March 13

Luke 1:1-25

Zachariah means “Jehovah has remembered”. He was a priest of the line of Abijah. He was married to Elizabeth, whose name means, “God is my oath.” She was also of the priestly line being a descendant of Aaron. The Zondervan Bible Dictionary reveals that she was a woman of unusual piety, faith, and spiritual gifts. It’s obvious she was an encouragement to Mary, the mother of Jesus in that she confided in her upon finding out she would deliver the long awaited Messiah.

Luke also tells us that Zachariah and Elizabeth were ”righteous in God’s eyes” and that they were careful to walk faithfully before Him.

Although we read about their lives with a “Sunday-school” like fascination, Elizabeth and Zachariah lived in a time and among a people in which they were essentially insignificant and obscure.

Alfred Edersheim writes of the Zachariah’s priestly obscurity stating,

“In many respects he seemed different from those around. His home was not in either of the great priest-centres—the Ophel-quarter in Jerusalem, nor in Jericho—but in some small town in those uplands, south of Jerusalem: the historic ‘hill-country of Judaea.”

They were also childless. Barrenness not only caused deep sorrow for a woman in Elizabeth’s time, it also warranted great social disgrace. When one discovered a woman had no children, people would think, “Perhaps God is punishing her or her husband for some unknown sin.” It’s apparent from the text that their heart’s desire for many, many years was to have a baby.

There were many times in private Zachariah came before the Lord. Offering up the incense of his prayers. His cries for a son would rise and year after year, no answer would come. Elizabeth cried out too. Oh how she longed for little hands to brush across her face and to look into the eyes of one she could teach the ways of Adonai.

Amidst the silence, they remained faithful, the eyes of their hearts fixed on Him.

Eventually, they grew old. Far to old to have a child.

This is where we find Zachariah has been chosen by God to burn incense in the temple. I discovered upon reading Bob Deffinbauch’s article entitled, Silence is Shattered, that this honor was bestowed on a priest only once in his lifetime. What incredible anticipation and excitement arose within Zachariah’s heart once he discovered he had been chosen!

While burning incense before the Lord, the veil of silence that loomed over his heart was broken upon the frightening visitation of an angel of God. The angel told Zachariah that he would have a son and that he would be “great in the eyes of the Lord.” The angel also told him that his would be a ministry of preparation and reconciliation. For he would prepare the hearts of Israel for the Messiah’s coming and bring reconciliation to men and women so they could receive Him once he arrived.

I am so inspired as I ponder the amazing ways of God in this story. He chose a poor, nameless couple whose faith remained despite His delayed response. I see a God who cannot turn His ear from the cry of the righteous. A God who remembers the forgotten and who carries away their disgrace.

Blessings,

Lauryn Everett