In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old…Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John…Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

~ Luke 1:5-7, 11-13, 18-20

Nine months is a long time to be silent. So I wonder, what did Zechariah do during his silence? Here’s what I think:

  • He meditated on the Scripture foretelling his own son—see Isaiah 40:3-5, Malachi  3:1; Malachi 4:5
  • He studied the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah with anticipation
  • He drew strength from the stories of other older  and/or barren parents in Torah, for example Abraham and Sarah and their son Isaac as well as Elkanah and his wife Hannah and their son Samuel

Sometimes Elizabeth saw him, tears flowing feely, his face downcast. But mostly his head was buried in his scrolls or turned toward Heaven, his face bright, his lips moving as he called out to God in praise and prayer.

  • He sought the Lord for mercy and forgiveness for his doubt
  • He prayed for his son, his wife, his family and neighbors, his fellow priests, his nation
  • He sought the face of God

God’s Word became very personal and real to him during those nine months. And by the time his son was born, he was a man transformed. Luke tells us, He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him (1:63-66).

Do we really want God’s unorthodox answers to our prayers? What if an angel were to come to you, to me, and tell us that a prayer we had prayed for a long, long time—so long that it has become rote, lifeless—that God has answered that prayer? “This is really bad timing, God. I don’t want it after all, but thanks anyway. It would change my life way too much. People wouldn’t understand; I don’t understand it myself! The fact is, I’m not even convinced you can do what I’ve been asking all these years, at least not according to my expectations.”

Are there areas in our lives where God would bring us to a silence that leads us to his heart and his Word, where we can do nothing but surrender our concerns to him and allow him to work in whatever way he desires in our lives? Do we want to know God more deeply? When everything is said and done, do we really trust God?

Look at the old priest Zechariah and hear his song of praise to God.

Then enter into God’s presence. Quiet your heart and let him draw you to himself. Seek the face of God; find your hope in him alone. Let the Lord renew your life. Let him loose your tongue to praise him! Even if it takes nine months.

Zechariah’s story is found in Luke 1:5-25 and 57-80.