400ish B.C. (you know I love the ish!) The Old Testament historical and prophetic accounts come to an end with Nehemiah and Malachi – with the wall completed around Jerusalem, the rebuilt temple and a lone prophet speaking - then all goes silent. Obviously God is still at work and in control but He does not speak to the children of Israel for 400ish years. 400 years is a long time with no formal declarations, words, encouragements, correction, prophets or spokesmen on the scene….simply silence.
Silence can be deafening….especially as oppression is getting louder. Many things change over the 400 years, Israel is both hurting and hardened…waiting and trudging forward. The noose around their necks is getting tighter from all angles. Life was volatile. What they didn’t understand (and frankly I don’t think a lot of people understand) is; the real oppression is within.
At the right time, at the fullness of time the silence is broken and God is about to speak. The 400 year silence is broken to an old priest who is serving in the temple of the LORD by burning incense before the LORD. Gabriel’s first words to Zacharias, by the order of God Most High, were “Do not be afraid”. Silence broken, God is speaking and will continue to do so.
I wonder how much fear ruled the people of Israel in those 400 years of silence. I wonder if any feared that God had abandoned them or if their covenant God had simply forgotten them? He had not. Of course Zacharias was terrified and needed the word, “Do not be afraid” but that is not all that Gabriel said… God was ready to speak in a way that had never been spoken before….God was going to become flesh. Silence Broken and never again would God be silent. Think on that. He has now spoken to us through His Son and He is still speaking.
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