ZACHARIAS

VIOLATION OF FREEWILL OR DOUBT

Friday – April 17, 2026

Video link: https://youtu.be/sZqH-PVY6tM

Greetings to one and all and welcome to this teaching concerning the encounter of the Priest Zacharias with the angel Gabriel. As we will cover in a moment the angel Gabriel closed Zacharias mouth making him mute. I heard a minister bring this up several times in the context of how important our words are. And yes, our words are vital, they are life and death. He would go on to say that if he would talk it would derail the whole plan of God concerning the bringing of John the Baptist into the world to go before the Messiah. Although that is true it never struck me as the central truth for the muting of Zacharias. The main reason it did not set well with me was it seemed to be the abrogation (nullification) of his free will. God never interferes with anyone’s free will. So, let’s look at the account and see if the reason doesn’t become apparent.

Luke 1:5-7 (KJV)

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

How you noticed in Scripture how God really likes to show out with folks who are barren (unable to have children)?

Luke 1:11-13 (KJV)

11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

I have never seen an angel that I am aware of but I can fully understand Zacharias being “troubled”. The priest Zacharias is informed that the child they have been praying for is going to come, he will be a son, and his name will be John.

Luke 1:18-20 (KJV)

18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Zacharias informs the angel that he and his wife are old, like neither he nor God had any idea. In verse nineteen we see something of Zacharias heart in the response of the angel. Gabriel is a little ticked off. Gabriel then tells Zacharias that he will be unable to speak from that day until all is fulfilled, which as we will see is at the circumcision and naming of the child. This brings us to the reason that expressive aphasia (unable to speak – mute) came upon Zacharias. Expressive aphasia prevents verbal expression but knowing what to say and expressing it in writing or otherwise like sign language is intact. We see this at the naming of the child. So, the root cause of this expressive aphasia is/was unbelief, the sin of unbelief.

This brings us to the circumcision and naming of this child. Elizabeth told those at the ceremony that the child’s name will be John, the family didn’t like that, but Zacharias confirms it communicating by writing.

Luke 1:63-64 (KJV)

63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

It was as the Lord said through the angel Gabriel. Have you wondered about exactly the mechanism of the muteness. Was it from the Lord directly, or did Zacharias open the door by sin to the demons, and he was under the effects of this demonic oppression until the naming of John? The demons favorite thing is to kill but the mercy of God limits their activity just as you may have seen in the judgement of Job. There are times when judgement seems to come directly from God. The following passage is an example.

Leviticus 10:1-2 (KJV)

1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Perhaps the Lord will allow me to return with a teaching about judgements from the Lord. It seems to me that the bottom line is that these things are what the Lord allowed as He judged the sin.

TAKE HOME:

We have to ask ourselves if we are in faith walking in love in our prayer life or are we just going through the motions tossing things out to see what might happen? Perhaps we are in faith, fully persuaded, but when confronted with the answer that faith is shaken. We are not told but perhaps the real prayer of faith was coming from Elizabeth like in the case of Hannah, Samuels mother.
Unbelief never has a good outcome.
Judgements allowed of the Lord vary in severity and was limited as in the case of Zacharia. The time was limited and the type of communication was limited.

As the Lord wills, I will return Monday with fresh revelation. Remember, we love you, the Lord loves you, and there is nothing you can do about either one.

By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice

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