Resounding Doubt
Unbelievable Joy
Both Zechariah and Elizabeth are described as righteous and blameless. Pretty amazing adjectives. Who among us would describe themselves—or anyone else—as righteous and blameless? High praise for this priestly couple. And yet.
And yet, they were without children.
And yet, they were advanced in years.
And yet, Zechariah didn’t believe even when an angel of the Lord stood before him.
And yet, Elizabeth hid herself away for months before she felt the sting of reproach lifted from her.
Righteous and blameless, and yet, not perfect.
And still, God chose them.
And still, God worked through them.
And still, God honored them.
Zechariah’s doubts did not stop what God had planned for him and Elizabeth. Though he questioned the angel and didn’t believe, Zechariah wasn’t rejected or passed over. He experienced months of being mute, but God’s answer to his prayers still arrived. Elizabeth became pregnant with his son.
Elizabeth lived her life with the reproach of the people around her, feeling disgrace for decades. We are not told her response to this, but we know she felt it and was very aware of it. It is likely that her understanding of herself was greatly altered by the shame she endured. However she responded, it did not stop God from choosing her and answering her prayers for a child.
The angel promised this baby would bring joy for Zechariah and Elizabeth and joy for many others, because their son would prepare the way for the Messiah. Zechariah prophesies about this joy right after John is born.
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath that He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 1:67-79 ESV
Salvation. Deliverance. Forgiveness. Mercy. No fear. Light. Peace.
Joyful news indeed!
And it comes to us through a couple who doubted and hid and couldn’t quite grasp the joy at first.
Isn’t this encouraging for us? Even in those spaces where we fail to believe, fail to trust, fail to have faith, we can still experience God’s favor, God’s calling, God’s plans for us coming true.
Consider & Comment:
What joy are you praying for?
What joy has God surprised you with, even when you couldn’t quite believe?