ZACHARIAS:
Zacharias
Left Speechless
Luke
1:5-25
Luke
1:5-7 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest
named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and his wife was of the daughters of
Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
And they had no child, because that
Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
Susan: Zacharias and Elisabeth were upright people of the utmost
integrity. They were believers in the One true God, striving to live according
to His commandments. They were both descended of the priestly line of Aaron.
Zacharias means “Jehovah has remembered.”
MacArthur Study Bible note:
Division of Abijah: The temple
priesthood was organized into 24 divisions, with each division serving twice a
year for one week (1 Chr. 24:4–19); Abijah’s was the 8th division (1 Chr.
24:10)
Susie: We are about to read exactly how God remembered this couple in
their old age.
Susan: Elizabeth means “Consecrated to
God” and “My God is Bountiful.” Both of these are significant since Elizabeth (like
Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Hannah before her) was barren which was thought in
those days to mean a woman was cursed by God or in the least not favored by Him.
Zacharias and Elisabeth, like Abraham and Sarah, were way past the age of being
able to conceive a child.
Susie: We are not given their ages, but Luke makes it clear that Elisabeth
had gone through menopause. However, with God all things are possible; and
their lives were about to be completely changed.
Luke
1:8-9 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before
God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office,
his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
Susie: Zacharias’s
division of priests would take their turn serving in the temple twice a year. Burning
incense in the holy place directly in front of the curtain that closed off the
Holy of Holies was a once in a lifetime experience (Ex. 30:7, 8; 2 Chr. 29:11).
No priest was allowed to do it twice.
Luke
1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of
incense.
Susan: The
people who had come to the temple to offer sacrifices and worship would wait
outside. They were praying which is in keeping with the symbolism of the incense
representing prayers rising to the Lord God. More specifically, it represents Christ’s
continual intercession for believers.
Susie: There
is a good article on the altar of incense here:
Luke
1:11-12 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right
side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and
fear fell upon him.
Susie: An
angel suddenly appeared to the right of the altar of incense. The word “troubled”
does not do justice to the Greek word which can mean “agitated” like churning
water. The butterflies in Zacharias’s stomach felt like they were waging war. He
was seized with terror. Fear is often the response when an angel appears.
Luke
1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard;
and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name
John.
Susan: The
angel comforted Zacharias with the words, “Fear not.” He made the startling
announcement that Elisabeth was going to give birth to a son who would be
appropriately named John which means “Jehovah has shown grace.”
Luke
1:14-15 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his
birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither
wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from
his mother's womb.
Susie: The
joy of this baby was not for Zacharias and Elisabeth alone. Many would rejoice
with them because John was to be a special child.
Susan: Refraining
from alcohol was associated with a Nazarite vow, usually temporary, but in the
case of both Samson and Samuel it was from birth and throughout life. Nothing
is mentioned here about whether John would cut his hair or not. Not cutting the
hair was another part of being set apart in this way.
Susie: Even
more significant is the statement that John would be filled with the Holy
Spirit even before he was born! We’ll talk more about that in the verses ahead.
Luke
1:16-17 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts
of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just;
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Susan: As the
forerunner of the Messiah, John would urge the people to repent—to turn from their
sin—in order to prepare their hearts for the Kingdom of God.
Susie: John
would preach with the same boldness as the prophet Elijah. John the Baptist would
fulfill the prophecy found in Malachi 4:5-6. Jesus confirmed that John had been
the Elijah to come as He, Peter, James, and John descended from the Mount of
Transfiguration (Mark 9:11-13) and again in Matthew 10:11-14.
Luke
1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an
old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
Susan: Zacharias mirrored what Abraham went through.
Susie: Although, he did not laugh as Abraham did, he questioned the
validity of the angel’s prophecy. He pointed out the obvious, that he and
Elizabeth were way too old to have children.
Susan: I find it peculiar that a priest serving in the temple would see
only his own physical limitations rather than the Lord’s power to do according
to His good pleasure.
Luke
1:19-20 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the
presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad
tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be
dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be
performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in
their season.
Susan: Gabriel chastised him and basically said, “You can be quiet now,”
because Zacharias did not believe the word of the Lord that he had been sent to
declare to him.
Susie: I wonder if this was the root of our southern expression, “Well,
shut my mouth!”
Susan: Zacharias would remain silent up until the naming of the baby.
Luke
1:21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long
in the temple.
Susie: The
people praying outside began to wonder what had happened to old Zacharias
because he was inside offering incense longer than the usual amount of time.
Luke
1:22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived
that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and
remained speechless.
Susie: Zacharias,
using hand signals, was able to get across to the people that he had seen a
vision while serving in the temple. It does not appear that he was able to
communicate the exact nature of the vision. Or perhaps he felt that he was
supposed to keep it a secret since he was unable to speak by the power of the
Lord. Perhaps he thought Elizabeth should be the first to know.
Luke
1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were
accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife
Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord
dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach
among men.
Susie: Zacharias went home to his wife, and it seems she conceived
immediately.
Susan: Elizabeth realized that by enabling her to conceive, the Lord was
removing her shame of being childless. She remained in seclusion for five
months, perhaps in a period of reverent gratitude for how the Lord had smiled
upon her.
Susie: The scripture does not record how Zacharias responded to the
pregnancy. Perhaps he was unable to communicate his response effectively. He
could not shout from the rooftops, because he could not shout!
QUESTIONS
1. To what Old Testament figure
could both Zacharias and Elizabeth trace their lineage?
2. What priestly honor did Zacharias have the once in a lifetime
opportunity to experience?
3. How did Zacharias respond when the angel told him Elizabeth would
have a son?
4. In who’s footsteps would John eventually follow?
5. What would be significant about this baby even before he was born?
6. Think about the things God has laid on your heart to do. Are you
having doubts about any of them? Are you unsure of His ability to work in and
through you? Pray that He will increase your faith and infuse you with His strength
to serve Him boldly.
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