Breaking the Silence

“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense…and 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.’” - Luke 1:11, 13

The days of King Herod’s rule was a depressing time for the Jews. They were under the dominating rule of the Roman Empire. What was even worse was that God had gone silent. For 400 years, not a single prophet spoke a word from the Lord…not a single miracle was seen by the hand of God. Even angels had quit showing up in dreams and visions from the Lord. Gone were the days of King David and Solomon. The Nation of Israel had changed hands 25 times. Many people had given up on God, feeling that He had either forgotten His promise or forsaken His people. It was a dark time.

But even amidst this darkness, there were some who kept the faith. They continued to believe that God would fulfill His promise to send a Messiah. An elderly couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth were two such people. They held out hope that God was not finished with the Nation of Israel. This couple knew something about waiting. They had been waiting their whole lives for God to give them children – and in their old age they still had none. Yet Zechariah continued to pray and ask God for that which seemed impossible.

Then one day, as Zechariah was performing his duties in the Temple, God broke His silence. An angel appeared to Zechariah. God spoke. Elizabeth would bear a son…but not just any son. This child would be filled with the Spirit of God within her womb…and he would have a special calling from God. He would declare the coming Messiah to the Jews, to make them ready to receive the long-awaited King!!

Don’t miss the significance of this story! Remember, God had gone silent for 400 years. More and more people believed that God had failed to keep His promise. And yet to the least likely of people, at the least likely of times, this angel shows up to make an announcement that would set off a chain of events that changed the world forever.

God is not bound by physical principles or human perspective. Just as Israel had been waiting for a Messiah, Zechariah and Elizabeth had been waiting for a child. They were all about to learn that even as we are waiting in seasons of silence, God is never idle. He is always moving, even when we cannot see it.

Father, Help me to keep believing You, even when I cannot see You moving. Never let me be fooled or discouraged by silence.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.