“Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshippers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1: 8-17)
Zechariah was chosen that day to burn incense. In the temple he would sprinkle frankincense on the fiery coals and a fragrant cloud would rise. He would prostrate himself on the floor and pray for the peace of Israel and give thanks for previous blessings. He had studied how to do this though this was most probably his first time.
It was a special day for him. He was just a priest, not a High Priest, just an ordinary one and yet the dice rolled in his favour apparently because out of at least 20,000 other priests he had been chosen. Luck? Miracle? Or indeed chosen?
Zechariah is chosen to go into the most privileged place, the presence of God. He is alone in the place of sacrifice. He longs for the Messiah to come but he doesn’t realise how close Jesus is. He pours the incense on the altar. The place is filled with a beautiful fragrance.
The incense was not for the enjoyment of the people it was for God. But the beautiful smell was the signal that God was there meeting with them and it was then that they would pray. Maybe they thought the incense attracted God to them, a sign for Him to come?
Outside everyone is praying, the fragrance of the incense has reached them. Inside, alone, is a man chosen by God having the experience of sacrifice.
Symbolism is all around him. He has prayed and so have the people outside for the protection of Israel and for the coming Messiah. What he doesn’t realise is that all the artefacts around him have their central meaning in Christ, the whole of the Temple was a picture of Jesus.
Zechariah was before the altar of incense. The place symbolic of the prayers of people rising to God.
Where did he come from? I am not sure, he just appeared! Zechariah was clear that an angel had appeared, he even knew where he was standing for the detail will never be forgotten.
The message was simple and for all time.
Have faith, don’t be afraid.
The angel told Zechariah to stop. He wouldn’t command that if it wasn’t possible to do. Fear needs to be stopped because it paralyses us from moving. Zechariah would have to begin to move because God was already moving.
To stop being afraid Zechariah learnt what we must learn.
- Our prayers are heard. The prayers of old and the forgotten prayers perhaps “your prayer has been heard”.
- He can still do the impossible “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son.”
- His ways need to be His ways. Zechariah would not follow custom but call his son John for his son would follow a new path and purpose for God “and you are to call him John.”
- What I ask for is always less than what He can give “Many will rejoice because of his birth”
- When God answers my prayer the blessing will go beyond me “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord”
- Whatever God gives to me belongs to Him “He is never to take wine or other fermented drink” (the Nazirite vow which consecrated Him to God)
- God is always bigger than what I think I know and understand often leaving me wondering “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born”
- When God gives it is more about presence than protection or provision “He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God”
- God never forgets the people of the past and the anointing of the present can be even greater than that of yesterday “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah”
- The purpose of God is to prepare for Him coming. It is all about presence “To make ready a people prepared for the Lord”
Let us get into the temple today and wait on His presence for anything can happen when He is here.
Missions Paul 