Bible Stories for the Young
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Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. It had been almost 400 years since God had sent His words through the seers promising a Rescuer. The priests had been offering sacrifices day after day, year after year, for almost 400 years. But God was seemingly… quiet. But, He’s not going to be quiet much longer.
Zechariah was a priest. His wife was named Elizabeth. Elizabeth couldn’t have any babies, so Zechariah would often ask God to give them a baby. But many years passed, and Zechariah and Elizabeth still had no children.
One day, it was Zechariah’s turn to go into the Holy Place and burn the sweet-smelling spices, just like had been done many times before, day after day, generation after generation, through hundreds and hundreds of years.
But all of a sudden — right in front of Zechariah, just a few feet away, was an angel of God! Zechariah was terrified!
But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid! Guess what? God has heard your prayers, and He’s decided to give you and Elizabeth a baby boy. God wants you to name him John. This baby will bring joy and gladness to you, and to lots of other people too. He will have God’s Holy Spirit even before he’s born! He’s going to help a lot of people turn and say ‘yes’ to God. He will run, run, run in front of the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, to turn the disobedient to wisdom, to make ready a people, ready for the Lord.”
(We’ve heard about this person, haven’t we? Who is it? Yes! The runner!)
Zechariah said to the angel, “How can you prove this is really going to happen? I’m an old man and my wife is getting old too.”
“I’m Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God.” (Gabriel is the same angel that brought a message to Daniel over 400 years before that.) “I was sent to bring you this happy news. You really should have believed me. Since you didn’t, you’re not going to be able to talk until all these things I’ve told you about have happened.” Then Gabriel left.
Just one seemingly normal day — a day that seemed just like so many other days before it. After 400 years of waiting for a promise, but only hearing quiet, then, in one brief moment — Zechariah’s life was changed forever. In fact, the entire world was changed forever.
