bad religion. The overall perspective of Jewish people at the time regarding Nazareth can best be summed up by Jesus’ disciple Nathaniel: “And Nathanial said to him (Phillip), Can anything good come out of Nazareth” (John 1:46)? Yet the Prophet Isaiah wrote that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. This was a Hebrew reference of the Messiah being from the “branch of David.”

Second, she was a virgin. The Greek word for virgin, παρθένον (Parthenon), means an unmarried person, in this case a female. In other words, Mary had never engaged in sexual intercourse: voluntary or otherwise.

Third, she was engaged or betrothed to a man named Joseph. The Jewish betrothal period, called the Kuddushin, was an arranged engagement. Their legally bound marriage ceremony had yet to take place. This was called the Huppa. It would be like our modern weddings and receptions. However, the celebration would often last seven days. This would be what Jesus and His disciples attended in John 2:1-11.

Mary and Joseph would not have had any physical relationship. They lived in separate homes. The Kuddushin lasted approximately a year. The purpose of this engagement period of time was to prove the fidelity of both individuals.

Mary had been solemnly promised to a man whose name was Joseph. He belonged to the family of David (Matthew 1:1-17). They in a real sense were “legally married.” If either partner proved unfaithful, or other problems arose, then a formal bill of divorcement was required to nullify the betrothal contract.

Mary could very well have been in her teens. Marriages and betrothals in their culture were arranged at a young age. Betrothals often occurred when girls were as young as twelve or thirteen. Perhaps because of her maturity, Mary could have been in her late teens. We can only speculate.

What about you? Where, when and how did God find you? What were the circumstances which led Him to not only convert you but to begin using you? Take time to reflect on God’s usage of you through the years. Thank Him for the privilege it is to serve the One, True God.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^“67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people ⁶⁹ and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, ⁷⁰as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, ⁷¹ that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;  ⁷² to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, ⁷³ the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us ⁷⁴ that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷ to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high ⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” ⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” (Luke 1:67-80)

The prophecy of Zechariah (Lk. 1:68–79), the Benedictus, is so named from the first word in the Latin version. Benedictus means “invocation.”

The Benedictus is one of six visions (Luke 1:5–25, 26–38; 2:1–20), and prophecies (Lk. 1:46–56; 2:29–35) in the Gospel of Luke’s Birth of Christ Narrative. It is a recurrent pattern in Hebrew prophecy to reflect upon or elaborate former revelations (cf. Ps. 105; Micah 4:4; Zechariah. 3:10). Therefore, the Benedictus refers to a number of passages from the Psalms and the Prophet Isaiah.

The first section of the passage (Lk. 1:68–75), which is characteristic of Jewish poetry parallelism, praises God for His Messianic deliverance of sinners. The second section (Lk. 1:76–79) describes the role which John will have in this unfolding drama of redemption by God.

In the Benedictus, Messiah’s work is particularly a spiritual deliverance. That is significant because the majority of Jews at that time, and today, viewed and view the Messiah as a political Redeemer. Even though the Messiah’s role as a religious or priestly Redeemer was not absent in Judaism, it was obscured and overshadowed by the Jews desire to be liberated from Roman rule.

Significant words and phrases which occur in the Benedictus are steeped in Old Testament imagery and theology. These include horn of salvation, redeemed, saved, mercy, holy covenant, holiness, righteousness, prophet of the Most High, to go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation, forgiveness of their sins, the tender mercy of our God, sunrise shall visit us from on high, light to those in darkness, the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

The CD Glory to the Holy One by Craig Courtney, Dan Forrest, Jeff Lippencott and narrated by R.C. Sproul, contains a song entitled Variant on Benedictus. Its lyrics are as follows.

Chosen first among the priests
To serve within the temple walls
Zacharias stood in awe
As he heard the angel call.

Refrain

Benedictus
Benedictus
Blessed is the Lord
Benedictus
Benedictus
God’s incarnate Word.

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God
Will come to raise salvation’s horn
God Incarnate, Word made flesh
To a virgin shall be born.

Christ brings light to sin’s dark night
Our Dayspring, Jesus, from on high
Saints and angels sing God’s praise
All the earth and heav’ns reply.

God’s incarnate Word
Benedictus
Benedictus.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

On each Lord’s Day this year, we will display the 52 devotionals taken from the Heidelberg Catechism which are structured in the form of questions posed and answers given.

The Heidelberg Catechism was originally written in 1563. It originated in one of the few pockets of Calvinistic faith in the Lutheran and Catholic territories of Germany. Conceived originally as a teaching instrument to promote religious unity, the catechism soon became a guide for preaching as well.

Along with the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dordt, it forms what is collectively referred to as the Three Forms of Unity.

The devotional for LORD’S DAY 43 is as follows. Please take note of the biblical references given in each answer. This morning’s devotional addresses The Ten Commandments.

Q. What is the aim of the ninth commandment?

A. That I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words,
not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone rashly or without a hearing.¹

Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are the very devices the devil uses, and they would call down on me God’s intense wrath.² I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and openly acknowledge it.³ And I should do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor’s good name.⁴

¹ Ps. 15; Prov. 19:5; Matt. 7:1; Luke 6:37; Rom. 1:28-32.
² Lev. 19:11-12; Prov. 12:22; 13:5; John 8:44; Rev. 21:8a.
³ 1 Cor. 13:6; Eph. 4:25.
⁴ 1 Pet. 3:8-9; 4:8.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

⁵⁷ Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. ⁵⁸ And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, ⁶⁰ but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” ⁶¹ And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” ⁶² And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. ⁶³ And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. ⁶⁴ And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. ⁶⁵ And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, ⁶⁶ and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.” (Luke 1:57-66)

Don’t you love it when extended families and friends get together for the holidays? I sure do. I fondly remember when as a child growing up, my extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins would gather Christmas Day afternoon at my grandparent’s home. What a gathering it was. There was good food, great friendships, and a whole lot of laughter and conversation. For me, and I’m sure for others, it was one of the high points of the Christmas holiday season.

It is often the case that when neighbors or relatives get together there are a lot of opinions about whatever subject being discussed. It might be about politics, sports, the weather or an upcoming wedding or birth of a child.

Such was the case with Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s friends and relatives. When John was born to the couple as God had promised, their neighbors and relatives rejoiced with them. No surprise there. The couple’s friends and family were as happy for them as they were for themselves.

However, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, everyone thought the child would, and should, be named Zechariah, after his father. That sounded reasonable they thought. The child would be called Zechariah Jr. However, Elizabeth answered and informed one and all that the boy’s name would be John. Their friends and relatives were stunned, perplexed and stated that none of their relatives were named John. Why this surprising choice of a name for their newborn son?

Not to be deterred, the neighbors and relatives went to Zechariah and asked him what the boy’s name should be. Let the boy’s father decide. The people were struggling with this conflict of custom or tradition. Principle and custom were clashing.

However, Zechariah wrote on a writing tablet that his son’s name “is” John. The people were amazed and astonished but Zechariah began to speak and blessed God.

The result was that great fear and reverence came upon all of Zachariah’s and Elizabeth’s neighbors and relatives. They began to wonder what manner of child John would be. Luke inserts the parenthetical phrase that the hand or presence of the Lord was with John.

Dr. John Walvoord notes that, “The people continued to note that the Lord’s hand was with him. Years later, when John began his preaching ministry, many went out from this district who no doubt remembered the amazing events surrounding his birth (Matt. 3:5).”

 Remember that peer pressure is not just an experience that teenagers encounter. Adults experience it also. Just like Zechariah and Elisabeth. However, they did not give in to the crowd’s point of view for tradition but remained steadfast in their obedience to the Lord commands. So should we.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

²³ And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. ²⁴ After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, ²⁵ “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” (Luke 1:23-25)

Following his time of religious and priestly service, Zechariah went home. Even though the Lord disciplined him for his unbelief, He still allowed Zechariah to serve Him as a priest in the Temple. This is an illustration of Hebrews 12:3-11 in which the Lord disciplines those who He loves. Such discipline, in whatever form it takes, is an indication of the veracity of one being a child of God.

Up to this point in the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth, Luke’s emphasis has been upon the faithful priest. But what about his faithful wife? It is at this point that the narrative shifts and focuses on Elizabeth.

It was after Zechariah’s term of service, and after he went home, that Elizabeth conceived a child by Zechariah. One would think that upon realizing such a wonderful event, that she and her husband would be telling everyone they knew. There seemingly would be baby showers for Elizabeth and backslapping upon Zechariah.

However, that is not what occurred. In fact, the text says that Elizabeth hid herself for five months during her pregnancy. Why? Perhaps it was out of great devotion and gratitude to the Lord. Or, maybe she did so until she was sure she was pregnant and there was no mistaking her physical condition.

Dr. Don Carson writes that, “Elizabeth remained in seclusion during the period when her pregnancy would not be especially obvious and she would still be liable to reproach for childlessness. The news was broken first to Mary, and the miraculous character of what had happened remained a secret from the people at large.”

 Whatever the reason for her behavior, there is not misunderstanding of her perspective regarding what had occurred. She praised the Lord and said, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” She was grateful for the Lord’s miraculous answer to her and her husband’s prayer.

Elizabeth, unlike Zechariah, did not need to know the how of her becoming pregnant at such an advanced physical age. It was enough that God blessed her and Zechariah resulting in her becoming pregnant. For Elizabeth, she had no questions. She had only praise.

God rebuked Zechariah for casting such a dark shadow over the light of His divine wisdom revealed through the angel.  We must make sure that we never doubt, or event rebuke, the Lord when things seemingly do not happen when we think they should. The Lord’s timing is always perfect.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

¹⁹ And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” ²¹ And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. ²² And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. ²³ And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

²⁴ After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, ²⁵ “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” (Luke 19-25)

For the first time in this text, the angel who was speaking to Zechariah identified himself. “¹⁹ And the angel answered him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” (Luke 1:19)

What do we know about Gabriel? His name means “strong man of God.” The Tyndale Bible Dictionary says that he is, “One of the two angels mentioned by name in the Bible (the other is Michael). Gabriel appeared in human form to Daniel to reveal to him the meaning of a vision, to show what would transpire on the Day of Judgment, and to give Daniel wisdom and understanding (Dan. 8:16; 9:21–22). In the NT Gabriel appeared to Zechariah the priest as he served in the temple, to announce the birth of Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist (Lk 1:11–20). Six months later Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would become the mother of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah (Lk 1:26–33). Gabriel is commonly called an archangel but is not referred to as such in the Bible.”

What did Gabriel says about himself? First, that he stood in the presence of God. Second, that God sent him to specifically speak to Zechariah. Third, that he came to bring the priest good news.

What did Gabriel then say to Zechariah following his disbelieving response? “. ²⁰ And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” Gabriel clearly indicated that Zechariah’s comment was based upon unbelief in the angel’s announcement. Therefore, Zechariah would remain mute throughout Elizabeth’s pregnancy. This would be the sign Zachariah received to support the revelation that he and Elizabeth would have a son. It was probably not the sign Zechariah expected. Because Zechariah did not use his tongue wisely, he would not be able to use his tongue at all.

The contrast cannot be more apparent; the priest’s cold skepticism and the angel’s towering certainty. The priest’s presumptuous doubt and the angel’s profound conviction. Zechariah called into question a wonderful gospel promise that sprang from the heart and mind of God.

What is our response when we encounter a promise from God’s Word? Do we immediately believe it or do we meet it with skepticism? Respond with wholehearted trust, commitment, dependence and worship today beloved of God. The Lord is trustworthy, dependable and worthy of worship.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

¹⁸ And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” ¹⁹ And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (Luke 1:18-20)

Have you ever heard the old adage “seeing is believing?” The idea behind the familiar statement is that if an individual could only see the who, what, where, why and how of a situation or circumstance then it would naturally follow that the individual would trust in, commit to, depend upon and honor the One who is the object of such trust, commitment, dependence and honor. Unfortunately, this does not always occur.

Take Zechariah for example. Luke went to great lengths to explain to us that Zechariah, and his wife Elizabeth for the matter, were exemplary examples of obedience and faith in God. There were God servants and demonstrated this by living righteously. However, Zechariah, even though an angel was standing before him with an oracle from God, the righteous priest did not believe what he had been told.

His response to the angel was one of unbelief regarding Elizabeth and him having a child. “And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” (Luke 1:18)

The verb “know” (γνώσομαι; gnosomai) means not just to have or acquire knowledge but also to understand and to accept the knowledge one has acquired. Zechariah heard the angel’s words, but did not understand the angel’s words. Regarding what? Regarding how Elizabeth and him could have a child when they were both old and beyond childbearing age.

There was no excuse for this response. It was a response of unbelief by a believer. How can I be so sure? I urge you to follow my reasoning.

First, Zechariah was a believer in God. Second, he was also a priest serving God. Third, he stood before an angel sent from God. Fourth, Zechariah had a biblical example of another couple faced with the same personal dilemma: childlessness. However, God provided them a child in their old age. The couple in question, of course, was Abraham and Sarah.

Genesis 15:1-6 says, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” ² But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” ⁴ And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” ⁵ And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

Genesis 17:15-21 says, “¹⁵ And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. ¹⁶ I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” ¹⁷ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” ¹⁸ And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” ¹⁹ God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. ²⁰ As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. ²¹ But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”

Genesis 18:1–15 says, “And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. ² He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth ³ and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. ⁴ Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, ⁵ while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” ⁶ And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” ⁷ And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. ⁸ Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.”

^“9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” ¹⁰ The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. ¹² So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” ¹³ The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

 Genesis 21:1-7 says, “The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. ² And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. ³ Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. ⁴ And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. ⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. ⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” ⁷ And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

As recorded in the Book of Genesis, Zechariah had a biblical example of how and when God provided a child, Isaac, to Abraham and Sarah who were old and beyond the physical ability to have children.

What was the angel’s response to Zechariah? That is what we will examine next time.

Have you ever doubted God? Have you ever doubted His Word when it clearly provided a promise which was trustworthy because it came from God? I’m sure you have. I know I have.

Abraham’s problem, and Zechariah’s, was that they both were looking at their circumstances and not upon the Lord who remains sovereign and providential above, in, and through our circumstances.

What about us? What circumstances are you presently encountering in which your faith is weak and your trust in, commitment to, dependence upon and worship and honor of God is wavering due to your circumstances? Immediately pray to Him to help you through the valley of unbelief and place you upon the rock of faith.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!