Luke the physician wrote concerning Zacharias, “there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elisabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord”, and in chapter one and verse eighteen of his book Luke shares how, “Zacharias said unto the angel, whereby shall I know this?”, where we read:
And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this?
for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
The verse reads, “And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this?” Luke began with the words, “And Zacharias said” or “and Zacharias whose name means remembered of Jehovah uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto the angel” which means “to the messenger and envoy”, “Whereby shall I know this” or “how or in what way will I, Zacharias, learn, perceive, understand and be acquainted with what the angel said”? Luke shared how Zacharias questioned the “angel” and his message concerning his son “John”.
The verse goes on to say, “for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.” Luke continued with the words, “for I am an old man” which means “because, since and on account that I, Zacharias, exist as an aged man”, “and my wife” or “and Zacharias' female spouse” “well stricken in years” which means “is advanced, of great age and farther in years old”. Luke shared how Zacharias declared how he and his wife Elisabeth were “old” and “advanced in years”.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we notice the doubt Zacharias had toward the “angel” and his message. Zacharias could not understand how the news of the “angel” could be known and realized because he and his wife were “old” and beyond the child bearing years. Basically, the “angel” gave the message to Zacharias, and he didn't believe the “angel”. The “angel” will say more to Zacharias in our next verse, but for now, let us learn from Zacharias' doubt, and rather believe what God declares concerning His way of “salvation” for mankind. God loves people and He wants them all to come to Him through His Son Jesus, and those who “believe and trust” in Him shall be forgiven of their sins and receive everlasting life with God.
Next time Luke shares how the angel says to Zacharias, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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