In His Time I

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

                                       — Ecclesiastes 3:11

I read about a Chinese man a few days ago who prayed for a Bible of his own for sixty-five years! Can you imagine? It was easy for him to remember because he was saved on January 1, 1950 and finally received a Bible of his own in 2015! I can't help but wonder how long I would have continued to pray.

There is an example in Luke of a prayer that also took decades to answer, an answer that had to await God's timing. Elizabeth, Mary's cousin was barren. In today's culture, we don't see this as something shameful, but back then, couples hoped for large families and fathers hoped for sons to perpetuate their names. A barren woman was generally looked upon as someone who did not have favor with God (see Luke 1:25).

Elizabeth's husband was Zechariah and he was a priest from the tribe of Levi. Elizabeth was actually descended from Aaron, Moses brother. Despite what others may have thought, both were righteous before God and blameless in regard to all the commandments and ordinances. Yet, Elizabeth was barren and the two prayed fervently for a child. Years passed, then decades. And hope passed. Both were advanced in years. Luke doesn't say how old they were, but she was well beyond child bearing age.

During the reign of Herod, the Levitical division to which Zechariah belonged was on duty at the temple and he was chosen by lot, as was the custom of the priesthood. His duty was to enter the temple and trim the lamp (the seven-branched lamp of the Jewish menorah) and insure there was sufficient oil in it so that they did not go out, and also to replenish the burning incense, symbolic of the prayers of Israel rising heavenward. (See Exodus 30:8.)

Zechariah very likely had never had the privilege of performing this duty before and it is not hard to imagine the trepidation he may have felt on entering the stillness of the temple. Suddenly, Zechariah realized he was not alone and there was an angel standing at the side of the altar. This was one of the prince of angels, Gabriel, who would six months later also appear to Mary. Zechariah had the same reaction as every other person who encounters an angel in the Bible: he trembled with fear. "But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard...'"

I want to stop here for just a moment. To what prayer might the angel be referring? Let's continue.

'...and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John (Luke 1:13).'" So, you see, those prayers for a child all those many years earlier were answered!

Can we blame Zechariah if he did not believe the angel? Because of his unbelief, however, he was told, "Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time (Luke 1:20)."

So, here is an amazing answer to prayer hidden in the prelude to the even greater story of the conception of Jesus! It should encourage us to not abandon hope in the petitions we send heavenward.