The first chapter of Luke’s gospel account contains some of the most interesting information in Luke’s account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and one of the most interesting bits of information given in that chapter is when the angel Gabriel appears to the priest Zacharias as he ministers at the altar of incense inside the temple. Gabriel informs the elderly priest that his likewise elderly wife Elisabeth will give birth to a son, “And Zacharias said unto the angel, ‘Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years..’ And the angel said unto him, ‘I am Gabriel and stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto you, and to show you these glad tidings. And, behold, you shall be dumb and not able to speak,until the day that these things shall be performed, because you believed not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season'” (See verses 18 thru 20, Luke 1).
If God’s spirit messengers can be offended when their message is not accepted and believed, and react with disciplinary measures upon being so offended, one must ask, “Can God, like His messenger angel Gabriel, react with disciplinary punishment against those who choose not to believe Him???” The scriptural answer to those questions is a resounding, “YES!” God have mercy on those who choose to listen to fellow human beings while turning a deaf ear to God. The scriptures are filled with accounts of those who chose to do that and paid a terrible price for doing so. I fell into that category many times over in my earlier years and I paid a terrible, terrible price for doing so. It took God many decades to finally get through to my mind and thinking that He says exactly what He means and means exactly what He says. Believe God even if every human being on earth is telling you something different from what God says in His Word. Believe God even if you find that you are absolutely and totally and completely alone in believing Him.
Just as there is disciplinary punishment in store for one who does not choose to believe God, there is likewise great reward for those who choose to believe God, especially when the majority of “believers” choose to reject God’s Word and counsel. Those who reject God’s Word are generally duped and deceived into taking that course, and, thanks be to God, He does take that into consideration when disciplining the believer who does not believe.
Christ’s Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley