By: J.O. Lawal
Date: September 23, 2026
Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 9, No. 19
“Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”” (Luke 1:18-20NIV)
Who were the people conversing in our opening text? Angel Gabriel and Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist! And what was the main point of their conversation? It was that Zechariah would become dumb until the message brought to him by Gabriel was fulfilled. And did he become dumb indeed? Yes, he became dumb as the angel had said. (Cf. Luke 1:21-22)
But why did Gabriel have to afflict Zechariah with dumbness? The reason was that the man did not believe the message that he brought to him from the Lord. What message? Well, the message was that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son of their own, even though they had become very old at the time.
Now was Gabriel right to judge Zechariah’s unbelief, seeing that he and his wife had become very old at the time? Should such unbelief not be expected from very old people?
Truly, such unbelief may be expected from old people. But the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth was different. How? It was different in the sense that both of them had been praying to God for a son of their own. Yes, they had become very old at the time that Angel Gabriel came with the good news from God to them that they would have a son of their own. But his coming was an answer to their prayer. That was because the very first thing the angel said to Zechariah when he came to him was that his prayer had been answered (Luke 1:11-13).
Since they, then, had been praying to God for a son of their own, being unbelieving when the news came that God had answered their prayer was not something to be expected of Zechariah. That was why Gabriel had to judge his unbelief with dumbness.
But then, the angel made it clear to him that the words he had said would still come to pass, in spite of his unbelief. And when would that be? According to him, it would be at their proper time. So, when God speaks, there is a proper time for it to come to pass. The proper time may be right away and it may not be right away. But when the proper time comes, whatever He says will come to pass.
For instance, in Zechariah’s case, there was a word that he received that same moment that came to pass right away. And that was the fact that he would become dumb until the first message he had received came to pass. Gabriel’s words were: “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens…” When would Zechariah be silent and unable to speak? That very moment! And did it come pass or not? It did.
But what about the first word that the angel had given to him? That was not to come to pass right away. Rather, it was to come to pass at the time which God had set.
Now why did God have to set a future time for the fulfilment of that? It was because giving birth to children takes a process; it does not happen by accident or overnight. So, both Zechariah and Elizabeth would have to go through that process for the promise of God to them to be fulfilled. And the earlier they engaged in the process the earlier the promise would be fulfilled.
Mind you, as we also see in the account, Zechariah did not go home to his wife that same day he received the word of the Lord. He had to wait until the days of his duty in the temple were over before he went home. And how many days would those be? We would not know, for the account does not tell us. But it is clear from the account that the longer he stayed working in the temple the longer it would take for the promise of God to them to be fulfilled in his home. (Cf. Luke 1:23)
What is the point of all this? It is that the word of God to us will surely come to pass, regardless of how contrary the circumstances of our lives may be to it. However, His word will not come to pass until its proper time. If its proper time is now, then, it will come to pass now. But if it is not now, all we need is to be patient for its fulfilment, for it will not fail to come to pass at its proper time.
If we, however, reject or refuse to believe a word that has clearly come to us from God, just because the circumstances of our lives are telling us that it is impossible, then, He may have to judge our unbelief. And who knows how He would judge? He judged Zechariah’s unbelief with dumbness. He judged an official of Israel that rejected His word through Elisha with death. So, even if your heart is unable to comprehend how His word will be fulfilled, just keep your doubt to yourself. That way, His word can be fulfilled without your being judged.
Cheers!
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