HG004 Luke 1:5-25
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5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, 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 to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘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 to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
Here was Zacharias and Elizabeth, a man and his wife who were believers, who had been faithful in their lives but lacked the one thing they really wanted: A child.
It is quite possible that they have never had an answer to prayer before but despite their situation they were continuing to serve God. They were serving God despite lack of evidence that God was at work. They were under Roman Occupation. Israel was not serving God. There were only a few faithful people. And God had not been heard from in over 400 years. Some would have reckoned they had been abandoned and maybe others would have assumed that there was no God on the throne. This was a very barren time. The people were barren. There was a barrenness of not hearing from God. And Elizabeth was barren which was also considered a curse from God.
Despite all appearances Zacharias was in the Temple serving. Despite no answers to prayers he was a praying man. Despite the fact that the congregation was shrinking Zacharias, his wife and the people that remained, the remnant were going to be faithful and true to their God.
There were 24 groups of Levites and Zacharias was in the 8th group according to 1 Chron 24:10 as he was a descendent of Abijah who was a descendent of Levi. And this group served for one week twice a year. With about 850 from each group to choose from the chances of Zacharias being chosen in his lifetime would have been about 5 to 1 against him ever serving in the temple. So, for him to be in the temple with a 20% chance of being there, was a great privilege indeed.
Into all this is a sudden appearance of an angel at the altar of incense. Incense acts in the same way as the prayers of the saints. We find this to be the case in:
3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.
So our prayers ascend to God. This is worth remembering for our prayers are constantly before Him on the throne and He loves to hear us and to answer us:
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
What a promise given to us! If we pray in line with God’s character He hears us and answers us. For Zacharias he was about to have an experience that was unique but having an answer from God is not.
This angel appeared out of nowhere, seemingly, as an answer to prayer. And poor Zacharias didn’t truly believe his eyes. Though he had been a man of prayer, a man offering up incense to God he was not expectant that his prayers would be answered. He just could not believe it. Of course he had heard the stories of how God had worked in the past but it was just that 400 years of no sight of God at work had hardened the heart to not believe.
I, personally find this a relief. Despite not really believing, his prayer was answered anyway. God is gracious and faithful to us, to His people and to His Word as seen in this passage. Of course, it was not just about answering the prayer of an old couple but part of the master plan of God to bring salvation to the world.
This period of time that Zacharias is living in is very similar to the 400 years of the famine of God’s Word when Israel was in Egypt suffering under the hand of Pharaoh. This time was foretold by Amos:
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it.
In both times, under Pharaoh and under the Romans, the people of Israel were oppressed by outside forces; in both cases there did not appear any evidence that God cared or even existed, but there were always people who held on to hope in God and in both cases despite their diminishing hope, because of the hardness of the situation, they found it hard to believe that deliverance was now arriving.
If we were simply to look at the situation in Wales then we would think that God is not doing a work here, that there is a famine, but we are to continue to hope in God. It is God who cares for people; who desires that none are lost; who builds His Church; who will add to the Church daily; it is He who sent Jesus to save people.
We are workers in His vineyard who are to bring Him fruits in its season:
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
Someone told us and aren’t we glad they did. Some persisted with us for quite a time. Some are still persisting. We respond in due course.
Revelation is very important in that God speaks at that very moment in time to a particular situation,just as it happened with the angel to Zacharias. God can speak to us in special ways at particular times especially when He wants us to do something in particular. But these kind of words do not happen often. God does not speak to us in special ways all the time. Why? Because He has given us His Word in Scripture…this Bible is given to us so that we do not offend God, so that we can learn the lessons of history, so that we are built up…friends if we neglect God’s Word then we do so at our peril for it is through Scripture that God speaks to us.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Scripture is God’s Revelation: It reveals God, His purposes, His will and so that we do works of righteousness. If we neglect God’s Word then we are neglecting God for He gave it to us for doctrine (which is teaching), for reproof (which is telling-off), for correction (which is adjustment to understanding and behaviour), and for instruction (which is direction).
Revelatory words from God does not equip us for every good work but God’s Word in written form does with the Holy Spirit’s breathing on it. And on it we should be meditating and allowing God’s Word to fully take its place. If there is no revelation from God for 400 years we can still be mature, we can still do God’s work. Revelation certainly has its place, as we find throughout Scripture, but it is of less importance though, at the time, it can be life changing. God may have given you the gift of prophecy and you should use it but it is always tested against what God has already given us in Scripture, in our Bibles. Any Word from God that does not match the Bible is to be rejected immediately.
There is no famine of His Word today but it can be caused by us not going to it and learning what we should from it. It was in the Jews not knowing the Scriptures that they fulfilled them in condemning the Prince of Life. Such is the danger of ignoring what God has given. If you want to know God’s will it is in the pages of Scripture that you will find the answer – some of us do not want to hear that for it takes time and effort on our part because we live in the ‘have it now’ society but God is timeless, a day is as a 1000 yrs and a 1000 yrs is as a day. God may give us a specific Revelation but His Word already declares that if we put our ways before Him, trusting Him, then He will direct us…and that may simply be in the opening or closing of doors. Here is wisdom that I give you this morning…read, study and meditate on God’s Word. Then you will be fully equipped.
There is plenty of evidence of the trustworthiness of Scripture for instance, one the prophecies that was fulfilled in the 400 years of God’s silence was Alexander the Great.
There is a story about Jaddua, the high priest at the time of Alexander the Great, who it is said put on his priestly garments, and with the Scriptures in his hand went forth to meet the conqueror who was coming to attack Jerusalem. Jaddua went not with armed men but by a body of white-robed priests. As they drew near the army of Alexander, Alexander is said to have hastened to meet them, prostrating himself on the ground before Jaddua, declaring he had but recently beheld the high priest in a vision, and recognized him as the representative of the God of heaven, who would show him what would be greatly to his advantage. Jaddua opened the prophetic roll, and had one of the scribes in his company read the visions of Daniel and their interpretation. Alexander saw the undoubted reference to himself in the bronze of Daniel’s vision in Daniel 2 and as the he-goat in Daniel 8 coming across the whole land. Alexander then declared he would never permit Jerusalem to be touched nor its temple polluted, and sent the high-priest back laden with gifts. (Ironside, H. A. (1914). The four hundred silent years (from Malachi to Matthew) (p. 14). New York: Loizeaux Brothers.)
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
“Daniel the prophet,” as our Lord calls him, was one of these; and his book was doubtless in Jaddua’s hand—not written by some unknown apocryphal writer a hundred years later, as modern pseudo-critics would have us believe—but a part of the inspired word of God outlining events that were coming upon the earth long before some of the nations and many of the persons specified were born.
What Bible we read is important too: Read a word-for-word translation for proper accuracy such as the NKJV, CSB, and ESV. Avoid translations such as the Message, the Street Bible and the Living Bible except for comparison for they are not accurate and truthful to God’s Word:
as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
Why should there be a famine of God’s Word in our hearts? I am desperate for us to know God and abound in Him towards all good works. Do not rely upon your feelings to know which way God would have us act…God has given us Scripture for that.
I have done everything in my power to convince you today as well as in the past to give you a sure foundation. Reading Scripture is not everything but reading, hearing and doing it is.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice:
“Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
It is amazing that Zacharias didn’t believe for he had the angel right before him. It really was not the case that seeing was believing. The Israelites didn’t believe even when they saw the Red Sea open up so that they could cross over. They didn’t believe even though they were led by a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. They didn’t believe even when they heard God’s voice on the mountain with earthquakes and fires. Incredible.
And even though I have preached words that are life, some will not believe and not act and so live mediocre Christian lives with little fruit. Is this what we really want for our lives? Of course not!
But the world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the person who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. (George, T. (2004). Mr Moody and the evangelical tradition (p. 129). London; New York: T&T Clark.)
My friends, brothers, sisters, let us be found to be faithful, trusting God to fulfil His Words to us. God’s word to Zacharias was fulfilled: John the Baptist was born. Let us respond to the good news, today hear His voice in Scripture speaking to us. Let us not be barren in hearing God’s Word. And let us not forget to pray for God delights to answer us.
Benediction
Benediction
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
Bibliography
Bibliography
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). The Gospel according to Luke. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (Verse 1:5 only)