Ryan King - Class 2: Zacharias and Elisabeth

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:01

   Welcome Mark, everyone. Thank you so much for being here once again as we listen to our brother Ryan, King and John the Baptist allowing God to speak for hearts. We’ll now invite our beloved brother to share with us his second class for today, which is entitled He Shall Be Great in the Sight of the Lord, Brother Ryan.

2. 0:37

   Good afternoon again, brothers and sisters. So we passed between the the pages of Malachi to Matthew. There’s 400 years of silence that is broken and Luke introduces John the Baptist in a very simple way. He said there was a man sent from God whose name was John. And John, of course, is is a derivation of that beautiful Hebrew name, Johannon, the grace of the Lord.

3. 1:12

   A man sent from God whose name was John. And God was now about to speak again. You know, there were many prophets that were sent, but here is a prophet that we’re told was specifically sent. From the presence of God himself, he was a product of the Spirit we turn over to John chapter five.

4. 1:33

   We have the Lord Jesus Christ testimony to John and what he was sent to do in John chapter 5. In verse 35 and speaking about John the Baptist, it says that he was a burning and a shining light. And you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light previously John, and said in John chapter one about John the Baptist he was not that light. Now when that phrase is used in John one and verse 8, the Greek word is Foss you like phosphorus, glowing in the dark, a permanent light.

5. 2:12

   John was not that permanent light. That was the Lord Jesus Christ. But what was John? Well, Jesus says he was a burning. And a shining lamp. And the Greek word that’s used there is is a portable hand lamp. You know, it’s it’s a lamp that you put a little bit of oil in and it would light up and would sort of flare up your path for a short time and then it would go out.

6. 2:39

   He was a burning and a shining portable hand lamp, said Jesus. You had to be quick because the light was about to go out and once it had gone out you’d lost your opportunity. He was a burning and a shining portable hand lamp. As we said, one of the drawbacks to living today is we’re not going to get a John the Baptist to warn us about the Lord’s coming. And So what?

7. 3:07

   We need our brethren who can stand up and illuminate our path, who can flare up our path for a moment to to show us what we are for a moment of time. Until that permanent Foss arrives from which nobody can be extricated, our Lord Jesus Christ. And there he was, John, giving men just a a moment of time to see themselves to what they truly were until the Lord Jesus Christ came.

8. 3:36

   The great light which would never go out. They needed it at that time and and boy do we need that today. We need that light flaring up in our path. So that brothers and sisters can set their sails for the Kingdom of God. And they really needed it, because Micah had said this, Said the sun will go down over the prophets, the seers will be ashamed.

9. 4:03

   There’s no answer from God, said Micah. And those words were fulfilled when the last prophet, Malachi set down his pen. There was darkness over the land. The Greeks came in. The Persians came in. There was no answer from God, but look at the next verse. But truly I am full of the power by the Spirit of Yahweh, and that 400 year darkness was now about to be dispelled by one who came in the Spirit and the power of Elijah, which was the spirit and power of his God, to dispel that 400 year period of darkness.

10. 4:44

    He was a man. For his time, and here he comes now in the person of John. But boy was the darkness thick that John had to dissipate. He came into a world that was seething Jewish nationalism, seized and permitted as it as it languished beneath the the iron yoke of Rome, the nation.

11. 5:16

    God’s ecclesia in the wilderness, as they were once known, is now going to be divided into many classes. The darkness indeed was thick. Many people had no hope. Many people had no ambition. It was a dark, dark period in the nation’s history. There was no middle class at all. When John came on the scene, you were either very rich or very poor.

12. 5:46

    And the poor would have found it very, very hard to find any sense of hope, to find any sense of of optimism in life. There was no middle class, the parable, the rich man. And Lazarus was a perfect depiction of life at that time. And Jewish nationalism, which really could never be quelled, seethed and fermented as it tried to throw off the iron yoke of rum, looking for anything that might give them some sense.

13. 6:16

    Of hope in life. And so God’s people, brothers and sisters, were divided into many classes. And this is who John came to. There were the Pharisees, the clergy of the day, who were zealous of tradition over and above the word of God. Proud and arrogant they were. They were too proud to even submit to the iron yoke of Rome.

14. 6:45

    They were the Sadducees who don’t believe in angels, spirit or resurrection, who possessed for this for this time the office of the priesthood, and as such had the key to the temple treasury chest. People who live for this life and based upon how you did in business, that to them was a measure of how God blessed you. They were the scribes and the lawyers. People who use the Bible to legislate against the poor on behalf of the rich.

15. 7:24

    There were the zealots, hot headed fanatics, the Sakari as they were later known, who didn’t think anything to to slit a throat to do anything. They tried to get rid of the Roman overlord. They were the Herodians, people whose policy was, well, if you can’t beat them, join them. Who took off the plain robe of a scribe to wear the purple of Herod’s court to all those classes, brothers and sisters, John the Baptist was sent. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John, who would flare up and show men for a moment what they truly were and dispel that darkness so that men. Could be ready for the Lord’s coming. And you know, amidst all of that chaos, there was still a flickering expectancy of Messiah among the old people, the Zechariasis and the Elizabeth’s people who could remember better days.

16. 8:34

    Who saw nothing in the the present generation and just yearned within their hearts for for Messiah, who was to come. That was the world with all of its class distinctions, that John came. It desperately needed this, this light. You know, on other occasions God might not have done this, He might have chosen a different method, But so great was the need he he introduced into the nation this, this stark aberration to wake people up.

17. 9:03

    And that’s something that we need to, isn’t it? Brothers and sisters, you know, sometimes we have to look at a character like John to to see the issues of life as as clear as they are because it’s easy to forget about them in the in the the hubbub of this society, people have become apathetic, People have become lethargic. You know, I don’t know what it’s like here, but the city where I come from there, 200 Christadelphians of all makes and models.

18. 9:33

    And my my worry is is I I don’t see I think the enthusiasm that we should be having for the return of Christ. You know we’re buying and we’re selling and we’re we’re building and we’re planting and we’re consumed with all those things and and and we need a character like John don’t wait to to sort of shake us up to to get us out of our our lethargy and to bring us back to to some sort of of an equilibrium.

19. 9:58

    Now although these words I’m about to quote to you don’t. Pertain to John the Baptist. They fit his life and his his purpose absolutely beautifully. Remember we said John means the grace of the Lord, Paul the Titus in his second chapter. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust we should live soberly, righteously, godly.

20. 10:30

    In this present age, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God our Savior Jesus Christ, and there he was, the grace of God hath appeared teaching us that we should deny worldly lust. John didn’t have any possessions. You know the camel skin doesn’t have to be dry clean. Too often grasshoppers don’t need much cooking, denying ungodliness, denying worldly lust. Until the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

21. 11:05

    And And those words really could form a caption, couldn’t they? Over the top of John’s life. And so the lamp was lit. The little portable hand lamp was lit in Luke chapter one. So let’s come back to Luke, chapter one. And in order that we might not miss the point that the light was needed, Luke is going to tell this most excellent Theophilus. The background into which he came Luke, chapter one. In verse five there was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias. Herod.

22. 11:47

    Now who was he? Well, Herod is a title. It means heroic. And he was there as a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Because many years earlier Moses had told them that if they did not keep the words of this law, strangers would rule over him. Well, Herod was an Edomite. You can’t get a greater stranger to a Jew than an Edomite.

23. 12:11

    He was a man who was absolutely devoid of any morality at all. He married 10 times. He was a product of his age. He didn’t, he didn’t think think twice to murder the the babies in in Bethlehem. He was a man who was known as Herod the Great, and he was great in everything that this world calls great. He ruled over Judea with an iron fist for nearly forty years, and he had temporarily pacified the Jews because he built for them a temple which had gained for them some favor. I mean, Herod understood that if you’re ever going to control of people like the Jews, you got to throw them a bone every now and then.

24. 12:54

    And so we built them a temple, which Jesus said was 46 years in building. You know, it took another 20 years to finish that temple. So how long was it in building? 66 years. And it got built just in time for the Romans to knock it down. But he was a man who was great in everything that men call great.

25. 13:18

    We know at that same time in verse 15 of Luke chapter one. There was another man who rose up, who was great, for he shall be great, verse 15 in the sight of the Lord and in nobody else’s sight. So here we have Herod the Great, who the world would admire, who the world would vote for, who was great in everything that men call great.

26. 13:43

    But God voted for John the Baptist. He will be great, says verse 15 in the sight of the Lord. There’s the contrast, Herod the Great and a man great in the sight of the Lord. We’re coming back to verse 5. Luke tells us that this boy would be the son of Zecharias. Now, everything that Luke tells us here is is of great significance. You know that Luke is very detail oriented in both his gospel and in the Acts, and he wants to tell us all about this little family, Zecharias and Elizabeth. Who were the parents?

27. 14:22

    Of our John the Baptist. So Zecharias was married to Elizabeth. Now if we look at the meanings of those names, we have Zecharias Ya hath remembered. Elizabeth means the oath of Ale and John the mercy of God. Yeah, you look over at verse 72 of this same chapter. There is an obvious play upon the names of this family in the song of Zecharias, which we won’t have time to get to.

28. 14:50

    He said this. That God would perform the mercy promised to our fathers to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our Father. Abraham. There is an obvious play you can see there upon the names of this family. Zacharias ya hath remember Elizabeth, the oath of ale. John, the mercy of God. Now just tuck those meanings away in your mind, because they’ll come back up.

29. 15:20

    Just shortly in in a second. Now this Zechariahs, we’re told in verse five, was of the course of abaya. Now the courses go back to David. You know, David, as the priesthood expanded, the as as sorry as the nation expanded, the priesthood by necessity also had to expand. So he divided the priesthood, didn’t he, into 24 courses. And one of those courses was the course of Abaya, the course of abaya.

30. 15:54

    If we go back to first Chronicles 24 and verse 10, that’s the course that Zacharias is a member of. And when we look at which course it was, the course of Abaya in the book of Chronicles happens to be the 8th course, the 8th course, the number of a new beginning. And wasn’t that John? As he came into the land of Judea? He was a new beginning in every sense of the word. It was the 8th course, and of course you’ll know that it was on the eighth day.

31. 16:28

    Wasn’t it that that right of circumcision was performed upon a Jewish boy, and circumcision primarily taught, didn’t it, the cutting off of the flesh? And that the children of promise would not be produced by natural means, but rather by spiritual means? Because when God gave Abraham. The covenant of circumcision. He could not have a child, but it’s reminded Abraham of the fact that the child of promise that was to come would be God’s son.

32. 16:59

    And Luke, again in the Acts of the Apostles, puts this together so wonderfully. He says he gave him the covenant of circumcision and so Abraham begat Isaac. Now many years of time, of course, came between those two things. But circumcision, being performed on the eighth day in the course of Avaya being the 8th course, it spoke about God’s workings amongst men.

33. 17:27

    It was God working in the lives of men. And John here of course, is not begotten in the same way that Jesus was. But of course, as we’ll see shortly, if if God had not intervened in the case of these two old people, John the Baptist would never have seen the light of day. It was the 8th course.

34. 17:46

    Speaking of that, that new beginning connected with with circumcision. That. What about his mom? That was his dad. That’s pretty special heritage he has. What about his mom? Well, she’s even greater because it says there in verse five that she was of the daughters of Aaron. Now that’s impressive. She’s not just the Levi, she’s of the daughters of Aaron.

35. 18:13

    And in fact, Eli Shaba. Elizabeth is Eli Shaba in Hebrew. Eli Shaba was the name of Aaron’s wife. So this child’s got a pretty nice heritage. His qualifications for priesthood, John the Baptist were absolutely impeccable. He’s got a mother and a father, both who were in the priestly line. You know, a mother who who comes from the family of Aaron. Why is he down in the wilderness wearing a camel skin? You know how odd it is that that a man with those bloodlines is down in the wilderness of Geodeo, not a high priest, but wearing a camel skin and not garments for glory and beauty. So there’s there’s some some interesting things about John that we need to unearth here, so just tuck that away too. Remember the meanings of the names, and then also remember that this is a boy.

36. 19:11

    Who has got impeccable qualifications for priesthood? I mean qualities, you know, qualifications that really are par excellence. I mean there was not even the high priests themselves at this time would have had those qualifications, but John does and we’ll see why shortly. But this old couple brothers and sisters had a problem and you know, we we’ve all got across the bear, don’t we, of some kind. You know, we’ve all got an old habit we’ve all got. A trial that really has been eating at it sometimes for like 20 years and and this was theirs in in verse 7 and they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and they both were now well stricken in years she was barren and and so notorious was this barrenness that if you just skip over to verse 36 in verse 36 she was actually given a title. In the sixth month with her who was called Baron now in the Greek it’s the Baron one.

37. 20:16

    She’s the Baron 1 tragically and and I don’t know if people would have said that out of any disrespect or or trying to to belittle her but you know this this here’s a family whose bloodlines are so pure that you know. This poor old lady became known as as the Baron one and it was sort of just a tragedy to look at this family with with all of these great bloodlines. And yet you you see that they can’t have a child. What a struggle that must have been for them, you know, especially in Israel where it was a joy to have children because they all wanted to be the one to to bear that Messiah who would come.

38. 20:57

    But but what was their attitude? Your attitude is is, is a lot in life. Attitude is a lot. Well, here’s their attitude. If you come back to to verse six, you know it’s easy to give up. It’s easy to ask God, well, why is this happening to me? And they were both righteous. They noticed this verse six before God and that means it’s genuine righteousness.

39. 21:24

    They’re righteous, not before other people. You know, we sometimes think we’re righteous because we do things in front of other people. What’s meant what matters is, is that we do those things in front of God. Well, they were righteous before God. It was genuine. They continued to worship and walk in all the commandments, is in the ordinances of the law, and were blameless. So the trial didn’t produce any bitterness in them, did it? They continued.

40. 21:51

    If anything, they were more steadfast in the face of that trial, righteous before God. And were blameless. Think about the the incredible compliment that’s given there by Luke and the word blameless doesn’t mean that they were without sin, but of course it meant that under the law they would have made all the offerings.

41. 22:13

    They were at meeting every week. They were at Bible class every week. When the eclesia needed a job, they were there. They walked in all the commandments, blameless, and they prayed about. They prayed about that problem. And they’re who knows how old. They’re well stricken in years now. How old that is in verse seven, I don’t know.

42. 22:38

    But they kept on praying for a child. They didn’t stop as old as they were. They kept on praying. Look at verse 13. Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is her now the word prayer there is desis D EE S. I S it means a specific petition. It wasn’t just any sort of prayer, it was a specific petition that they made.

43. 23:08

    And and I’d make the suggestion to you that despite the age of this old couple, they are still making a specific petition for a boy. The word prayer there means something specific. It’s not a general word, but something specific. As old as they were, they kept on praying for a child. They just picture an older couple who doesn’t have children.

44. 23:33

    They’re praying day in and day out for a child. Now the look at that face, you know, how often do we do we just give up when problems arise? You know, we we need help or the the eclaisia needs help. Maybe we get together and we have a special prayer. And and the first sign of difficulty, you see people in the meeting wanting to give up.

45. 23:59

    This man is still praying and asking God to do it despite his age. Now was he rewarded by God? Was he ever look at for say they came to pass while he executed the priest office before God in the order of his course. According to the custom of the priest office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple.

46. 24:23

    Before into the temple of the Lord His lot. Now this is where you kind of need to to look at how that worked in the days of the Lord Jesus Christ, because you won’t exactly find them doing it this way in the law. The priesthood had changed a little bit, but the great honor of any any member of that family, the great honor was to burn incense in that holy place. That was what they all strive to do. And because there were so many people at that time that wanted to do it, they drew lots for it.

47. 24:57

    And when your name came out, you burned incense on that one day. And then after that your name was thrown out because you had had your privilege. You only got it one time in your whole life to go in there and burn incense. And on the 1:00. Gay that Zacharias would ever get that privilege to go in there and burn incense.

48. 25:25

    There is Gabriel standing on the right side of the altar. He’s been praying all of his life for a child, and the one time his name comes out of the hat, to use a modern expression, the one time his name comes out of the hat is that’s OK, it’s your turn. His only chance to do it his whole life he walks in. There’s Gabriel standing on the right side of the altar. Does God answer prayer in remarkable ways? We went in there, and there was Al Gibor not just any Angel, but Gabriel Edersheim, who was a Jew who became a Christian, wrote very wonderfully about the the customs of the temple in the days of Christ.

49. 26:07

    And you see that last phrase there for the first time in his life, and for the last. This service would devolve upon him. That’s the only time he ever would have gone in there to burn incense. His name came up that day. And there is Gabriel listening to that prayer and watching that man as he burns incense.

50. 26:31

    And now he is going to appear to him with this great message. Now where did Gabriel last appear in our Bibles? Was here in Luke chapter one. Well, the last time he appeared in our Bibles was Daniel Chapter 9. Where he appeared to Daniel to to give him the prophecy of the the 70 weeks. Now I told you to remember the meanings of of the names. But Daniel in his prayer you’ll find these three things. He first asked for God to remember that the 70 years of captivity have come to an end.

51. 27:05

    In verse four he appeals for mercy. And he explains in verse 11 the reason why they’ve suffered 70 years of captivity is because they hadn’t followed the oath written in the law of Moses Zacharias. Yahweh hath remember John the grace of God, Elizabeth the oath of A on this, this great Angel now spans those two bookends.

52. 27:32

    He appeared in Daniel chapter nine, 500 years earlier to Daniel to an aged man. Who had been praying? And then he reappears in Luke chapter one to an aged man who had been praying. And you see all those details all matched up. And Gabriel was listening to that man and now he’s listening to this man to show the nation mercy. God was now going to act in response to this great prayer. And let that be an encouragement to his brothers and sisters. How many years Zechariahs have been praying, we don’t know. But God finally responded.

53. 28:13

    We’ve got to learn faith, and we got to learn patience when we come before God and ask what we need. So he’s standing there. We come back to Luke, chapter one, there in verse 11, on the right side of the altar of incense. The right side. Now, of course, most of us would be right-handed, wouldn’t we?

54. 28:32

    And in the right hand, of course, is that hand which is the most dexterous. Now it matters not with God, be it right hand or left. But you know, what we read up in the Psalms is the saving power of God’s right hand. My right, your left. It’s a symbol of power and action. So he’s he’s not on the left side of the altar, is he? He’s on the right side because he’s now going to act and give this old couple a boy who would be the forerunner of their Messiah.

55. 29:05

    The right side of the altar, just take down these references about the right hand, Psalm 20, verse 6 and Psalm 60, verse five. And those two references are all about the saving strength of God’s right hand. And that’s the saving strength that’s now going to be manifested as He stands there, this mighty Angel on the right hand of the altar of incense. The Alter Vincent being used here in connection with Zechariah is is very interesting. I’d like to just turn this one up in Exodus Chapter 30. Just come back with me to Exodus Chapter 30 because the Alter Vincent was a very unique item in the Holy place. It’s described in terms of a house. The Alter Vincent was a little house in the Holy place. And there in that holy place was a replica of every house in Israel.

56. 30:07

    Now just look quickly at Exodus 30 and verse three. And now shall overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof and the sides thereof, roundabout Exodus 30 verse three. Now if you have a margin, the margin of my Bible for top is roof, and the margin for sides is walls. So the altar of instance is described in terms of a house.

57. 30:35

    It’s got a roof and it’s got walls. Now, the altar of instance was a little box, like, like not big at all, but it’s got a roof and it’s got walls. So what’s that saying? It’s saying that every house in Israel ought to have been a House of prayer. Do you think about the House of Zechariahs?

58. 30:57

    And Elizabeth, what was it? It was a house. Of prayer. And there in the Holy Place was a replica of every house in Israel had a flat roof, and it had walls. Deuteronomy 22. They had to construct their houses with a flat roof and walls. And so you think about that in terms of Zechariahs. In his house.

59. 31:18

    Was it a House of prayer, was it ever? And standing there on the right side of the altar, Vincent’s what his house had been all of his life. Now there is Gabriel to. To give him this wonderful and cheering news. Coming back to Luke, chapter one, he was told that his name was to be John, the Grace of God. You know, Elijah had called for Yahweh Elohim of armies in First Kings 19 but Elijah was shown No, that’s not what spirit we need to have.

60. 31:50

    We need this spirit. John appears the grace of the Lord, which leads men to repentance. And he was to be the cause of great joy and gladness, says Luke, one in verse 14. And many shall rejoice at his birth. Because, of course, this one was to signal the forerunner of the Messiah, for which so many of them had been waiting. There would be joy and gladness, as there should be at the birth of any child, especially this one. More on that phrase just in a moment. Now I ask you to remember the impeccable qualifications that. John would have had for priesthood. And we get to that in verse 15 because this is what God said he’s going to be.

61. 32:39

    It says he will be great in the sight of the Lord Luke 115 and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. In other words, he’s going to be a Nazarete. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. Now the Nazarete vow was really given just for one reason. If you see God told Israel, Sonia, you shall be unto me a Kingdom of priest. And then he gave a law which said it could never happen, because unless you are of the tribe of Levi and of the family of Aaron, you never could be a priest. Well, how then could the words of Exodus 19 ever be fulfilled? You shall be unto me a Kingdom of priest. That’s where the Nazarete vow comes in. Because the Nazarete vow was the opportunity for anyone in Israel, either man or woman, for a given period, to imitate the high priest.

62. 33:36

    So the high priest was told not to drink wine. So the Nazarete wasn’t to drink wine. The high priest was told never to touch a dead body. The Nazarete was told never to touch a dead body as the the high priest wore the the great crown. Upon his head with with the name of God inscribed across it so the nazarete when he grew his hair long he would have worn it in a turban in the in like sort of a turban like what we see today which was very similar in shape as you can see to the miter of the high priest he’s going to be a Nazarete.

63. 34:17

    But but but hang on a second I thought John already had every qualification to be a priest. Why does John have to be a Nazarete? Nazarete. The Nazarete vow was for people who could never be priest. And yet the record says that he’s going to be a Nazarete. Gabriel says, you know, from his mother’s womb, he’s got to be a Nazarete. Well, what’s the reason for that? John had no reason to be an Nazarete. He’s already in the priestly line. Well, who was greater, The Nazarete or the High priest? Interesting question.

64. 34:59

    Who was greater? Got a 50% chance I guess the Nazarete. Why? Because why was the high priest there? The high priest was there by dent of birth, by a carnal commandment as Paul says in Hebrews 7. Why is the Nazarete doing this? Because he wants to. Because he loves his God so much and reveres his God so much.

65. 35:28

    He wants to be like his high priest so much that he says I’m going to be a Nazarete because I want to be like my high priest. The high priest was just there by dent of birth. He had no choice. The Nazarete in a very real sense was greater than the high priest.

66. 35:46

    The high priest was there by a carnal commandment, but the high priest was there. But the Nazarete, sorry, was there. Because he loved his God, he’s got to be a Nazarete, says Gabriel. It’s as though, brothers and sisters, the law is being set aside in this boy. You know, John has absolutely nothing to do with the law. Here is the spirit of the law, a separate one, as the word Nazarete means a separate one in every sense of the word. And it’s going to happen, says verse 15. From his mother’s womb, which, again, that’s a difference from the the law too, because a Nazarete normally could pick how long he would be a Nazarete for.

67. 36:32

    You could do it for a week, you could do it for a month, you could do it for a year. But Gabriel says no, he’s going to be a Nazarete. He’s going to be a separate one from his birth. This is my work. I mean, how much longer do you think Zacharias and Elizabeth were alive after this? I mean.

68. 36:51

    Probably not very long. They’re old and most stricken in years already. So who then was going to be his father? Well, it was going to be God. He was going to take over and be his father. And John was in the deserts for much of his early childhood. So who was his mentor? Who was his guide?

69. 37:11

    But Yahweh, this child indeed was to be a product of his maker, a Nazarete, a separate were, a separate one in. Every sense of the word. So Zacharias is informed by the Angel that he’s going to have a child. But poor old Zacharias, you know, his faith was there, wasn’t it? He was blameless according to the law. But you know, like it is with with us sometimes, both and sisters, you know when God answers prayers in your life, you’re you’re sometimes just so staggered and and surprised you can’t believe it.

70. 37:47

    And that’s what happens here with with Zacharias, you stop thinking for a second, you know, we pray every day, don’t we, that Christ is going to come. And you know when that knock comes on the door, you know, we we might just be so, so overcome with the whole moment. We might not believe it.

71. 38:02

    And the Angel says he’s here. Like who? That’s kind of what happens with with Zacharias. It’s it’s all his hope and it’s all his aspirations. But momentarily he he doesn’t believe. Because the fullness of the the expectation doesn’t match the fullness of the realization. And so we read there in verse 18 Zacharias says to Gabriel, well, how shall I know this, You know, for I am old and and and my wife is well stricken in years, so he temporarily doesn’t. He loses a little bit of faith.

72. 38:37

    You know that question, that very same question there in verse 18 you might recall, was asked. By another faithful man so faithful that he became known as the father of the faithful, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it. But in Abraham’s case, it was it was a question of faith. He was asking what the modus operandi was for how he would have a boy and immediately God showed Abraham the sacrifice. But Zechariahs just temporarily loses heart. He’s he’s so overwhelmed with the excitement of seeing Gabriel that it says that he.

73. 39:13

    Doesn’t believe. And So what was his penalty? What did that lack of belief cost Zacharias? Well, verse 19 says, I am al Gabor that stands in the presence of God. And I’m sent to speak unto thee and to show thee these glad tidings, and behold, thou shalt be dumb. He struck dumb. Now why would God strike a man like that gun.

74. 39:45

    It’s interesting. He’s he’s in the holy place. And you know, normally when you you came out of the holy place, everybody’s standing outside waiting for Zacharias to come out. You know, when the priest came out, he would come out with the the blessing. Yahweh bless thee and keep thee. Yahweh make his face to shine upon thee and Zacharias comes out.

75. 40:06

    He can’t speak. It seems harsh. Why would he be struck dumb for not believing verse 19, these glad tidings? Let’s come back to our chapter Isaiah 40, because here it is. Glad tidings. Where’s that from? Isaiah chapter 40? This is the the chapter of John that we have to keep coming back to to get our bearings. He struck dumb for not believing the glad tidings. Verse nine.

76. 40:49

    We know these words so well, don’t we? From the the Messiah. Isaiah 40, verse 90. Zion that bring us good tidings. Get the up into the high mountain. Oh, Jerusalem, that bring us good tidings. Lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up. Be not afraid. Saying to the cities of Judah, behold your God.

77. 41:11

    So what were they supposed to do here with the voice of the good tidings? They were to lift it up with strength, Be not afraid. But Zacharias doesn’t believe the glad tidings, So what happens to his voice? He struck dumb. You see, it’s scriptural that it be so. The voice was the the tidings were supposed to be proclaimed in a loud voice.

78. 41:36

    Zecharias doesn’t believe the tiding, so he’s struck dumb. But but who’s the voice of Isaiah chapter 40? Who’s the voice in this chapter? Verse 3, It’s the voice of his own boy, and while Zecharias may be temporarily struck dumb, the voice of his boy now comes reverberating out of that chapter. So because these glad tidings are supposed to be spoken in a loud voice, Zacharias doesn’t believe it, and he’s struck dumb.

79. 42:13

    But who is speaking loudly in this chapter? Well, it’s the voice of his own boy. So we struck dumb because the voice said, lift up your voice with strength. So let’s just summarize this in terms of the the slide that we had before. How do we know that Luke’s mind? Is in Isaiah chapter 40.

80. 42:34

    Well, firstly we see Zacharias is is struck dumb for not believing the glad tidings, and if we doubted that, that’s the answer. The context of this chapter is about the birth of John the Baptist and the sending forth of the voice that lets us know that we’re on we’re on shore ground. Let’s come back to Luke chapter one and see how Luke just picks this up so beautifully to show that.

81. 43:00

    His mind was right here in in John’s chapter in Isaiah chapter 40 because there are two other points that that come up in this chapter that Luke is. It is it pains to record Mary having been given her promise that she was to have the Messiah. It says there in verse 39 of Luke chapter one that Mary arose in those days and went into the Hill Country with haste into a city of Judah.

82. 43:27

    Now Luke could have easily told us what that city of Judah was, couldn’t he? In Luke chapter one in verse 39. But he doesn’t. It just says that Mary went into the Hill Country, into a city of Judah. What does Isaiah 40 say? Get thee into the high mountain, the Hill Country? Say to the cities of Judah.

83. 43:49

    She went into a city of Judah. Proclaim. Behold your God, he’s coming. The glad tidings that. That God is interested in our affairs and he’s about to send a voice to save us. Proclaim that with a loud voice, Zecharias is struck dumb for not believing it. Mary goes forth and proclaims it upon the Hill Country of Judah.

84. 44:10

    But what about Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist? The other character in this story, verse 42, specifically notes when her prayer of Thanksgiving was expressed. And this we’re told. Was a spirit inspired prayer. It says that she spoke up with a loud voice and said, blessed are thou among women to marry, and blessed is the fruit of thou women. Look at all of Luke’s illusions.

85. 44:43

    We have there to that grand chapter of Isaiah 40. So Zacharias lost heart momentarily for not believing the glad tidings, and he’s he’s struck dumb. And you know when Zacharias’s mouth is finally opened. At the the birth of of John the Baptist, there comes forward in verse 67 of this chapter, one of the most remarkable and scintillating songs you’ve ever heard.

86. 45:06

    You know, we had to eliminate that consideration because five sessions in an afternoon would be even harder than four. But if we had a #5, we we definitely would look at that song. He he once he learns the lesson, he speaks one of the most glorious songs that you can read in your Bibles from verse 67 down to.

87. 45:26

    The end of this chapter And so let’s finish with verse 24. This remarkable faithful couple is now told that they’re going to to have a child. So what does Elizabeth do?

88. 45:44

    And after those days, Luke one verse 24, his wife Elizabeth can see finally here it is all of their hopes and prayers and she hid herself 5. Months. What does John mean? Means the grace of God and she hit herself. Five months to think about the grace of God. And the number five brothers and sisters everywhere in the Bible is the number of grace you know you saw. You see it with Abraham and Sarah. Your God adds the 5th consonant of his name. Making it the 5th consonant of their name because they were errors together of the grace of life. When Israel redeemed the unclean animals they did so with the 5th part. 5 is everywhere, the number of grace. And so to think about her boy that was to be born, she she went away and hit herself for five months to think about that. Where do you think she went?

89. 46:50

    Well, I think she went. Into the wilderness, you know, she didn’t go around saying, look at me, God has taken away my reproach. She didn’t want to share that news with the world. She just wanted to share it with God. And so she went away. Brothers and sisters, I think into the wilderness like mother, like son, to allow the voice of God to to speak.

90. 47:21

    To her heart you can just imagine, can’t you? That is that that child formed in her room in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of Yahweh and make straight in the desert a highway for our God. She goes away into the wilderness to hear the voice. And tonight, our next study, that’s exactly where we’re going to meet her son.

91. 47:45

    Her son will be in the wilderness. And we’ll look at one of the most thrilling studies. You can do in the scriptures the day of John’s showing unto Israel.