✦ Faith in the Waiting ✦

When God Makes the Impossible Possible:
Abraham & Zechariah

Two men. Centuries apart. One unshakeable God who never forgets His promises.

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

— Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

Throughout Scripture, God has a beautiful pattern: He chooses the waiting seasons to display His greatest glory. Two of the most powerful examples of faith in the face of impossibility are Abraham and Sarah, who waited decades for a son, and Zechariah and Elizabeth, who carried the same longing into old age. Though they lived centuries apart, their stories echo each other with stunning similarity — and both bear witness to a God who is always faithful, always on time, and never surprised by the impossible.

✦ The Patriarch

Abraham: Father of Faith in the Waiting

Abraham's story is the bedrock of waiting faith. God called him out of Ur and made an extraordinary promise — that he would become the father of a great nation. There was just one problem: Abraham and Sarah were childless, and as the years stretched into decades, the promise seemed to grow further away, not closer.

"He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised."

— Romans 4:20–21 (NIV)

Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 when Isaac was finally born — a full 25 years after God's first promise in Genesis 12. Yet the Bible does not record Abraham abandoning his trust in God. When God appeared to Abraham and reaffirmed the covenant, Abraham believed — and God credited it to him as righteousness Genesis 15:6.

Key references: Gen. 12:1–4 Gen. 15:1–6 Gen. 17:1–8 Gen. 21:1–7 Rom. 4:18–21 Heb. 11:8–12

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'"

— Romans 4:18 (NIV)

The phrase "against all hope" is one of the most powerful in all of Scripture. Abraham had every human reason to give up — his body was "as good as dead" Heb. 11:12 — yet he held on. He is the ultimate model of faith that perseveres through silence.

✦ The Priest

Zechariah: A Priest Who Prayed and Waited

Centuries later, another man of God walked a strikingly similar path. Zechariah was a priest of the division of Abijah, a man described as righteous and blameless before God. His wife, Elizabeth, was also devout — yet they had carried the sorrow of childlessness into their old age.

"Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old."

— Luke 1:6–7 (NIV)

One ordinary day, while Zechariah was serving in the temple — the very place of prayer and devotion — the angel Gabriel appeared and announced that Elizabeth would conceive and bear a son named John. The angel's words were breathtaking: "your prayer has been heard" Luke 1:13. Those prayers had not been forgotten. Not a single one.

"Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth."

— Luke 1:13–14 (NIV)

Key references: Luke 1:5–7 Luke 1:11–17 Luke 1:57–64 Luke 1:67–79

Zechariah momentarily stumbled in his faith and questioned the angel Luke 1:18 — a very human moment — and was struck mute until John's birth. Yet when his tongue was loosed, the first thing Zechariah did was praise God. His Benedictus song Luke 1:68–79 reveals a heart that had been full of scripture and trust all along. The silence did not kill his faith — it deepened it.

✦ The Parallels

Striking Similarities Between Their Stories

The echoes between these two stories are not coincidental — they are the fingerprint of a God who is consistent, faithful, and purposeful across all of history.

Old Age

Both couples were well beyond natural childbearing years when the promise came to fulfillment.

Divine Announcement

Both received supernatural announcements — Abraham from God directly; Zechariah from the angel Gabriel.

Initial Doubt

Both had a moment of human doubt: Sarah laughed (Gen. 18:12), and Zechariah questioned the angel (Luke 1:18).

Righteous Lives

Both Abraham and Zechariah walked blamelessly before God throughout their years of waiting.

Sons of Promise

Both sons — Isaac and John — were appointed for extraordinary, world-changing purposes by God.

God's Glory Revealed

In both cases, the impossible birth became a public testimony that made others rejoice and fear the Lord.

"Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

— Genesis 18:14 (NIV)

✦ Strong Points for Us Today

What Their Faith Teaches Us

• 1
  God's timing is never late. Both Abraham and Zechariah waited in what seemed like impossible seasons. Yet God fulfilled His word at exactly the right moment. When you are in a season of waiting, know that God's watch is always accurate. Eccl. 3:11 Hab. 2:3
• 2
  God hears prayers that seem forgotten. The angel told Zechariah: "your prayer has been heard." Those prayers he had lifted for years were never lost. God keeps every prayer. Luke 1:13 Rev. 5:8
• 3
  Doubt does not disqualify you. Both Sarah's laughter and Zechariah's question show that faith is not the absence of doubt — it's choosing to trust God through the doubt. Gen. 18:12 Luke 1:18 Mark 9:24
• 4
  Righteous living in the waiting honors God. Neither couple abandoned godliness during their long wait. Their faithfulness in the ordinary sustained them through the extraordinary. Luke 1:6 Gen. 26:5
• 5
  The wait prepares you for the promise. Isaac's birth made Abraham a testimony to all nations. John's birth positioned him as the forerunner of Christ. The waiting season shapes you to carry the blessing. Heb. 11:11–12 Luke 1:76–77
• 6
  Your miracle will make others rejoice. When Isaac was born, all who heard laughed with Sarah in joy Gen. 21:6. When John was born, neighbors and relatives shared in Elizabeth's joy Luke 1:58. Your breakthrough is a blessing to the community around you.

Never Give Up on God

Abraham waited 25 years. Zechariah and Elizabeth waited a lifetime. But in both stories, God showed up — not with an apology for being late, but with a son who would change the world. Isaac became the father of nations. John became the voice in the wilderness who prepared the way for Jesus Christ.

"But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

— Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

Whatever promise you are holding onto today — whatever prayer seems too long unanswered, whatever dream seems too far gone — remember these two men. Remember their wives. Remember that the God who opened Sarah's womb at 90 and Elizabeth's womb in old age is the same God who holds your name in His heart.

Don't give up. Don't stop praying. Don't stop living faithfully. Your appointed time is coming.

Isa. 40:31 Jer. 29:11 Lam. 3:25 Ps. 27:14 Phil. 4:6–7

✦ Faith in the Waiting ✦