There's No Fool Like An Old Fool.

During this past Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam said, and I paraphrase, "When you are mature and are reluctant to heed the word of God, the consequences can be dangerous."

The archangel Gabriel is known in Scripture as a messenger (unlike the archangel Michael, who is known for fighting). But, though Gabriel is not described as a fighter, he does wield significant power. In Gabriel's interaction with Zechariah, there emerges a spiritual battle: Gabriel delivers the word of God, Zechariah responds with a word of unbelief, and Gabriel counterreplies with a word of rebuke. Upon Gabriel's rebuke, Zechariah immediately loses the ability to speak.

Actually, Zechariah was fortunate to only lose the use of his voice for a season. Scripture indicates that there were other persons who lost their lives. We are told of an unnamed angel, sent by God, who in one night took the lives of an entire army which opposed Israel: 186,000 men (Isaiah 37:33-37). In Exodus we read that God Himself, in response to Pharaoh's opposition, destroyed the firstborn of all cattle and households of Egypt (Exodus 12:29-30). God does not take lightly when He is mocked or blasphemed, or when man raises his voice against Him.

Some may ask, "But wasn't Zechariah working for God?" Yes, he was; but in his response of unbelief he indicated that his alliance was not with God's word, but with his own sense of inadequacy and inability. In choosing his own voice over the LORD's, Zechariah ceased to be a representative of God's agenda. He opposed the very LORD he served, and as a result was no longer fit to speak for God. Gabriel, appropriately, shut down Zechariah's vocal cords so that he could not pronounce God's blessing upon the people (Luke 1:21-22).

Zechariah's question to Gabriel, "How can this be?", is saturated in treachery. At its core, treachery is a betrayal of established trust and a violation of established faith. Luke 1:5 shows us that Zechariah and Elizabeth lived righteously, being faithful and obedient to all the commands of God. Their relationship with God spanned decades, and the LORD had proven Himself trustworthy. If anyone should have believed the angel's message without question, it should have been Zechariah. In other words, Zechariah was old enough to know better-- there was no reason for him to doubt God's power to bless him and his wife.

In the middle of the mundane, God stepped in and sent an awesome message, a clear and specific response to prayer... and Zechariah, though mature in age and faith, chose backtalk over belief.

What is God saying?...And what are you saying?