New Thoughts (1/21/04)
Comparing Zacharias' response with Mary's, they seem very much the same: How can it be? Yet, for one it was an expression of disbelief, whereas for the other it was an honest question from a faithful heart. What made the difference? Once more, I come back to my pastor's words: "The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart." [Whew! Do a web search on that phrase, and you'll come up with a lot!] The difference is the thought behind the question. Zacharias comes with a reaction that basically says "That's impossible!" He is as much as calling Gabriel a liar. Mary, on the other hand, accepts that his words are true, and simply says, "OK, but how?"
Notice this. It's not the questioning that God takes exception to. He is not afraid of our questions. He may opt not to answer us, when the answer would cause us harm, but He is not offended by the asking. It's doubt that offends Him, for doubt calls Him a liar. To call the God of Truth a liar is to declare Him not God. To claim that the God of all knowledge is apparently unaware of something so obvious to us is to say He is not truly omniscient, not truly God. It is a fearful thing to tell God that He isn't God! When we speak what we believe to be the truth to another, and that other insists we are either wrong or intentionally lying, how quickly we take offense! It hurts us to have our honesty impugned so. Never mind that God's word says we're all deceitful to the core, as this month's message from R.C. Sproul reminds. We're still not well pleased to have the accusation thrown at us by our fellow man, especially when we are certain of our statements. How much moreso God, perfect in knowledge, impeccable in truth?
He comes with words of revelation, words of comfort, and what is the reaction? Yeah, sure God. It's very easy for us to look at Zacharias with our improved vision of hindsight. We look at his story, but we look at it through eyes that have already learned how things unfolded. Thus, it's easy for us to think that he should somehow have known better, that we would do differently had we been there. Like God says, we are deceitful to the core. How many times have we looked at a promise of God and written it off as impossible? How many times have we heard tales of some modern day miracle and decided it must have been no more than a story?
We look at the so-called theologians who insist on discounting the miracles of Scripture with little better than loathing. How dare they so discredit our God! Yet, do we do the same thing? How is it that so many are so sure that modern day miracles are nothing but sham? The age of enlightenment has done us no favors in this regard, nor has all the advances in learning and technology. We have come to think we understand the universe we are in, and that understanding leaves no room for things which don't follow the rules as we understand them. I am perhaps as guilty of this as any. It's all well and good to have a record of miracles back in the mists of time, but now? No way! It's all fakery. In all honesty, I have a great deal of skepticism when it comes to such things. I would like to think it's a reasonable skepticism, and I am sure that much of what is claimed has more to do with self-promotion than anything to do with God. Yet, am I willing to accept the things that are true? Have I crossed the line into unbelief?
There are many who lay claim to a work of healing that God has done in their lives. There are also many who are clinging to a promise of healing yet to come. Some of those promises, maybe even all of them, defy what modern medicine has to say on the matter. The question, then, is two-fold, make that three-fold. First, has God changed? His word declares that He does not change. Our faith depends on this being truth. If He has not changed, on what basis shall we claim He no longer works by miraculous means? Secondly, we must determine whether God has spoken in this situation or not. Is it a promise of God, or is it a lie told to a despairing mind by a desperate heart? If it is the latter, then love requires that we gently and compassionately dissuade this person of their self-deception, lest the failure of their imagined promise to be fulfilled make shipwreck of their faith. If, however, it is the former, we are left with the final question. Whom shall we believe? Will we place our faith in God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, or will we place our faith in the creatures of His creation?
In his letter to the Romans, Paul lays out the charges against fallen, unrepentant man. In Romans 1:21-22, he arrives at what is perhaps the crux of the issue: Claiming wisdom for themselves, they prove themselves fools, for they trade in the incorruptible God for corruptible man. They exchange the Creator for the created. This is exactly the issue with us. When God's promises seem impossible to us, it is because we have exchanged His perspective for our own. If we insist on the impossibility of it, we are declaring ourselves to be the final authority over God. If, like Mary, we accept Him at His word, and simply say, "Yes, but how?" then we have left Him in His rightful place, we have denied Him nothing of all that is His due.
Lord, if there is any matter in which I have allowed my limited view of things to lead me into calling You a liar, I cry out for forgiveness! Far be it from me, Lord, to deny Your knowledge! Indeed, if in any matter I have allowed my opinion to become a challenge to Your truth, cause my "Yeah, right" to change to a "Yes, how." Holy Father, there are matters You have declared to me, and I think I have accepted them, even though they seemed improbable. If I have not, bring it to my attention, and allow repentance to come. There are also matters which those I care for have claimed to hear You on. Here, the situation is much murkier to me, God. I don't know how much is wishful thinking, and how much is Your voice. I know, Lord, that there is a strong vein of skepticism in me, and I know it can become an unhealthy thing. Don't allow it, Holy Spirit, to become a root of unbelief, not even a hint of unbelief, yet I would not be left gullibly willing to believe any claimant who comes along. Give me wisdom to discern Your voice, Your message, Your promise, from all that is false.
It seems clear that Zacharias had not yet recognized who he was speaking with. Surely, if he had known he stood before an angel of the Lord, there would have been no doubting the words he received. Nothing in the narrative suggests that he yet understood this. If things unfolded as swiftly as it would seem from this account, he is probably still reacting from within a cloud of shock at finding somebody in what should have been a vacant chamber. He is clear enough to have heard what was being said, apparently, or at least a portion of it. Has he really grasped the full import of it, or is he so distracted by the impossibility of a child that he misses the part about who this child will be?
Here's an interesting thing. Back at the start of his message, the angel told Zacharias that his petition had been heard. Now, if his prayers had been for a child, would he really react this way to news that he would have a child? I don't think so. It is possible, and perhaps not infrequently true, that we can pray to God for things we don't really believe He can or will do, but these will hardly be the availing prayers of a faithful man. More often our prayers are going to be a reflection of our opinion of God. We are not as likely to pray that He do something we don't believe He can do. If Zacharias had been praying for a child, it was because He knew God could cause that child to be. He would not have doubted God's word on the matter when the answer came, but would have answered in the same fashion as Mary, "Yes, but how?"
Now, somewhere back in studying this section, it was suggested that the prayer which was being answered had nothing to do with a child, and everything to do with Messiah. As I think on Zacharias' reaction, this seems more and more likely. It also seems more and more likely that he had been so thrown by the suggestion of his having a son that he completely missed the point. Gabriel does not come right out and say that he will bear the precursor to Messiah, but he comes exceedingly close to it. He doesn't look at Zacharias and say, "You know that prophecy at the end of Malachi? Well, this son you're going to have is destined to fulfill that prophecy!" Certainly, there are more than enough hints in his words to make that abundantly clear, but it's not an outright statement. Zacharias, shocked by the surprise of another presence in the Sanctuary, further stunned by the suggestion that he's going to have a son, is perhaps not in a frame of mind to understand the words. They apparently register at some level, for he is able to relate the story to Luke many years later, but the meaning of the words appears to have flown right by him.
You can almost imagine him just echoing that thought, "a son. A son? Us? A son! No way, a son? Hah! Beth and I having a son. Right. A son." The words are still coming in, but the thought process has locked in on the improbability of that one word. The rest will have been filed away for later, and face it - he'll have nine months on which to reflect on this, as well as Gabriel's upcoming response. By the time John is born, the full import will long since have come clear to him, but in this moment there is only a sudden disbelief.
That's a lesson for us. Zacharias was deemed righteous in God's opinion. That was as true in this moment as it was beforehand. God knows the end from the beginning. The momentary slips we all encounter in the walk of faith are offensive to Him, yes, but they are washed over and forgotten thanks to the work of our Savior and Redeemer. God is able to look past the offense of momentary unbelief and see the finished product of righteousness in us. He already knows that, in spite of our present doubt, we will remain faithful to Him. If Zacharias' doubt had been long-term, then Elizabeth may have borne a child, but it would not have been by his begetting. He wouldn't have put forth the required effort. God's purpose would have gone forth unhindered, but the blessing to Zacharias himself might, I suppose, have been lost.
So it is for us. God's purpose will be done on earth as it is in heaven - without doubt and without fail. He has laid before us good works designed for our doing as we were designed to do them (Eph 2:10). Still, if we refuse to do our part, the works will not be left undone. He will see to it that the work is done, for that is His purpose. It is our own loss should we fail to be the one who gets it done. On the other side of the issue, though, is an assurance. There is the assurance that we who have put our trust in Him, even though that trust may waver from time to time, will find our trust well-placed. There is the assurance of His own word, that none who have been put into His hands have ever been, nor ever shall be lost. Whom He has declared righteous by the work of His blood shall be righteous. Though our faith be a shaky thing, He is faithful.
Thank You, Lord, that You are who You say You are! Thank You, that You have called me Your own, and Yours I am. Thank You, Holy God, that my moments of doubt are not moments of Your doubt, that Your word over me is Yes and Amen. You have called me with an everlasting, never changing love. You have called me and I am Yours. These are words of certainty, and in them I shall trust all the days of my life, as You empower me to believe. All praise be to Your name!
