Elizabeth was the daughter of a priestly family. As a young girl she most likely had been taught the Scriptures by her father, who served as a priest (or village pastor, if you will).
Elizabeth married Zechariah … who also was of a priestly family and who also served as a priest (or village pastor).
Together, Zechariah and Elizabeth had served the spiritual needs of their small village for many years. Zechariah most likely taught the Scriptures at synagogue every Sabbath, while also probably teaching the young Jewish boys Torah throughout the week. Elizabeth most likely functioned as a sort of “pastor’s wife” for the village ladies. At home, Zechariah and Elizabeth most likely studied and discussed the Scriptures together.
There came a day when, upon returning from his priestly service at the Temple in Jerusalem, Zechariah had profound news!! Something utterly profound had happened!!
Yet Zechariah was unable to speak … his speech had been taken from him. (Luke 1:18-22)
Not only that … Zechariah’s hearing most likely had also been taken from him. (Luke 1:59-63)
Big news!! Really really big news!! News which everyone had been waiting 400 years for!
And no way to share it.
One of my favorite books is “God’s Smuggler” by Brother Andrew. There is an account in the book where Brother Andrew meets with a fellow-believer in Jesus who lives under persecution from Communism. This persecuted fellow-believer was so excited to meet someone else who loved and followed Jesus, but neither one of them spoke the other’s language. They each, however, had their own personal copy of the Bible … in their own language. So they communicated with each other via the Bible.
The one would look up a passage of Scripture and point it out to the other … who would then look up that same reference of Scripture in his own Bible. In this way the two fellow-believers in Jesus, with no way to communicate, were able to encourage each other and strengthen each other in the Lord.
I can’t help but wonder if it was in this way that Zechariah (unable to speak or hear) shared with Elizabeth the profound, life-changing news that Messiah is coming! … and their son would be the prophet who would prepare the way.
If Zechariah was to communicate such news using Scripture alone … what Scripture might he turn to?
What passage might he open up and set before Elizabeth to read?
I can’t help but think he might have turned to Judges 13:2-14 – the account where an angel appeared to a lady who was childless … with a message that she would bear a child who was to be set apart for God’s service … and since the child would be holy and set apart (a Nazarite), the pregnancy needed to follow the same guidelines for set-apartness.
Of course Zechariah would have turned to the prophecies in Malachi: A prophet would come who would prepare the way for Messiah!
And of course all the many prophecies of the coming Messiah! Zechariah and Elizabeth most likely poured over the Messianic prophecies together!
Zechariah and Elizabeth were prepared. Through their lifetime of devoted service to God, they had developed an active, working knowledge of the Scriptures! They knew the prophecies! They were well-prepared for the task God set before them … to parent and raise the forerunner of the Messiah.
If you were told that your child’s life purpose was to prepare the way for the Messiah … there is no doubt you would want to teach your child everything there is to know about the coming Messiah!
Zechariah and Elizabeth were well-prepared to do just this!
