Let all the earth be silent before Him.
A few months ago, I was down with a severe throat infection (laryngitis). I was constantly coughing, and my throat was really sore. I ended up in bed for several days until the pain subsided.
I spent those days mainly in silence because talking was simply too painful. It was a bit of a nuisance not being able to speak, but to be honest, it was also quite nice and peaceful.
In Luke 1 we can read how the Priest Zacharias had to face mutism as well.
This was because he simply couldn’t believe the Angel Gabriel, who appeared to Zacharias and told him that he and his wife, Elizabeth, after years of infertility, would finally have a child. Zacharias asked: “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well on in years” (Luke 1:18).
Gabriel replied:
And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words. – Luke 1:20 NIV
It seems like a harsh punishment, nine months of silence for a simple question.😳 You can’t even blame Zacharias for asking that question; his wife was too old to conceive, and they had been praying for years for a child.
Zacharias didn’t laugh skeptically, like Sarah did (Genesis 18:12), he didn’t bargain with God like Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 4:13), he didn’t ask for a sign, like Gideon (Judges 6:17) and even Mary, who just verses later (Luke 1:34) asks Gabriel a similar question doesn’t receive that kind of punishment.
What if maybe, just maybe, Zacharias’ silence wasn’t a punishment, but a blessing in disguise?🤔
Silence in the Bible is never a bad thing: on the contrary, it is a virtue to be desired and a practice to be cultivated:
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Be still, and know that I am God – Psalms 46:10 NIV
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The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him. – Habakkuk 2:20
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In quietness and trust is your strength – Isaiah 30:15
Perhaps Zacharias’ predicament was actually a gift, one that would allow him to grow in faith and trust in God.
As we enter the new year, maybe it’s not a bad idea to practice a little more silence in our own lives. If you need some help getting started, I wrote a reading plan on Solitude & Silence on the YouVersion BibleApp.
