December 4 – Six Months Earlier

The first angelic birth announcement—get ready.

Read the rest of the series: December 1 | December 2 | December 3 | December 5 | December 6 | December 7 | December 8 | December 9 | December 10 | December 11

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in years. Now an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” – ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬, ‭11‬-‭17‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Since Malachi’s prophetic word to the Levites, there had been 300 years of silence. Malachi’s call calls us to live faithfully before God and offers hope that God is not yet finished with extending mercy to His people—as both Zachariah and Elizabeth walked. His message from God is for the Levites of God to see their errors, to notice their deficiencies, and to turn (again) to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. The word is to the Levites. The messenger of the covenant is coming to the house to cleanse, to heal one, and burn up another.

The prophets had prophesied for some 600 years, as in Isaiah’s case. All of Israel had been instructed to look for the Messiah. Praying daily and in the synagogues for the Davidic Kingdom to be restored. Now God sends His angelic messengers to announce the time has come. Heaven does not put this announcement in the hands of humans, but a heavenly host of angels who will have singleness of mind and will carry out the will of God and not be deterred in any way. Here God has chosen Zachariah, a priest, and his wife, Elizabeth, who was barren—without child. Luke writes they were advanced in age, were seen by God as being righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. The supernatural intervention from Heaven concerning the coming of the Messiah, the Deliverer, the Savior of the world, the only Son of God, has come in the fullness of time.

The summing up of all things.

And God had chosen a messenger, a prophet who would be, as Jesus said, the greatest. No one born of women is greater than John the Baptist. He will come in the spirit of Elijah and prepare the way of the Lord and preach repentance. For the kingdom of God is at hand. The angel says of him, that he will be great in the eyes of the Lord, will not drink wine or liquor, but will be filled with the Holy Ghost while being in his mother’s womb. Many men and women have been anointed by the Spirit, but up until this point no one has been filled, baptized in the Holy Ghost. John the forerunner, preparing the way for God’s Son, the Messiah, to come.

We cannot do the Will of God without the Holy Ghost. Years before, the Holy Ghost would come on the men and women, anointing them to do God’s will, but no more. It would take more, to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Now God would not only anoint His chosen for specific circumstances and situations but fill them with His power and remain in them. Just as it was said of Jesus, the Holy Ghost descended on Him and remained. Paul later says to not be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Be encouraged in this season if you find yourself advanced in age. Remain as Zachariah and Elizabeth: committed, faithful, and continuing in prayer. God saw and heard them. God is not done with us yet. Glory to God in the Highest!

-Keith Curlee