Luk 1:8-9 | KingComments | STEP | The priestly division to which Zacharias belongs is on duty. At that time, there were approximately 18,000 priests, divided into twenty-four divisions. Each division came in turn to Jerusalem to serve there. Every day the lot determined which priest who had not done so before, was allowed to burn incense. Given the large number of priests, each priest would have this privilege only once in his lifetime. How many times Zacharias will have been in Jerusalem in the turn of his division? And every day the lot was cast. Every day, Zacharias will have prayed that he should now have the privilege to burn incense. Each time it had been cast and so far each time it had not fallen on him. So he waited for it, just as he waited for a son and always in vain. Then, finally, the lot falls on the old man. He may burn incense. This is a privilege and a beautiful and at the same time responsible task. He must represent the people and may approach God. Zacharias was probably one of the few priests who did this work with devotion to God and love for the people. The priesthood as a whole is in great decay. The attitude of the chief priests toward the Lord Jesus shows how much the priesthood is not focused on God but on themselves. It is not about whether God gets what is due to Him, but whether they themselves can benefit from it. Zacharias is an exception to this practice. Because he is faithful, God can inform him about His plans. He wants to give Zacharias insight into this. Faithfully fulfilling the task we have been given is always, even today, one of the conditions for receiving and understanding communications from God. We will see later that faith is also needed. The lot has determined that Zacharias may burn incense. There is still the question of the lot here. God then used that to make known His sovereign will. That fits in with an Old Testament situation. When the Lord Jesus has gone to heaven, the lot is used for the last time. That is in the case of choosing an apostle instead of Judas ( ). That is even before the Holy Spirit is poured out and has come to earth to guide the believers. Once the Holy Spirit is here, we no longer read anywhere about the use of the lot. From His coming on earth the Holy Spirit guides the believers in making decisions. Zacharias must enter the temple of the Lord, Yahweh , to “burn incense”. The incense offering symbolically represents the Lord Jesus in the loveliness He has for God. Thus the believer may now tell God how excellent He is and thus, as a priest in a spiritual sense, burn incense in a spiritual way. When the offering of incense is brought, the priest stands in its scent. In the same way the believer is pleasant in Who Christ is for God. Incense is a picture of the prayers of the saints ( ; ) and it is a picture of the personal glory of the Lord Jesus ( ). Our prayers are only pleasing to God through Him ( ). Zacharias works in the temple on earth in accordance with the law. In the course of this Gospel we see the transition from law to grace, from earth to heaven. The Gospel ends with the good news for all nations and a Christ Who is taken up into heaven to perform His high priestly service there. This Gospel begins with a scene in the temple and ends with a scene in the temple. In the first chapter we see a mute priest. In the last chapter we find people who are anything but mute. They praise and worship God as people destined to be priests in a new dispensation, that of the church. This Gospel begins with a believer who cannot speak, it ends with believers who cannot stop praising. The fact that the whole multitude of the people is outside is the typical characteristic of the Old Testament. The mass is thus in prayer. Prayer is common in this Gospel. Eight times we find the Lord Jesus in prayer ( ). The people are in prayer, which does not mean that they have a real longing for God. Yet there will also be faithful believers present who are praying in real reverence. They realize that God can only deal with them on the basis of the incense offering. Prayer is part of their religion. They may not approach God themselves. It has to be done via a mediator. Wherever in professing Christianity someone occupies a position between man and God, it is holding to this Old Testament situation. It is the privilege of the believer that he may now approach God himself. Every believer is a priest and is called to bring spiritual sacrifices ( ).

‏ Luke 1:8-9

The Priestly Service of Zacharias

The priestly division to which Zacharias belongs is on duty. At that time, there were approximately 18,000 priests, divided into twenty-four divisions. Each division came in turn to Jerusalem to serve there. Every day the lot determined which priest who had not done so before, was allowed to burn incense. Given the large number of priests, each priest would have this privilege only once in his lifetime.

How many times Zacharias will have been in Jerusalem in the turn of his division? And every day the lot was cast. Every day, Zacharias will have prayed that he should now have the privilege to burn incense. Each time it had been cast and so far each time it had not fallen on him. So he waited for it, just as he waited for a son and always in vain. Then, finally, the lot falls on the old man. He may burn incense.

This is a privilege and a beautiful and at the same time responsible task. He must represent the people and may approach God. Zacharias was probably one of the few priests who did this work with devotion to God and love for the people. The priesthood as a whole is in great decay. The attitude of the chief priests toward the Lord Jesus shows how much the priesthood is not focused on God but on themselves. It is not about whether God gets what is due to Him, but whether they themselves can benefit from it. Zacharias is an exception to this practice.

Because he is faithful, God can inform him about His plans. He wants to give Zacharias insight into this. Faithfully fulfilling the task we have been given is always, even today, one of the conditions for receiving and understanding communications from God. We will see later that faith is also needed.

The lot has determined that Zacharias may burn incense. There is still the question of the lot here. God then used that to make known His sovereign will. That fits in with an Old Testament situation. When the Lord Jesus has gone to heaven, the lot is used for the last time. That is in the case of choosing an apostle instead of Judas (Acts 1:26). That is even before the Holy Spirit is poured out and has come to earth to guide the believers. Once the Holy Spirit is here, we no longer read anywhere about the use of the lot. From His coming on earth the Holy Spirit guides the believers in making decisions.

Zacharias must enter the temple of the Lord, Yahweh, to “burn incense”. The incense offering symbolically represents the Lord Jesus in the loveliness He has for God. Thus the believer may now tell God how excellent He is and thus, as a priest in a spiritual sense, burn incense in a spiritual way. When the offering of incense is brought, the priest stands in its scent. In the same way the believer is pleasant in Who Christ is for God. Incense is a picture of the prayers of the saints (Psa 141:2; Rev 5:8) and it is a picture of the personal glory of the Lord Jesus (Rev 8:3). Our prayers are only pleasing to God through Him (Heb 13:15).

Zacharias works in the temple on earth in accordance with the law. In the course of this Gospel we see the transition from law to grace, from earth to heaven. The Gospel ends with the good news for all nations and a Christ Who is taken up into heaven to perform His high priestly service there.

This Gospel begins with a scene in the temple and ends with a scene in the temple. In the first chapter we see a mute priest. In the last chapter we find people who are anything but mute. They praise and worship God as people destined to be priests in a new dispensation, that of the church. This Gospel begins with a believer who cannot speak, it ends with believers who cannot stop praising.

The fact that the whole multitude of the people is outside is the typical characteristic of the Old Testament. The mass is thus in prayer. Prayer is common in this Gospel. Eight times we find the Lord Jesus in prayer (Lk 3:21 ; Lk 5:16 ; Lk 6:12 ; Lk 9:18 ; 29 ; Lk 11:1 ; Lk 22:41 ; Lk 23:34a). The people are in prayer, which does not mean that they have a real longing for God. Yet there will also be faithful believers present who are praying in real reverence. They realize that God can only deal with them on the basis of the incense offering. Prayer is part of their religion. They may not approach God themselves. It has to be done via a mediator.

Wherever in professing Christianity someone occupies a position between man and God, it is holding to this Old Testament situation. It is the privilege of the believer that he may now approach God himself. Every believer is a priest and is called to bring spiritual sacrifices (1Pet 2:5).