It’s hard for a non-Jew to grasp

Luke 1:8-17

Yesterday, we looked into the 24 divisions of the priest as to when they served at the Temple and it was Zechariah’s group’s time and he was picked by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  What a lucky day for Zechariah, wrong, as I’ve stated many times luck is by definition an act or action of chance rather than through the control of God who is all knowing and ever present.  

Outside in the outer court, or it was also referred to as the great court, were a multitude of the people praying at the hour of incense.  If you look at a diagram of the Temple to the west in front of the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place was the altar of incense.  Daily a priest was selected by the casting of “lots”, now this was once only for the priest and some never got picked. This is a once in a lifetime assignment, the priest would take burning coals from the brazen altar in the temple court, and he would take the coals to the altar of incense and put incense upon the coals.

It’s hard for a non-Jew to grasp what is taking place at the Temple, inside is Zechariah at the altar of incense and outside is the multitude of worshipers praying at this very special time.  The men were in a different place and the women in another and outside there is a wall separating the court of the Gentiles.  Inside where only priest can go, Zechariah has an appointment he was not aware of, but before the foundation of the world God had set that day, the hour, and down to the minute in His appointment book.  In verse 11 it states: “And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.”  Verse twelve tells the reader that Zechariah is alarmed and filled with fear, and the angel told him not to be afraid, and then he told Zechariah his prayers had been answered.  As one who prays, I’m sure this thought came into Zechariah’s mind, which prayer?   But maybe there was not time for thoughts for the angel said; “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”  (Luke 1:13-17 ESV)

From fear to believing the impossible, this is the spot the angel finds Zechariah in, he has moved from fear to I’m sure I missed what you said.  His wife is also from the priestly line and she is well past the age of childbearing and has endured her neighbor’s belief that she was cursed by God, for that was the belief when a woman was unable to have children.  The angel who later identifies himself as Gabriel, his name means mighty man of God, gave Zechariah not only the child’s name but also his purpose, he is “to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice