THE STORY OF
“Good morning, David, I’m so glad your mother let you come early to help. I was just heading out to the market. Bring me the baskets. We must hurry to find a good chicken. Uncle Zechariah should be arriving this afternoon and I want to make a special dinner for him.”
David loved going to the market with Aunt Elizabeth. There were so many interesting things to taste and see and he knew if he was a good helper, she would buy him some honey as a treat. Quickly, he gathered up the baskets and together they began the walk to the market.
There were lots of tents set up and so many things to see. But when Aunt Elizabeth said she wanted a chicken — she meant a real live chicken; one with feathers and a beak and sharp claws. David hoped that she didn’t think he was strong enough to carry it, because he wasn’t really sure he wanted to touch it. He was relieved when Aunt Elizabeth motioned for Elrod, her servant, to take the chicken home and begin preparing it.
David helped Aunt Elizabeth carry the baskets that she filled with fruits and vegetables and then they hurried home. It would be a busy day to prepare the special meal.
Everyone was in a festive mood because they knew that soon Uncle Zechariah would return, and he would bring them news of all the wonderful things that he had seen and done while he was in Jerusalem. David’s parents were coming for dinner, too, so they could all hear Uncle Zechariah’s news.
Jerusalem was the capital city of Israel. The temple was up on a high hill overlooking the entire city and you could see it for miles around. David’s whole family went there three times a year for special holy feast days unless someone was sick or there was a new baby to care for. But this was Uncle Zechariah’s time to go alone to work at the temple. He did this every year and returned with news from all over Israel and the surrounding areas. Uncle Zechariah was a priest, and he served his village in the Judean hillside most of the time. But every year, he spent two weeks working at the temple. And now he was on his way home. David could hardly wait.
David helped Aunt Elizabeth in the kitchen when he could, but most of the time he just watched all the servants rushing around preparing dishes and getting the table ready for the meal. “Would you like to help me with the bread?” asked Aunt Elizabeth.
“Of course!” said David. Kneading the bread was his favorite part. He loved the way the sticky dough became firmer and firmer as he mashed it with his fists. He felt proud that he was old enough and finally strong enough to handle the dough. But his favorite part was when the dough was safely tucked into a pan to rise, and Aunt Elizabeth would hand him a handful of raisins to push deep in the dough. She would slip him a few extra ones and would always say, “And here’s the chef’s tip!” He would bow grandly and accept the raisins as his special reward. Yummmmm! He loved raisins.
Aunt Elizabeth wanted to rest for a while during the afternoon heat, so David wandered outside and played with the goats while the adults rested.
He daydreamed about what it would be like to work in the temple. He would like to light the candles and burn the incense, but he wouldn’t want to kill the lambs and other animals used in sacrifice. He didn’t like that part at all. He wondered what Uncle Zechariah did while he was at the temple this time.
Sometimes he worked in the kitchen and cooked. Other times he worked to repair the curtains and cushions. Sometimes he polished all the beautiful gold and silver decorations and one time he even got to climb to the top of the temple ceiling and dust the beautiful carvings there. That would have been fun.
Uncle Zechariah was a great storyteller, and everyone looked forward to hearing about all the people he had met. He had a loud, storytelling voice that kept everyone listening and his stories were always filled with laughter and fun.
As David thought about Uncle Zechariah, he realized that even though Uncle Zechariah was a joyful and fun man to be around — he was also very serious about his love for God. He wanted to obey God’s rules and he really cared about his family obeying, too. David continued to wonder what it would be like when he was old enough to become a priest and work at the temple.
“David,” called Aunt Elizabeth.
“Coming, Aunt Elizabeth!” David quickly darted into the house to see what Aunt Elizabeth wanted.
“Hand me the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. As I was resting, I kept thinking about it and I want you to read it with me.”
David had to stand on top of a chair to reach the rack of scrolls but finally found the one that his aunt wanted. He handed it to her, and she skillfully unrolled it to find the words she was looking for.
David was proud that Aunt Elizabeth could read and understand the Holy Scriptures. Her dad, who was also a priest, had taught her as a child and unlike most of the women in the community, she could read well.
She read:
“…. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 1
“Have you learned this verse in Hebrew school?”
“Yes, Aunt Elizabeth.”
“Do you understand it?”
David felt a little troubled by the question because he thought he did, but he wasn’t exactly sure. But he wanted Aunt Elizabeth to be proud of him, so he gave it his best shot.
“The virgin means a young woman who is not married.”
Aunt Elizabeth nodded for him to continue.
“And it says she will have a baby and will name him Immanuel.”
“Very good! You have learned your lessons well. But have you ever thought about what the name Immanuel means?”
Uh-oh, that’s not the question I was expecting. He thought she would ask if he knew that this verse was a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. “No, Aunt Elizabeth, I guess I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
“David, do not ever be sorry for not knowing the answer. Only be sorry if you do not want to learn the answer!”
“Yes, Ma’am. I do want to know what Immanuel means because it will tell me something about the Messiah.”
“What a smart little boy you are! I am proud of my nephew! Immanuel is the word I was thinking about as I rested. Immanuel, in Hebrew, means God with us. Now, if this baby, the Messiah, is going to be named ‘God with us’, I think that there’s going to be something very, very special about him. I think he will be God.” Aunt Elizabeth seemed to forget that David was even in the room and David wasn’t sure if she was praying or just deep in thought.
Just then he heard the servants rushing around and one announced that they could see Uncle Zechariah coming down the road and he had two guests with him. David didn’t even wait for Aunt Elizabeth but rushed out the front door and down the steps to meet him.
But something was wrong. All the buzz and hustle of the servants stopped as everyone realized that something was different.
It was not unusual for Uncle Zechariah to bring home fellow travelers to spend the night or eat a meal with them. But there was something definitely wrong. Uncle Zechariah’s strong hearty greeting did not ring out. Usually you could hear him as he shouted, “Home, sweet home!”
But instead, the three men walked quietly up the steps to greet Elizabeth. While everyone stood around anxiously wondering what was going on, the two men, who were priests from surrounding villages, told Aunt Elizabeth the news about her husband.
The priests told Elizabeth that Zechariah had gone into the Holy Place of the temple and:
When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.2
And they reported that ever since that day, Zechariah had been unable to speak.
Quickly Aunt Elizabeth took charge. She ordered the servants to return to their jobs and asked that dinner be served as usual. She invited the priests to stay for dinner, but they were eager to get to their own homes. She sent Uncle Zechariah to rest and cool off after his hard journey and she sent David to get some cloths and a pan of water to cool Uncle Zechariah’s face.
David was glad there was something he could do to help. Nothing like this had ever happened before. What will happen if Uncle Zechariah is sick? David hurried to get the water and tried not to think about anything else. Uncle Zechariah stretched out on the cushions in the living room and the servants fanned him with palm branches to make him as comfortable as possible.
As David laid the cool cloths on his uncle’s forehead, he thought to himself that he had never seen Uncle Zechariah look healthier. He didn’t look sick. And there was that same twinkle in his eyes that showed he was filled with joy and almost bursting with news.
Uncle Zechariah took David’s hand and placed it on his heart. David knew that Uncle Zechariah was telling him that he loved him. David took one of Uncle Zechariah’s hands and brought it to his heart. That made Uncle Zechariah smile even bigger — but he shook his head meaning “no.” Now, David was really confused.
Uncle Zechariah grinned and pointed to his ears and gave David the “thumbs up”.
Just because Uncle Zechariah couldn’t speak, didn’t mean he couldn’t hear! David laughed and that made Uncle Zechariah laugh too, even though no sound came out. Then David declared loudly, “I love you, Uncle Zechariah and I’m so glad you are home!”
Soon David’s parents and more friends arrived. Everyone was seated around the table. But Uncle Zechariah couldn’t lead in the evening prayers, so David’s Abba prayed and thanked God for the meal and for Uncle Zechariah’s return. (Abba is what Jewish children call their daddy).
While the meal was excellently prepared, everything felt strange. Everyone was trying to make signs so that Uncle Zechariah could understand them. David had to keep reminding them that Uncle Zechariah’s ears worked just fine. They all wanted to ask questions but the only thing they could understand was just what the other priests had told them.
The meal ended earlier than usual to allow Uncle Zechariah to get some rest and David went home with his parents. As David walked beside his Abba, he asked him what was wrong with Uncle Zechariah. His Abba said that he didn’t know the answers, but that he was certain that God would reveal whatever it was soon.
“But I don’t like not knowing and I don’t like to wait!”
“I know, son. I don’t think anyone enjoys those things, but sometimes God has plans that are too big for us to handle all at once, so he shows us just little bits at a time. Remember the Scripture we studied a few weeks ago:
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.3
“Someday we’ll understand it. And for now, we must trust that God knows what is best. And I assure you, David, God will let us know when we need to know it.”
“I love you, Abba.”
“And I love you, little David.”
The next few months were very busy ones for David and for his Abba. Hebrew school had started again and because Uncle Zechariah was unable to teach, David’s Abba, who was a priest-in-training, was teaching all the classes. That meant that David needed to help even more at home.
David worked hard on his schoolwork each evening. After school there was always work that needed to be done in the garden and other things that Mother needed help with. After dinner he would work on his studies by lamplight until bedtime. It seemed that he had more homework than ever. He wanted to make his Abba and his Uncle Zechariah proud of him and knew that they expected him to do his very best.
One of David’s chores was gathering produce from the garden before going to school. He would pick the fruits and vegetables so Mother could use them or give them away to people who needed them that day.
Sometimes while he was in the garden, he would think about his time with Uncle Zechariah and Aunt Elizabeth. He wished he had more time to spend with them. It had been several months since that night Uncle Zechariah came home and was unable to talk.
Once when David had taken them some fresh melons, he found them sitting at the table with scrolls laid out all around them. Even though they seemed very glad to see him, he could tell that they were busy with some serious studies, and he didn’t want to bother them.
He gave them both hugs and told them he loved them. Uncle Zechariah took David’s hand and placed it over his heart. That made David feel especially loved. He missed learning from Uncle Zechariah, but he didn’t think it would be polite to say so — so he didn’t.
Sometimes at school some of the older boys talked about Uncle Zechariah and said things that made David feel sad. Sometimes they said that God was punishing Uncle Zechariah for something evil that he must have done. David wanted to punch them in the face, but he knew that his Abba and Uncle Zechariah would not like that at all. So, he would just turn away and find other friends to talk with. But that didn’t stop the sick feeling in his stomach.
When David finally talked with his Abba about it, his Abba gave him some suggestions that helped him be bolder. “But I’m very proud of you for not fighting. Fighting never solves the problem.”
“Yes, Abba, and thank you!”
The next time the boys began to say that Uncle Zechariah was being punished, David’s heart began to beat really fast. His hands got all sweaty and he felt sick to his stomach, but he spoke up, even though he was afraid of what the older boys would do. David boldly said, “Don’t forget that Job’s friends were wrong when they judged him. Remember that the Scripture says:
“… judge your neighbor fairly.4”
Then David walked away. Instead of feeling sick, he felt proud that he had stood up for Uncle Zechariah. He knew he couldn’t change the boys’ minds, but he knew that inside he felt taller and stronger because he had done what was right.
A few months later, David’s Abba announced that they were going to eat their Sabbath meal with Uncle Zechariah and Aunt Elizabeth and a very special guest. (Sabbath means rest. The Jewish Sabbath was from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.)
After school, David and his Abba washed and put on clean clothes for the occasion. Then David walked with his parents to Uncle Zechariah’s and Aunt Elizabeth’s home. He hoped the special guest would be someone his age. Maybe they could go out in the yard and play ball together after dinner. Or maybe it was someone who could explain what had happened to Uncle Zechariah. David’s mind was racing all over the place with excitement.
But when they arrived, the only unexpected person there was David’s cousin, Mary. She was a few years older than David and David would have much preferred to entertain her younger brother who was his age. They lived in Galilee and couldn’t visit often. He was really, really disappointed. Not only was it just his cousin Mary, but she was looking and acting very grown up and didn’t want to play in the yard with him.
David knew that Uncle Zechariah wouldn’t mind if he looked at his scrolls and soon David totally forgot the grownups as he read through the story about the prophet Daniel being thrown into a lion’s den.
He joined the adults for dessert, and then everyone said their “good-nights.” Mary would be leaving in the morning and David politely wished her a safe journey and tried to say all the right things.
As David walked home with his parents he grumbled about the “special” guest only being cousin Mary. His parents looked shocked and maybe saddened, but he wasn’t sure what their exchanged glances meant. There were a lot of things about grownups that he just didn’t understand yet. And right now, he just wanted to get home and out of his dress-up clothes.
It was only a few weeks later when an exciting guest did arrive. David’s family was just finishing dinner when there was a loud knock at the front door. Elrod, Uncle Zechariah’s servant, looking very excited, yelled, “It’s time! It’s time!” and left with no other explanation.
“David, bring me the bag that is sitting by my bed.” Mother and Abba were talking quietly but urgently. They seemed to be making plans for an escape. But then Mother kissed David and was out the door before he could even ask what was happening.
“Abba?”
“Yes, David.”
“What’s going on? And where is Mother going?”
“It’s time for the baby to come. We must pray for God’s safety.”
“Baby! What baby? We’re going to have a baby?” David’s head was exploding, and he had so many questions he couldn’t form the words — they kept tripping over his tongue. It sounded more like “bay-bay-bay-bay”.
David’s Abba looked at him closely and realized that David was feeling very confused.
“Come, Son, sit down and let’s talk.” They sat together on the cushions in the living room and David’s Abba brought him some juice to drink.
“Now, Son, what is it that you don’t understand?”
“Abba, I don’t understand anything!” wailed David.
“Okay. So, let’s start with Elrod’s announcement that Aunt Elizabeth’s time has come.”
“Aunt Elizabeth? Has she died? I thought this was about a baby?” David placed his hands over his face and rocked back and forth. Now, he was not only confused but very scared.
“Son, didn’t you know that Aunt Elizabeth was going to have a baby?”
“A baby? Aunt Elizabeth? She’s old enough to be my grandmother. She can’t have a baby!”
Now Abba laughed and threw his arms around David. “I’m so sorry that I assumed you knew all about it. But you have been very busy this term at school and not paying attention to things around you.”
“So, why did Mother leave so quickly?”
“Well, your mother will need to be there to help Aunt Elizabeth with the birth and probably to keep Uncle Zechariah calm! Your mother will stay with Aunt Elizabeth until she is strong enough to take care of the baby. It may be a couple of weeks because, as you know, Aunt Elizabeth is old and not as strong as she used to be.”
David felt much better after talking with his Abba. Both David and his Abba had studies to complete before bedtime, but it seemed strange to be in the house without Mother. The house seemed empty somehow.
David and his Abba were glad to be busy at Hebrew school all the next day. David worked in the garden for a while after school. Just before Abba got home, Elrod came with the announcement that a healthy baby boy had arrived, and that Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Zechariah, and the baby were all doing fine.
David was proud to get to announce the news to his Abba and his Abba was relieved that all was well. They ate a simple meal prepared by their servant Mira, but they both missed Mother.
“Abba?” asked David.
“Yes, Son.”
“Abba, why wasn’t I told that Aunt Elizabeth was going to have a baby?”
His Abba thought a few minutes and said, “I guess we assumed that you knew. I promise you; we weren’t hiding it from you.”
“Abba?”
“Yes, Son.”
“How will Uncle Zechariah teach the baby all the things he needs to know when he can’t talk?”
“I guess you and I will have to help teach him to be a man of God. That’s a big responsibility. Do you remember the Shema, God’s command to parents?”
“Yes, Abba, the Shema says,
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.5”
“I’m sure your little cousin will look up to you and follow your example. You will need to be careful that you do not lead him into bad things.”
“Abba, I forgot to collect the fruits and vegetables this morning and some of the apricots were ruined. I had to throw them away. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too, Son. We don’t want to waste food that others could use. Times are hard and your chores are important. Don’t forget again.”
“I won’t, Abba. And I will try to be a good example for my new cousin. Does he have a name yet?”
“No, not yet. New boy babies get their names when they are eight days old. There will be a large party to celebrate.”
One week later, David and his Abba hurried to Uncle Zechariah’s home to join in the celebration. All the neighbors had gathered and brought gifts to share with the happy couple.
David found several of his friends from Hebrew school and they played ball on the far side of the yard so they wouldn’t disturb the adults. But the boys quickly joined the party when they noticed that the dessert table was available. Many neighbors had helped to fill the dessert table with goodies to add to the celebration.
When it was time for the Naming Ceremony, David recognized the priest who was leading it as one of the men who had brought Uncle Zechariah home from Jerusalem and told Aunt Elizabeth what had happened. He knew that he was a good friend of Uncle Zechariah’s.
Once again, David’s thoughts turned to how this little boy would learn all he needed to know when his Abba would be unable to teach him. But David’s attention was caught by some commotion around Aunt Elizabeth. It seems there was some argument about the name of the baby.
The neighbors had told the priest that the baby’s name would be Zechariah, Jr. and Aunt Elizabeth was saying, “No! His name will be John.” The neighbors continued to argue with her saying that that wasn’t the right name, and it looked like Aunt Elizabeth might start crying.
Uncle Zechariah was motioning for David to come. He ran quickly to his uncle’s side. He motioned for David to find his writing tablet in the house. David ran inside and looked around. He spotted it on the kitchen table and quickly sprinted to Uncle Zechariah.
... he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.6
David was not the only one surprised when Uncle Zechariah’s voice began to boom out. Everyone in the yard turned their full attention to him and listened.
“Praise God for sending his Messiah! He promised that he would come, and we’ve waited and waited. He promised that he would rescue us from our enemies.”
What does this mean? All the people were asking the same question as David, and everyone was talking at once. Is this little baby the Messiah?
Uncle Zechariah raised his arm to quiet them and continued. This time he turned and touched baby John on the head.
Uncle Zechariah said:
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him.”7
It was very late that night before the party broke up. Everyone wanted to hear again what had happened to Uncle Zechariah in the Holy Place at the temple. He told the story over and over about seeing an angel who told him that baby John would be a prophet to prepare the people of Israel for the Messiah.
Mother was going to stay one more night to help Aunt Elizabeth, so David and his Abba walked home alone. They walked in silence since both of them were filled with thoughts and questions. They had much to think about.
When they arrived at home, David knew just what his Abba would do. He took down several scrolls and rolled them out on the table. Together they read some of the prophecies concerning Messiah. But it had been a long day and David soon headed to bed.
“Abba?”
“Yes, Son”
“Is this really happening? Or am I just dreaming?”
“David, it is really happening, and I believe that Messiah is very, very near.”
“I hope so, Abba.”
“I hope so, too, Son. Good night. I love you.”
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