Silence

Luke 1:5-25

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,

9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

Zacharias was a priest, and his office was to burn incense in the temple. Incense in the bible represents our prayers. It was the time of prayer and there was a multitude of people outside the temple praying.

11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

While tending to the incense, Zacharias was visited by the angel Gabriel who told him that Elisabeth, Zacharias’ wife, would bare a son even though she was barren. Now, Zacharias had been praying that Elisabeth’s womb would be open and that they would have a child. I am sure it was Elisabeth’s prayer also. He asks, ‘Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.’

Elisabeth being barren is a picture of Israel’s state as a nation at that time. They were barren when it came to God speaking to them through the prophets. God sent many a prophet, but Israel as a nation did not want to listen but would rather do according to their own will. God finally stopped speaking.

Gabriel pictures the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) that God sent with good tidings of the coming Messiah, and how to get right with God, but Israel would not listen and instead went their own way. Remember, the scriptures have always been about Jesus and God’s plan of redemption to those who believe. And it has always been God’s will that none perish but that all should come to repentance.

19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Because of Zacharias’ unbelief, Gabriel tells him he shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed.

This pictures God’s silence that we see between the old and new testament books. Because of Israel’s unbelief, God went silent. There was a space of about four hundred years when God stopped speaking to Israel through the prophets. God spoke last through Malachi with a warning to Israel that before the end comes, he will send his messenger, and they need to listen to him, and get right with God, and follow his commandments else he ‘smite the earth with a curse.’ (Malachi 4:6b)

21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

The people praying outside the temple waiting for Zacharias pictures Israel waiting those 400 years wondering why God was silent; wondering why God was taking so long to speak to them again, and still hearing nothing.

23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Zacharias’ time of ministering was over, and he returned home to Elisabeth.

As Gabriel told Zacharias, Elisabeth became pregnant. In verses 57-64 we see John being born and Elisabeth and Zacharias naming him John.