It’s a Question of Unbelief, Part III: Receiving the Punishment of God Does Not Mean He is Leaving Us

Read with me once again Luke 1:19-25:

And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. [20] And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” [21] And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. [22] And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. [23] And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. [24] After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, [25] “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Gabriel is a messenger sent directly from God Himself — the God that Zechariah served so faithfully for so long. The certainty of the prophecy that Gabriel gave was unmistakable — as if it would truly happen. When God gives a promise, it is a certainty. Zechariah should have known this, given the knowledge he had of the Scriptures and of the way God has worked out his story.

So now we see why this question that he asked in verse 18 is a question of unbelief. He know the Scriptures, he saw the confirmation — but there was that area of unbelief — that area where even Zechariah thought, “Even God can’t turn this area around.” Unbelief, dear friends, is saying, “God, you can’t handle this — the promises of my doubt and my anxiety and my fear offer me more than do your promises.

J.C. Ryle gives some good insight as to why the angel pronounced this punishment:

It was a chastisement suitable to the offence. The tongue that was not ready to speak the language of believing praise was struck speechless. It was a chastisement of long continuance. For nine long months, at least, Zechariah was condemned to silence, and was daily reminded, that by unbelief he had offended God

.4

We forget that by nature we are rebels against God, don’t we? Most of the time, we simply see ourselves in light of others and don’t think we’re that bad. But the truth is that David said, “In sin did my mother conceive me” and that the writer of Hebrews notes, “It is destined for man to die once and after that, face the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

But I want to let you know that God out of love for us has provided a way out of that rebellion. You see, why was John born into the world? To be the forerunner of the Messiah! And in the midst of our rebellion —- whether high or low, rich or poor, priest or pauper — God sent Jesus into the world to become a man! Jesus never rebelled and was always obedient. He never walked in unbelief. Yet, as we celebrate Christmas, we must realize the reason why he came.

He came to die.

He came to die as a substitute for us rebels — he took the full penalty and rose again. And because he rose again, every rebel that lives right now has an opportunity for life. We know this from 1 Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Now, will there be times when we fail, even though we are Christians and love Jesus? Yes. Will God make us bear the consequences of our sinful actions, even as Christians? Yes! But that does not mean he has abandoned us — it means that he loves us as a father loves his child. Hebrews 12:5-11

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.

[6] For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

[7] It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? [8] If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. [9] Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? [10] For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. [11] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

God is not leaving us, he is teaching us, refining us, shaping and fashioning us to trust his promises and His Word even when our guard is down, even when tragedy hits, even when trials come, even when temptation hits us hard — He’s our Father!

It’s a Question of Unbelief, Part III: Receiving the Punishment of God Does Not Mean He is Leaving Us

Read with me once again Luke 1:19-25:

And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. [20] And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” [21] And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. [22] And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. [23] And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. [24] After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, [25] “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Gabriel is a messenger sent directly from God Himself — the God that Zechariah served so faithfully for so long. The certainty of the prophecy that Gabriel gave was unmistakable — as if it would truly happen. When God gives a promise, it is a certainty. Zechariah should have known this, given the knowledge he had of the Scriptures and of the way God has worked out his story.

So now we see why this question that he asked in verse 18 is a question of unbelief. He know the Scriptures, he saw the confirmation — but there was that area of unbelief — that area where even Zechariah thought, “Even God can’t turn this area around.” Unbelief, dear friends, is saying, “God, you can’t handle this — the promises of my doubt and my anxiety and my fear offer me more than do your promises.

J.C. Ryle gives some good insight as to why the angel pronounced this punishment:

It was a chastisement suitable to the offence. The tongue that was not ready to speak the language of believing praise was struck speechless. It was a chastisement of long continuance. For nine long months, at least, Zechariah was condemned to silence, and was daily reminded, that by unbelief he had offended God

.4

We forget that by nature we are rebels against God, don’t we? Most of the time, we simply see ourselves in light of others and don’t think we’re that bad. But the truth is that David said, “In sin did my mother conceive me” and that the writer of Hebrews notes, “It is destined for man to die once and after that, face the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

But I want to let you know that God out of love for us has provided a way out of that rebellion. You see, why was John born into the world? To be the forerunner of the Messiah! And in the midst of our rebellion —- whether high or low, rich or poor, priest or pauper — God sent Jesus into the world to become a man! Jesus never rebelled and was always obedient. He never walked in unbelief. Yet, as we celebrate Christmas, we must realize the reason why he came.

He came to die.

He came to die as a substitute for us rebels — he took the full penalty and rose again. And because he rose again, every rebel that lives right now has an opportunity for life. We know this from 1 Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Now, will there be times when we fail, even though we are Christians and love Jesus? Yes. Will God make us bear the consequences of our sinful actions, even as Christians? Yes! But that does not mean he has abandoned us — it means that he loves us as a father loves his child. Hebrews 12:5-11

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.

[6] For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

[7] It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? [8] If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. [9] Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? [10] For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. [11] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

God is not leaving us, he is teaching us, refining us, shaping and fashioning us to trust his promises and His Word even when our guard is down, even when tragedy hits, even when trials come, even when temptation hits us hard — He’s our Father!

Dr. Bill Henard elected Kentucky Baptist Convention President

From Faith & Works (Louisville Courier-Journal):

The pastor of a large Lexington church was elected unopposed as president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention today in the latest sign of the convention following the conservative shift of its national affiliate, the Southern Baptist Convention.

To read the rest, click here.

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It’s A Question of Unbelief, Part II: Seeing the Presence of God Does Not Equal Believing Him

Let’s read Luke 1:8-18:

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, [9] according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. [10] And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. [11] And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. [12] And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. [13] But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. [14] And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, [15] for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. [16] And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, [17] and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

[18] And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”

R. Kent Hughes rightly notes that for a priest, “the honor of offering incense was the grandest event in all his earthly existence. Many priests had never had the privilege, and no priest was allowed to offer it more than once.”3 Inside the temple, the priests were offering the sacrifices, outside the worshipers were praying. At one point, Zechariah was to step behind the tall, thick, and beautiful curtain. He was to enter into the Holy of Holies, after which he would purify the altar and would then offer the incense that signified that the sacrifices were heading up to God in that incense of prayer.

The ecstasy of serving the Lord in this manner was soon replaced by another extreme emotion — sheer terror. “And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.” One thing here: remember how Zechariah was one who walked in the commandments of the Lord and was blameless. As a priest, he knew the Scriptures and had read about how the angel of the Lord and appeared to a few select men in the past — and they all reacted the same way: with sheer terror.

The angel however, tells Zechariah that the unthinkable will happen — a son! And notice the name: “you shall call his name John.” The name ‘John’ means “God has been gracious” or that “God has shown favor.” For so long, it seemed as if their prayers had landed on deaf ears or that it just wasn’t part of God plan to bless them with a child. Given their age, they may have just gotten used to not having a child and had grow callous to what others said about them.

This child would not just be any child. We read a lot about his character, but we learn all we need to learn about John from Jesus’ own lips: “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John” (Luke 7:28, ESV).

It was not by random chance that Zechariah was chosen by lot. God planned on using them to bring in the forerunner. And when we as followers of Christ realize this truth, we find great freedom in our lives. But here is where Zechariah asks his question of unbelief. “How shall I know this?”

If you don’t believe how deep our unbelief can move, I want to remind you of a story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was a poor man who believed and loved God with all he had. The rich man did not care — even with Lazarus begging at his gate. They both died, with Lazarus going to heaven, the rich man going to hell. Notice the conversation:

[22] The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, [23] and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. [24] And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ [25] But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ [27] And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— [28] for I have five brothers —so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ [29] But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ [30] And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ [31] He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ “

Back to our first point: just because you know the doctrines and the stories and the commands of Scriptures does not mean you believe in the biblical sense. And if you fail to hear the Word of God and submit to what God reveals in every area of your lives, even if God himself arrived on the scene, you would not be convinced.

You see, we often sing about how we want the presence of God in our lives — how we want to “see him.” But if we do not listen to the ones whom he has sent

It’s A Question of Unbelief, Part II: Seeing the Presence of God Does Not Equal Believing Him

Let’s read Luke 1:8-18:

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, [9] according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. [10] And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. [11] And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. [12] And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. [13] But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. [14] And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, [15] for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. [16] And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, [17] and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

[18] And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”

R. Kent Hughes rightly notes that for a priest, “the honor of offering incense was the grandest event in all his earthly existence. Many priests had never had the privilege, and no priest was allowed to offer it more than once.”3 Inside the temple, the priests were offering the sacrifices, outside the worshipers were praying. At one point, Zechariah was to step behind the tall, thick, and beautiful curtain. He was to enter into the Holy of Holies, after which he would purify the altar and would then offer the incense that signified that the sacrifices were heading up to God in that incense of prayer.

The ecstasy of serving the Lord in this manner was soon replaced by another extreme emotion — sheer terror. “And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.” One thing here: remember how Zechariah was one who walked in the commandments of the Lord and was blameless. As a priest, he knew the Scriptures and had read about how the angel of the Lord and appeared to a few select men in the past — and they all reacted the same way: with sheer terror.

The angel however, tells Zechariah that the unthinkable will happen — a son! And notice the name: “you shall call his name John.” The name ‘John’ means “God has been gracious” or that “God has shown favor.” For so long, it seemed as if their prayers had landed on deaf ears or that it just wasn’t part of God plan to bless them with a child. Given their age, they may have just gotten used to not having a child and had grow callous to what others said about them.

This child would not just be any child. We read a lot about his character, but we learn all we need to learn about John from Jesus’ own lips: “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John” (Luke 7:28, ESV).

It was not by random chance that Zechariah was chosen by lot. God planned on using them to bring in the forerunner. And when we as followers of Christ realize this truth, we find great freedom in our lives. But here is where Zechariah asks his question of unbelief. “How shall I know this?”

If you don’t believe how deep our unbelief can move, I want to remind you of a story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was a poor man who believed and loved God with all he had. The rich man did not care — even with Lazarus begging at his gate. They both died, with Lazarus going to heaven, the rich man going to hell. Notice the conversation:

[22] The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, [23] and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. [24] And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ [25] But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ [27] And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— [28] for I have five brothers —so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ [29] But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ [30] And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ [31] He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ “

Back to our first point: just because you know the doctrines and the stories and the commands of Scriptures does not mean you believe in the biblical sense. And if you fail to hear the Word of God and submit to what God reveals in every area of your lives, even if God himself arrived on the scene, you would not be convinced.

You see, we often sing about how we want the presence of God in our lives — how we want to “see him.” But if we do not listen to the ones whom he has sent