"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land-- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Amos 8:11
Four hundred years before the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah announcing the birth of his son John, the Lord told his prophet Amos that there would be a famine of the Word. For four hundred years, the voice of God was silent in the land of Israel. For four centuries, the people were left to their own devices. God was silent for 146,000 days.
What must that have been like for the people of God as their Lord gave them the silent treatment? I have been known to go off and be silent with people in my life but not for long. An hour or a day but never much longer. People in my life have given me the silent treatment from time to time as well. It is maddening. As a person receiving the cold shoulder, you have no control over when you communication will resume. All you can do is wait and hope.
When God was silent, the people hoped and they continued to wait. They turned toward the promises they had heard from the beginning of time. They anticipated that a savior would come who who save them from their sins. When the word of God finally came to Zechariah, it was to announce that the Messiah was on his way. Zechariah’s son had been chosen to point the way. Once the word of the Lord fell on Zechariah’s ears, it has not been silent since. It announced the birth of Jesus to Mary, called Joseph to save his family, and through the Holy Spirit, it continues to lead and guide us.
There are times when you may feel that God’s Word is like a famine in your life. We can read and study, we can worship and praise, we can listen for God’s call as we daily serve our neighbors. The Word of God is living and active! Be open to it. May the Word fall afresh on your ears in this New Year.
