Zacharias Executing the Priest's Office - Luke 1:8

The Beloved Physician Luke wrote, “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: 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”, and in chapter one and verse eight of his book Luke shares how, “Zacharias” “executed the priest's office before God”, where we read:

And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

The verse reads, “And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God ...” Luke began with the words, “And it came to pass” or “and it happened and came into existence”, “that while he executed the priest's office” which means “that during the time when Zacharias performed, discharged and busied himself in the sacred duties of the priest” “before God” or “in front of and in the presence of the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Luke referred to the time when “Zacharias” performed his “priestly sacred duties” in the presence of God.

The verse goes on to say, “... in the order of his course,” Luke continued with the words, “in the order” which means “within the arrangement and right condition” “of his course” or “pertaining to Zacharias' service which was limited to a stated series of days”. Luke shared how “Zacharias” performed his “sacred priestly duties” “within the right arrangement” of time to serve.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we see how “Zacharias” performed his “sacred priestly duties” even as they were prescribed for him to fulfill. Though “Zacharias” did not have offspring that would carry on his name, he fulfilled that which the Lord God commissioned him to do. In other words, “Zacharias” did not allow his disappointing condition to stop him from serving the Lord. “Zacharias” becomes an example of the way we are to “serve” the Lord even when we have an area of “barrenness” in our lives. God the Father placed “Zacharias” in the position in which he served, and because “Zacharias” and his wife “Elisabeth” were “righteous” and served the Lord even when they lived without their desire, God will honor them. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when they submit their lives to Him, regardless of things which are absent in their lives, He not only acknowledges them, but will also use them greatly in His Kingdom.

Next time Luke shares how Zacharias was, “to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".