Zacharias Unable to Speak - Luke 1:22

Luke the physician wrote how an angel appeared to Zacharias the priest as he was burning incense in the temple. The “angel” told Zacharias that he and his wife Elisabeth would have a son whom they were to name “John”. Afterward Zacharias asked, “Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto you, and to show you these glad tidings. And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because you believed 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 in chapter one and verse twenty-two of his book Luke shares when Zacharias came out, “he could not speak unto them”, where we read:

And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

The verse reads, “And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple.” Luke began with the words, “And when he came out” or “and at the time and moment Zacharias exited the temple”, “he could not speak unto them” which means “Zacharias was unable to talk, utter a sound or emit a voice to the people who were praying and waiting”: “and they perceived” or “and the crowd understood, discerned and discovered” “that he had seen a vision” which means “that Zacharias saw a spiritual appearance” “in the temple” which means “within the sacred worship place”. Luke shared how Zacharias exited the “temple” and was unable to say a word to the people waiting outside. This cause the people to surmise that Zacharias saw a “spiritual appearance” or “vision”.

The verse continues, “... for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.” Luke added the words, “for he beckoned unto them” which means “because, since and on account that Zacharias expressed meaning by a sign, nodded or winked at the crowd”, “and remained speechless” or “and continued, stayed permanently and constantly blunted, lame in tongue and mute”. Luke shared how Zacharias made physical gestures toward the crowd to communicate, but continued to be without “speech”.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we can imagine this scene as Zacharias finally appears to the waiting crowd of praying people. He cannot speak at all. He can't even make a sound, and because the people were already “marveling” that he took so long in the temple, we can discern what their demeanor was at this point. Just as the “angel Gabriel” told “doubting Zacharias”, he was unable to speak, and this became a certain sign not only to him, but also to the multitude of people that God was doing something special. God wants and loves for people to “believe and trust” in Him, and when they have “faith” in His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they fulfill God's desire to have a relationship with them. Those who are wise will consider this great miracle performed upon Zacharias, and as the rest of the story unfolds, may all who read these things see them as God's effort to “speak” to their hearts.

Next time Luke shares how, “as soon as the days of” Zacharias' “ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house”, 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".