Only once in Zechariah's career of priesthood may he enter the Holy of Holies. This is it. Zechariah receives a grand manifestation of what God will do for the community of believers and for Zechariah and his wife. Zechariah receives the news he was not expecting or should I say that now he is expecting. And wait, his son will be a Forerunner to the One. God is always right on time---it's just we who have different plans, crazy ideas. We think it's a shame, a sham, if we end up childless. Reproach. What does God think?
We hope our prayers are answered timely. What are we thinking?? Sometimes, God's answers to prayer come way down the road of life. God's timing not ours. As one of 18,000 priests, Zechariah humbly walked into the holy place, fatherless, and came out with a baby and a name and a mission. Zechariah is barren, one moment, and blessed with child, the next. Oh, if we would only hold onto our dreams that God breathes in us. Wonder what little prayer this Scripture will prompt us to hold onto?
Meanwhile, back in Numbers 28:2, God commands the Israelites to do something for the good of their whole community---offerings at the appointed times. Over One Million Israelites who have failed miserably, yet they offer what they have. Hundreds of years later, Zechariah is chosen by lot to offer sacrifices for the good of the nation.
And God intervenes after all these years of sacrifices that were never enough.
A Forerunner is coming.
He belongs to you, Zechariah and Elizabeth.
You are going to have a baby.
Luke 1:37 "For nothing will be impossible with God."
Luke 1:38 "Let it be to me according to your word."
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
ReplyDeleteResponse time for Zechariah and Mary. One is disbelief and one is humble obedience.
Praying my response is more like Mary--but knowing it's more like Zechariah. And I know which one pleases Him and which does not. So, I ask my faith to increase.