Luke 1:18-25

Luke chapter 1 verse 18 through 25 for our text and study this morning. Zachariah said unto the angel, whereby shall I know this? For I’m an old man and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said on him, I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God. and am sent to speak unto thee, to show thee these glad tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple, and when he came out he could not speak us. unto them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, as soon as the days of his administration were accomplished, he departed to his own house, and after those days his wife of Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me, in the days wherein he looked on me to take away my reproach among men. May God bless to us his secret and holy word this morning. At a circus, a huge elephant was tied to an 18-inch steak that was pounded in the ground. Could he, being a very strong animal, not easily pull the steak out of the ground and be free? Sure. But he tried to do it when he was a baby and he couldn’t do it. So now he didn’t try, even though he grew stronger and more powerful and could easily lift trees, yet he was held captive by a puny steak. Sadly, many Christians are like that elephant. they’re capable doing great things by faith. However, you can be so tied to this earth and to its thinking that you never even believe great things are possible. You may doubt great things can be done even when God promises them. Our text is a prime example of this and should be carefully pondered. We’ll talk about unbelief. in the Christian. Now let me begin by saying this. As a child of God, you may be guilty of the sin of unbelief. Verse 18, and Zechariah said under the angel, whereby shall I know this, for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years. You should realize there are degrees of unbelief. When you think of unbelief, you usually associate that with those who are outside of Christ. We talk about unbelievers. we normally are thinking about those who have no faith whatsoever. The unconverted, like Paul said about himself, who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief, he says, in 1. Timothy 113. While I was lost, while I didn’t know the Lord. The unbelievers are totally destitute of all things. faith. For the Bible says all men have not faith in 2nd Thessalonians 3. However, Zacharias, as we’ve already seen, is a believer. He is trusting in the coming Messiah and his song that we’ll be looking at or his it’s usually called the song of Zacharias in chapter 1, verses 68 through 80, what he says is all stated with regard to faith in the promises of God. He is a righteous man. Having Christ’s righteousness imputed to him just as Abraham did. For we read in chapter 1 and verse 6 that he was righteous before God. He walked according all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. He was a godly man. However, what you discover here is that a belief in Christ may have areas of unbelief when it comes to the promises of God. It’s very possible to doubt God’s word and not exercise the grace of faith. You can have a little faith. Enough to believe the gospel. But lack of strong faith to believe promises that God has given that are great. Now, I’m Believers, there are what we call then degrees of faith. You can have little faith, you can have great faith. The Bible talks about increasing your faith. So forth. On the surface, it appears that Zacharias words here are much the same with other believers. You might look at this and say, well, why is the angel so harsh was Zacharias here? Didn’t Abraham say something like, he says here? Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit the land? Genesis 15A. Or look what Mary says in verse 34, the same chapter. How shall this be? Seeing I know not a man with regard to the virgin birth. Or Gideon in the Old Testament in Book of Judges show me a sign, he says. Abraham is not condemned? Mary is not rebuked. Gideon was not blamed for twice asking for a sign. Yet Zacharias is punished severely as if he has committed something very wicked. Which, on the surface, we look at this and say, well, that doesn’t seem fair. But the key to this is that God judges the actions and words according to the state of your heart. The hidden secrets of your heart are exposed before God. And God knows something about Zacharias as well as he knows something about Mary and Abraham and the rest of them. This means that God beheld something in Zacharias’s heart which kindled his anger, which provoked him at this point. Now it’s interesting to note in the Old Testament Abraham and Sarah laughed when they heard that they were going to have a son in their old age. Abraham was not rebuked for laughing, but Sarah was rebuked for laughing. It appears that in other cases the request proceeded not so much from unbelief, but from a desire to have their faith confirmed. Thus, the searcher of hearts, our Lord God, does in every instance what he deems best. He distinguishes every sentiment of our heart. He knows what we’re thinking within. So we should never think that God is unfair in handing out his judgments. He measures very carefully the human heart. And he saw something of Zacharias here, which is called unbelief that he didn’t like. And we have a judgment upon them. So you should realize there are degrees of unbelief. It’s not that Zacharias was an unbeliever completely and that he didn’t have faith. He does have faith. He wasn’t exercising faith at this particular occasion. Now, you may fail to believe God’s promises because of an earthly mindset. Why didn’t Zacharias believe the promise? Well, he can only see things on a human level. He’s looking at this and say, hey, I’m old and well-stricken years. So is my wife. It can’t happen. I can’t have a son. Now, as righteous and holy as Zacharias is, he can’t believe the angel’s announcement. It’s too incredible for him. Now, being a well-instructed Jew, as a priest, he should have known better. For he certainly knew about the Abrahamic covenant because he mentions it in his song later on. He had to know the story of Abraham. He had to know that God gave Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age. And yet somehow, rather, he can’t see that happening in his old age. How many times does God have to tell us that nothing is too hard for him to do before we believe it? Doesn’t the scriptures commend Abraham? The Bible says not being weak in faith. He considered not his own body now dead when he was a body. about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. He believed that God would provide. Zagorias doesn’t believe. That’s the difference. The grace of faith certainly is imperfect in believers. And you have to confess at times that you and I are guilty of various stages of unbelief ourselves. sometimes we distrust the providence of God. He’s not going to supply our needs as he promises. Sometimes you doubt that God is actually listening to your prayers because he doesn’t immediately answer them. Sometimes you despair of the survival of the church on the earth when you see all the apostasy and you see all the things that are happening. Sometimes you have people who question, let’s say, the creation account. Because they listen to the church. scientists and they say, well, that, you know, we can’t have six-day creation. Maybe you do not believe that all things are working for your good when all kinds of disaster comes into your life. You deny that God is good to Israel, his people, even to such as or of a clean heart, as Psalm 71.3, one says, when you see the prosperity to the wicked, must our Savior upbraid us for our unbelief? We have to learn to pray daily, Lord, increase our faith, or pray, I believe, help my unbelief. When God says something in his word, we should be confident that he will fulfill it. Listen to what Isaiah says in Isaiah 7.9. If you will not believe, you shall not be established. And so when we are faithless, then we are not able to be established and stable. So as a child of God, you may be guilty of the sin of unbelief. We see that in the case of Zacharias here. Now, secondly, God will chase in your unbelief. And we see that in verses 19 to 23. Your unbelief is an affront to God. Look at verse 19, and the angel answering, said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. usually angels don’t give their name. Usually we just hear about an angel of God, we don’t know their names. But here we have the name given, and it’s Gabriel, which means the power, the strength of God. Now, Gabriel should be well known to a priest. Gabriel, you remember, was mentioned in the book of Daniel. Daniel 8 and I in particular, he’s mentioned. And so he was one that should have garnered respect. for what he has to say when we see that he has been used by God and his name is even in the Holy Scriptures that Zacharias has been reading. By his words Gabriel indicates here that he’s bringing God’s message. He stands before the Lord. I’m an ambassador for God. I’m giving you God’s message here. And thus what he says here could be present. by thus, saith the Lord. This is an important point to remember whenever the word of God is proclaimed, that we receive it not as the word of men, or in this case of angels themselves, but it comes from God. God is speaking through his faithful messengers, whether they’re angels or men, and expects you to believe, what do you say? Now notice that Gabriel says, hey, I’m bringing glad tidings to you, and you’re not even believing them. we’re ungrateful. Here he is giving us the best tidings that we don’t believe him. And sometimes we’re guilty too of this same thing. Christ had one of his disciples that was known for unbelief. In fact, he got a nickname, Doubting Thomas. Doubting Thomas. Thinking of being stuck with that name. Doubting Thomas. Jesus said he would rise from the dead. The other disciples reported that they had. had seen the risen Lord, but Thomas said, except I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side. I am not going to believe he was raised from the dead. And what did Jesus say to Thomas? Be not faithless, but believing. Isn’t that what God says to us? Hear the word of the Lord, you that tremble at his word. Because only those who actually hear God’s voice are those who take seriously his word. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, the scripture says. So your own belief is an affront to God. Notice that God often meets out a suitable punishment for your unbelief. Verse 20, and behold, thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things be performed because thou believeest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. The doubts, the questionings here of Zacharias are brought, I end up bringing down upon his head here, a severe judgment. He’s going to be made silent. He’s not going to be able to speak till the birth of the child. So he’s made dumb. Now this is well-suited. to his offense. Since he was not ready to praise the Lord for the glad tidings, he’s not going to be able to speak. This dumbness would last at least nine months, actually nine months and eight days, till he circumcised and named the child. He didn’t get his speech back, so we’ll see. So Zacharize had rashly interrupted God’s message, and so he denied, which denied, the use of his tongue for a time. Few sins appear to be. be so provoking to God as unbelief in his own people. Now, if you would hold your place here, look with me at Numbers, Chapter 20. There’s an interesting count here in the book of Numbers of Moses and Aaron. Numbers chapter 20, verses 1 to 12. Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zen in the first month, and the people abode in Kadesh, and Miriam died there and was buried there, and there was no water for the congregation. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people chode with Moses and spake, saying, would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord? And why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness that we and our cattle should die there. And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? It is no place of seed or figs or vines of palm granites. Neither is there any water to drink. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly under the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. They fell upon their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared under them. and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron, thy brother, and speak unto the rock before their eyes. And it shall give forth his water. And thou shalt bring forth unto them water out of the rock out of the rock. Sooth shalt thou shalt thou give the congregation and their beast drink. And Moses took the rod before the Lord as he was commanded. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock and said unto them, Here now ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank in their beast also. And the Lord spake on the noses and Aaron. Because ye believe me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel. Therefore, you shall not bring forth this congregation in the land which I give them. I have given them. So upset were Moses and Aaron with the people that they failed to act and they’re usually consistent and obedient manner here. Psalm 106 tells us, they angered him also at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes because they provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips. Moses and Aaron had an exasperated, impatient state of mind at this point. And consequently, they failed to honor the Lord, to sanctify him in the eyes of the people. His word was to be explicitly obeyed. and believed and obeyed. But verse 12 gives us the indication here, ye believe me not, as if what God had promised was impossible and absurd. Moses thought the people of God did not deserve perhaps water from the rock. Maybe he doubted that God would provide water from the rock. But for some reason he is condemned here for not believing what God had said. The punishment by God was quite severe because he’s going to be exempted now, excluded, if you would, from the land of promise. He’s not going to be able to go into the land of promise. And he doesn’t get a reprieve when he asked for permission later. Both Aaron and Moses really did not live much longer after this particular incident. Forty years, wondering the wonderings of the Children of Israel took place in the desert. Why couldn’t they enter in to the promised land? Could not enter in because of unbelief. The people didn’t believe God would do as he promised. And he would overthrow the Canaanites who occupied the land. Oh, there are giants in the land. We can’t do it. Beware of the spirit of unbelief. For God will not treat it lightly, even his greatest servants did not escape unscathed. Moses here was judged for unbelief too. So God often meets out a suitable punishment for your unbelief. And we see that here in the case of Zacharias. Now, you may lose privileges you once enjoyed because of your unbelief. Versus 21 to 23, we see this. And the people waited for Zacharias. and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak under them. And they perceived that he had seen a vision of the temple, for he beckoned under them and remained speechless. And it came to pass as soon as the days of his administration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. The people were still without the court of the temple, in the court of the temple, I should say, praying, as verse 10 indicates to us while he went in to the holy place to offer the incense. While Zacharias was delayed, he didn’t come out right away, which was unusual. He must have been delayed getting this vision and speaking with the angel for a period of time. But they waited. They expected him to come out and pronounce the benediction, the priestly benediction upon them. But when Zacharii did come out, he can’t pronounce the benediction. He’s speechless. Through various hand signals, he seems to beckon to them, but he can’t communicate with them. They perceive, however, that he must have seen some type of vision while he’s in the temple. But Zachariah can’t relate the wonderful prophecy that he’s been given because he’s dumb. He’s speechless. No instruction is possible. They’re left in the dark. Finally, Zacharias accomplished the days assigned to his course of order as the priest in the priesthood, but how effective could he serve? Possibly he was given tasks that didn’t require speech by cleaning the altar or trimming the lamps or carrying the animal parts to the altar or offering any sacrifice or assisting the other priest or whatever they could have him do. But he could not give instruction. from the word of God, which priest often did. It had to be a real disappointment that that occurred. It can be a real disappointment in your life when God limits your usefulness to the kingdom because of your unbelief. The disciples of Christ at one point lost the power that the Lord had given them. They cast out demons. They had gone out before and cast out demons right and left. But on one occasion here we find while he was up on the Mount of Transfigurations, they could not cast out a demon that was in a person. When they asked Jesus about this, why could not we cast him out? Because the Lord had to do it. What did he tell them? Because of your unbelief. Because of your unbelief, you couldn’t do it. It’s because of our unbelief that we bring so little to pass in religion. And so often miscarry and come short in that which is good, Matthew Henry says. Chastisments are best made use of when they cause you to go to Christ and ask, why could we not do so-and-so? So God will chastisement you for your unbelief. My third point is this. God, graciously shows mercy to you in your unbelief. Verse 20 tells us, thou shalt be done and not be able to speak until the day that these things be performed. And then if you look at verse 24 and 25, and after those days, as life Elizabeth conceived and hid herself five months saying, Thus hath the Lord, or thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the the days wherein he looked, wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. God limits your punishment here. Verse 20 indicates to us it was going to be a limited punishment. Do you remember the servant of Elisha? His name was Gahazi or Ghezai, some pronounce it. He was an unbeliever. He was a hypocrite. He didn’t really have the true faith. as we said as we studied that the life of Elish. When God judged him and put Naiman’s leprosy upon him, was it just for a few days? A few months? The rest of your life. And that of your offspring. It’s never going to depart. However, this blow against Zacharize is carefully measured out. because it’s a chastisement here. It’s only to correct him. Therefore, it’s not continuous. But it’s nine months or so. So God in wrath remembers mercy. It is of the Lord’s mercies that were not consumed because his compassion’s fail not, Lamentations 322. The chastisements of the Lord are usually temporary. To get us to change, to get us to change, to get us to, be different than we were to accomplish the design that God intended in bringing the chastisement upon us. So the Lord corrects you, not to destroy you, not to hurt you, per se, but that you may be a partaker of His holiness. You may learn a lesson about spiritual things. We’re not to despise the chastening of the Lord, although we don’t like it. We don’t like it. We don’t like it. We don’t like it. We don’t like it. to be chasen. We shouldn’t despise it. But learn to properly fear and respect his work. Thank the Lord that he measures out punishment and indeed knows how much we can bear and doesn’t overload us. God limits your punishment according to this text. Now notice that God doesn’t withhold the promised blessing. Elizabeth conceived just as God promised despite her age and despite the unbelief of her husband. She hid herself five months and lived in seclusion away from the eyes of the others. Now, I’m not sure exactly why she avoided this. Maybe she wanted to avoid all discussion about her pregnancy. Maybe because John the Baptist was supposed to be a Nazarite from his birth, that she wanted just to be separate and not be exposed to things that may contaminate. But she appreciated the fact that God dealt with her in such a gracious manner. She would conceive a son or old age who would be the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ. God favored her, despite the failings of her husband, to believe God’s wonderfully glad tidings. The lesson we learn from this is the unbelief of man does not make void the promises of God. He is faithful that promised, Hebrews 1023. Hath he said and shall he not do it? Or have he spoken and shall he not make it good? Numbers 2319. Or 2. Timothy 2.13, this. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot. deny himself. Even when we fail, he doesn’t. God is faithful to all his covenant promises despite the fact that times there is unbelief in his covenant people. Your interest in Christ’s salvation and his promises don’t depend on how firm your faith remains because sometimes our faith waivers. But thankfully it depends upon the unchangeableness of God that what he promised is us he does. There may be in many occasions that we stumble because of our unbelief, but we should be thankful that God’s purposes always come to pass. He can’t go contrary to his word. He doesn’t take back what he says. He’s always faithful. Man is wishy-washy. Man is like jello. God is like a rock. And that’s the difference. So when you pray, you should thank God for his faithfulness and his mercy, to you because his promises never fail. Because there are times when we fail, when we fail miserably. Thankfully, he doesn’t. He keeps what he promises. And so, eventually, we find Elizabeth becomes pregnant. She conceives. And lo and behold, John the Baptist is on the way, just as was promised. Well, that huge circus element could be tied to an 18-inch stake because he didn’t believe he could escape. He didn’t have the faith that he could do it. He could yank it up because he couldn’t do it when he was little. Sadly, many Christians are held back from doing great things because we show a lack of faith. May you and I not be guilty of a lack of faith in what God has promised us. Let us not be like Zacharias and fail. It is a serious sin that God, takes in a very serious manner and sometimes indeed chases us severely for such unbelief. Thankfully, oh, God is always faithful to his promises even when our faith is weak. And we should be grateful for that. Well, let us close with a word of care.