5 There
was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias,
of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and
her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before
God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well
advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest
before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom
of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of
the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying
outside at the hour of incense.
Commentary
Vs. 5 “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”
To begin then Luke recalls the birth of John the Baptist, which occurred in the days of Herod, king of Judea. This is important since John was Christ’s forerunner sent by God to announce His Arrival. Now in this Luke begins with John’s parents, first his father Zacharias who was a priest belonging to the division of Abijah, while John’s mother was of the daughters of Aaron (that is a daughter of a priest), thus both of John’s parents were holy and consecrated people, set apart to our God (see Lev. 21:7, 13-15, 22:12).
Vs. 6 “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
Not only were Zacharias and Elizabeth both descendants of Aaron, Moses brother, to whom God gave the priesthood (Num.18:7, 20), but both were walking in the commandments and ordinances of Lord blameless.
Vs. 7 “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”
And though both were blameless they had no child, for the Lord had not given them a child, at least not yet. Theirs then was not to be lives lived raising and nurturing children, but their lives were from the beginning set apart for the Lord’s service and so the child that would be born to them in their old age would likewise be set apart to the Lord. John the Baptist then would having no sibling rivalry; nor would he enter the priesthood as his father had, for John by God’s design would have one purpose and one alone, and that was to prepare God’s people for the Coming of the Lord.
Vs. 8-10 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
Now as Zacharias was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, (see 1 Chr. 28:11-13; 2 Chr. 35:1-6 to understand the priests divisions), his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord (vs. 8-9). This was the most coveted of the priestly duties, being performed on the Golden Altar (Exodus 30:6), and obtained by him through the casting of lots. Now because of the number of priests at that time (upwards of twenty thousand) it is believed impossible for a man to perform this duty more than once in his lifetime (see Vincent’s Word studies). And so it was that while the people were praying. and the sacrificial lamb was being slain on the Burnt Offering Altar outside the Temple, that the officiating priest would place the Holy incense on the fire on the already prepared Golden Altar, so that the smoke then ascending would symbolize the prayers of God’s people rising to heaven (consider Rev. 8:3-4). And so it was while Zacharias was doing so, and the whole multitude of people were praying outside at the hour of incense. That an angel appears to him to tell him that his prayers have been answered (vs. 11). Little then did Zacharias or the multitude know that their prayers were soon to be answered, Zacharias’ in the Lord giving him a son, and no ordinary son, but a son who would be according to God’s prophetic Word the man to prepare the way of the Lord for His Coming to His people; and the people in that their (and the generations of peoples before them) who also longed for, and prayed for, and were awaiting on the Coming of the Lord would now have His Holy coming announced to them in their generation through the son that was to be born to Zacharias. The prayers of generations then were going to be answered. For Zacharias by the providence of God is the priest (in accordance with his name, for Zacharias means “God has remembered”) that God begins to set in motion His plans in bringing forth His Son to save His people (and all people who believe in Him, John 3:16) from their sins, and so it was that this humble and faithful priest is going to have God’s salvation which was soon to dawn upon humanity announced to him first. For God always remembers His own, and always brings joy and blessings through those who are faithful to Him.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Commentary
Vs. 5 “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”
To begin then Luke recalls the birth of John the Baptist, which occurred in the days of Herod, king of Judea. This is important since John was Christ’s forerunner sent by God to announce His Arrival. Now in this Luke begins with John’s parents, first his father Zacharias who was a priest belonging to the division of Abijah, while John’s mother was of the daughters of Aaron (that is a daughter of a priest), thus both of John’s parents were holy and consecrated people, set apart to our God (see Lev. 21:7, 13-15, 22:12).
Vs. 6 “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
Not only were Zacharias and Elizabeth both descendants of Aaron, Moses brother, to whom God gave the priesthood (Num.18:7, 20), but both were walking in the commandments and ordinances of Lord blameless.
Vs. 7 “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”
And though both were blameless they had no child, for the Lord had not given them a child, at least not yet. Theirs then was not to be lives lived raising and nurturing children, but their lives were from the beginning set apart for the Lord’s service and so the child that would be born to them in their old age would likewise be set apart to the Lord. John the Baptist then would having no sibling rivalry; nor would he enter the priesthood as his father had, for John by God’s design would have one purpose and one alone, and that was to prepare God’s people for the Coming of the Lord.
Vs. 8-10 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
Now as Zacharias was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, (see 1 Chr. 28:11-13; 2 Chr. 35:1-6 to understand the priests divisions), his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord (vs. 8-9). This was the most coveted of the priestly duties, being performed on the Golden Altar (Exodus 30:6), and obtained by him through the casting of lots. Now because of the number of priests at that time (upwards of twenty thousand) it is believed impossible for a man to perform this duty more than once in his lifetime (see Vincent’s Word studies). And so it was that while the people were praying. and the sacrificial lamb was being slain on the Burnt Offering Altar outside the Temple, that the officiating priest would place the Holy incense on the fire on the already prepared Golden Altar, so that the smoke then ascending would symbolize the prayers of God’s people rising to heaven (consider Rev. 8:3-4). And so it was while Zacharias was doing so, and the whole multitude of people were praying outside at the hour of incense. That an angel appears to him to tell him that his prayers have been answered (vs. 11). Little then did Zacharias or the multitude know that their prayers were soon to be answered, Zacharias’ in the Lord giving him a son, and no ordinary son, but a son who would be according to God’s prophetic Word the man to prepare the way of the Lord for His Coming to His people; and the people in that their (and the generations of peoples before them) who also longed for, and prayed for, and were awaiting on the Coming of the Lord would now have His Holy coming announced to them in their generation through the son that was to be born to Zacharias. The prayers of generations then were going to be answered. For Zacharias by the providence of God is the priest (in accordance with his name, for Zacharias means “God has remembered”) that God begins to set in motion His plans in bringing forth His Son to save His people (and all people who believe in Him, John 3:16) from their sins, and so it was that this humble and faithful priest is going to have God’s salvation which was soon to dawn upon humanity announced to him first. For God always remembers His own, and always brings joy and blessings through those who are faithful to Him.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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