The Power Of Words In The Bible Study

Following last Saturday’s blog, I thought I’d go on to the Christmas story of Zechariah found in Luke chapter 1. Yeah, I know it’s still six months to Christmas, but since we’re doing the importance of words in the Word Series, the story bears a huge significance.

Have you ever wondered why the angel Gabriel shut the priest Zachariah’s mouth after he questioned the angel?

Luke 1:18--Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."

(You can read the entire account in Luke 1-2)J

When I first read this, then went on to Mary’s account of what happened to her when the angel Gabriel approached her, I thought: Wow! Mary got off easy when she questioned Angel Gabriel. Some commentators believe Zechariah was made a mute because of his unbelief, whist Mary, though only n her teens, didn’t get any rebuke because of her faith. But read the account below yourself and honestly ask if Mary did not also question the angel, in a similar manner that Zechariah did?

³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

For a long while I thought deeply on this? Why was Zechariah given quite a hefty rebuke--essentially made a mute for some nine months or more. (He only got his voice back after his first and only son, John the Baptist, was born, and named John)

^{Luke 1: 62} Then they made signs to his (John’s) father, to find out what he would like to name the child.⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

Some say, as a high priest, Zachariah should know better than to question Gabriel. I could buy that. But I always ask the question—is there something else here, something not quite so obvious.

One of the things about the Bible is that each piece is like a jig saw (hence the verse in Proverbs 25:2.)

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

Zechariah was a priest. What does the bible say about the words of a priest?

Could it be that because of his station in life—being a priest—Zechariah’s words carry more weight than that of a young girl? After all, the bible warns of heavy penalties of pastors and leaders who lead the flock astray with wrong or bad teachings—a sobering thought but here: the proof:

So, if the reason behind Zechariah ‘s being shut up is because his words have greater import than Mary’s being a priest, could it be because he might unwittingly undo what the angel had pronounced? Or, at least affect it in an adverse manner way in some manner?

And what about you? If you are a believer does your word have any import? Are you a king, or a priest? What does God say about you? I’ll leave with God’s Word in Revelation 1 itself regarding you and your status in God's eyes. 

Rev 1:6

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,⁶ and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father

In the next weeks we will explore the theme of words and their significance in your life.