The Angel Tells Zacharias He Will Have a Sonby Josiah-R
1:18Luke 1:18
And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
Zacharias asked the angel for assurance that the promised son would be born because he and Elizabeth were old and advanced in years. He was burning incense in the holy place before the golden altar while the prayers of Israel ascended, after long years of praying for the coming Redeemer, when the angel appeared at the right side of the altar. His question was unbelief in glad tidings that would be fulfilled in their season concerning a son to go before the Lord to make ready a people, in contrast to Mary's trustful acceptance. In asking from fear and a sense of his own weakness he momentarily forgot God's unlimited power to fulfill His promise, as already shown with Abraham and Sarah in their old age. Because he believed not, he was struck dumb and unable to speak until the prediction was fulfilled at John's birth.
Setting and Question
Zacharias had come from the hill country of Judea to Jerusalem for his course's week of temple duty, and his lot was to burn incense in the temple. He was standing before the golden altar in the holy place of the sanctuary, with the cloud of incense and the prayers of Israel ascending before God. At that time he was praying for pardon for public and national sins and for the coming Saviour, after many years of prayer for the coming Redeemer. Then the angel appeared standing on the right side of the altar, a position indicating favor which he did not notice.
His question asks for assurance and confirmation that the promised son would be born. He gives as the reason that he is an old man and his wife Elizabeth is old and well stricken in years and advanced in age. He asks whereby he shall know the promise is true because of that age.
The question came from fear and self-condemnation, because God's mercy in sending heaven's messenger with this answer seemed too great to credit. It came from a humble view of himself and thinking himself unlikely to receive such honor from God. In asking he was focusing on human weakness.
In doing so he momentarily forgot God's unlimited power to fulfill what He has promised. God had fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah despite their old age, proving that age did not make the promise impossible.
Unbelief and Aftermath
Zacharias answered the promise of a son with unbelief and doubt toward the glad tidings, questioning words that would be fulfilled in their season. His doubt concerned the promised son who would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. His response stands in contrast to Mary's trustful acceptance of the angel's message. He did not believe the angel's words about John the Baptist's birth.
Because he believed not, the penalty was temporary dumbness and inability to speak until the promised things were performed and the prediction was fulfilled. He was deprived of speech until John was born, when speech was restored. His questioning brought the angel's confirmation together with the loss of speech until that fulfillment.
When he came out to the waiting people he could only spread out his hands and look up to heaven and could not pronounce the usual benediction. By his silence they perceived he had seen a vision in the temple, and that an angel had appeared to him there.
The revelation belongs to the temple announcement pointing to his child John as the Messiah's herald. After about thirty years of tumult and change it had in great measure been lost sight of. The excitement over John's ministry called it to mind again and pressed the Jewish leaders to investigate John's work.
Zacharias asked the angel for assurance that the promised son would be born because he and Elizabeth were old and advanced in years. He was burning incense in the holy place before the golden altar while the prayers of Israel ascended, after long years of praying for the coming Redeemer, when the angel appeared at the right side of the altar. His question was unbelief in glad tidings that would be fulfilled in their season concerning a son to go before the Lord to make ready a people, in contrast to Mary's trustful acceptance. In asking from fear and a sense of his own weakness he momentarily forgot God's unlimited power to fulfill His promise, as already shown with Abraham and Sarah in their old age. Because he believed not, he was struck dumb and unable to speak until the prediction was fulfilled at John's birth.
Setting and Question
Zacharias had come from the hill country of Judea to Jerusalem for his course's week of temple duty, and his lot was to burn incense in the temple. He was standing before the golden altar in the holy place of the sanctuary, with the cloud of incense and the prayers of Israel ascending before God. At that time he was praying for pardon for public and national sins and for the coming Saviour, after many years of prayer for the coming Redeemer. Then the angel appeared standing on the right side of the altar, a position indicating favor which he did not notice.
His question asks for assurance and confirmation that the promised son would be born. He gives as the reason that he is an old man and his wife Elizabeth is old and well stricken in years and advanced in age. He asks whereby he shall know the promise is true because of that age.
The question came from fear and self-condemnation, because God's mercy in sending heaven's messenger with this answer seemed too great to credit. It came from a humble view of himself and thinking himself unlikely to receive such honor from God. In asking he was focusing on human weakness.
In doing so he momentarily forgot God's unlimited power to fulfill what He has promised. God had fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah despite their old age, proving that age did not make the promise impossible.
Unbelief and Aftermath
Zacharias answered the promise of a son with unbelief and doubt toward the glad tidings, questioning words that would be fulfilled in their season. His doubt concerned the promised son who would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. His response stands in contrast to Mary's trustful acceptance of the angel's message. He did not believe the angel's words about John the Baptist's birth.
Because he believed not, the penalty was temporary dumbness and inability to speak until the promised things were performed and the prediction was fulfilled. He was deprived of speech until John was born, when speech was restored. His questioning brought the angel's confirmation together with the loss of speech until that fulfillment.
When he came out to the waiting people he could only spread out his hands and look up to heaven and could not pronounce the usual benediction. By his silence they perceived he had seen a vision in the temple, and that an angel had appeared to him there.
The revelation belongs to the temple announcement pointing to his child John as the Messiah's herald. After about thirty years of tumult and change it had in great measure been lost sight of. The excitement over John's ministry called it to mind again and pressed the Jewish leaders to investigate John's work.