“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” These words penned in Psalm 13:1 hundreds of years before probably resonated in Zechariah’s head from time to time. Our verse today in Luke focuses on Zechariah and his encounter with the angel Gabriel. 

Zechariah is a priest from the division of Abijah, performing his priestly duties in the temple when Gabriel appears with a message. Gabriel is seen previously in the Old Testament delivering important messages to Daniel then later to Mary in Luke 1:26. Zechariah and his wife are childless and “were advanced in years”.  Children in this day were considered a tremendous blessing in Jewish culture and to be childless would have been difficult for the husband and the wife. 

Gabriel’s first words to Zechariah are “don’t be afraid” and “your prayer has been answered”. As seen in other angelic appearances in the bible, the recipient of the angelic message is usually quite frightened, but Gabriel brings a message of joy and hope. God has heard Zechariah’s prayer, of which we don’t know the details, but the text suggests that it was for a child or even a son maybe.  

Zechariah’s response may seem rather shocking to the reader, as he casts doubt on the promise that he shall have a son, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Gabriel, in return, strikes him mute “because you did not believe my words”. Zechariah does remain mute until after the birth of his son, who will be known as John the Baptist. 

Going back to Psalm 13, “How long, O Lord?”, I sense that Zechariah may have grown tired of waiting and that his prayer for offspring had come a long time ago, hence his response of doubt to Gabriel’s message.  But note that period of waiting on the Lord did not deter Zechariah and Elizabeth from being committed to God as Luke 1:6 states “they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.”