Day Eleven: The Writing Tablet

Read Luke 1:57-66

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

There's rarely a time more special than when a baby is born.  Such excitement fills the air!  It was time for Elizabeth to deliver and she gave birth to a son.  Everyone rejoiced with her! On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah.  But Elizabeth spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."  Wow!  She sounds sure of this.  Obviously, she and Zechariah had communicated in some way during those months of silence.  Her neighbors and relatives couldn't understand and said, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."

They then made signs to Zechariah to find out what he would like to name the child (indicating he was not only mute but could have been deaf too).  It's interesting what happened next...he asked for a writing tablet.  He could not speak audibly but he had to  communicate in some way.  He had to get it out!  He had held it in so long...this powerful message locked up inside of him!  He took the writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John."  Immediately, at once...his mouth was opened, and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God."  (Luke 1:62)  We know there is power in the spoken word, but on the authority of this passage there is also power in the written word!  Zechariah's obedience to the message of God nine months earlier brought healing!  It brought freedom!  It brought deliverance!  What a mighty God we serve who forgives all our sin and heals all our diseases.  The name John means, "Jehovah is a gracious giver."*  (There's that word grace again!)  God graciously opened Zechariah's mouth as he wrote out the instruction of God...His name is John; and the first words out of Zechariah's mouth were words of praise to God.

Notice the affect this had on everyone around.

"The neighbors were all filled with awe (fear, reverence**) and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.  Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, 'what then is this child going to be?'  For the Lord's hand was with him."

Yes, there are consequences to sin, there were for Zechariah's disobedience and unbelief.  Consequences observed by the world, his friends and family.  But God also longs to "bestow on us a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:3)."  When Zechariah followed through in obedience to God, God immediately blessed him and supernaturally touched him in a way that started a domino effect of praise.  Scripture says, "all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea (Luke 1:65b KJV)  Judaea means "he shall be praised."***  

I believe God replaced the silence of unbelief with a roar of praise!

"The LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for him!"  (Isaiah 30:18)

*Greek Strong's #2491  **Greek Strong's #5401  ***Greek Strong's #2449