Luke 1:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

NIV: he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

NASB: according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

CSB: it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.

NLT: As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.

KJV: According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

NKJV: according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

In one sense, the number of priests serving in the temple would have been limited. Only a single "division" of priests served at a time (Luke 1:8; 1 Chronicles 24:10). The 24 divisions all came from the lineage of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. As compared to the full population of Israel, this would have left a relatively tiny portion directly serving in the temple at any given time.

And yet, there were not that many tasks to be performed on a regular basis. Some rites were done more often than others. All were considered an honor (Joshua 18:7), some more than others. The twice-daily offering of incense seems to have been one such honor (Exodus 30:1–8). For that reason, it seems random chance (Luke 1:8) was used to decide who would perform this task. Scholars indicate a given priest may have performed this sacrament once—if that—in their entire life. This may be the case for Zechariah. If so, the timing of God's vision and prediction are further proof of their miraculous nature (Luke 1:11).

Luke 1:5–25 explains how Elizabeth, the childless wife of a priest, learns that she will give birth to a prophet. This child will eventually be known as John the Baptist. Her husband, Zechariah, learns this from an angel but doubts due to his advanced age. As a result, he is rendered temporarily mute, and likely deaf as well (Luke 1:62). As predicted, he and Elizabeth conceive and await the birth of their son. This occurs several months before Elizabeth's relative, Mary, receives even more amazing news from an angel.

The angel Gabriel predicts two miraculous births. The first is a son born to Zechariah and Elizabeth: an older, childless priest and his wife. Because Zechariah initially doubts this message, he is temporarily made unable to speak. Their child will be known as John the Baptist, a powerful herald of the Messiah. The Promised One whom John will proclaim is the second birth predicted by Gabriel. He tells an engaged virgin, Mary, that God will miraculously conceive His Son in her. The two women meet and rejoice over their blessings. John's arrival sets the stage for Luke's familiar account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke was a travelling companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10); his book of Acts is a direct "sequel" to the gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1–3). Those two books make up more than a quarter of the New Testament. Luke begins by explaining how his orderly approach is meant to inspire confidence in Christian faith. His work is based on eyewitness interviews and other evidence. The first chapter details the miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Chapter 2 continues with Jesus' birth.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.

Accessed 5/18/2024 10:35:20 PM