The book of Luke opens with the story of the faithful priest, Zacharias, and his wife Elizabeth. We are told that Elizabeth is barren, a great sorrow for them. And we are also told that they have been diligently following their God and obeying all the laws He had given to Moses. They, like the rest of the children of Israel, have been waiting a very long time for the promised Messiah to come. And while they wait, they pray.
And that is what we find Zacharias and the people doing at the Temple when we learn that Zacharias has been chosen for a very special duty.
Luke 1:8-10 (NKJV)
So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
This was a very great honor for Zacharias! There were so many priests that if a priest was blessed enough to be chosen for this duty, he was only allowed to do so once in his lifetime. He was considered favored by God to have been chosen to burn the incense in the Temple.
The altar of incense stood inside the Temple in front of the curtain that divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was where the Ark of the Covenant abided. No one was allowed into the Holy of Holies except the High Priest, and that was only once a year on the Day of Atonement.
So in order for them to offer the incense to the Lord and have it reach the Ark of the Covenant and the presence of God, an altar of incense was placed directly in front of the curtain that separated the priest from the Holy of Holies. Hot coals from the burnt offering were placed on the altar of incense. Then the incense was sprinkled on top of the coals. The smell and smoke of the incense would rise up over the curtain of separation and into the Holy of Holies. Scripture says it symbolized the prayers of the people rising to God.
Psalm 141:2 (WEB)
Let my prayer be set before you like incense;
the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.
Revelation 5:8 talks about a heavenly scene where there are “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. “
Isn’t this a beautiful picture? While Zacharias is offering incense, symbolizing the prayers of the people rising to God, the people are actually praying their prayers outside in the courtyard. What do you think they were praying?
They were praying something called the Amidah. The Amidah is a set of prayers originally written by Ezra and other leaders of Israel around the time of their exile in Babylon. Comprised of 18 (now 19) blessings, and petitions, it was and still is the main prayer prayed in Jewish services.
This prayer was prayed a minimum of three times a day for centuries. By the time Zacharias was offering the incense in the Temple, the people of Israel had prayed these prayers thousands of times. And because it relates to our story, I want to show you some selected portions of this prayer, translated into English.
Blessing 14, Rebuilding of Jerusalem
Return in compassion to Your city, Jerusalem, and rest within it as You have said. Rebuild it speedily, and in our days, a structure forever. And may You establish the throne of David within Jerusalem speedily. Blessed are You, Lord, the Builder of Jerusalem.
Blessing 15, The Kingdom of David
May the Branch [offspring] of David Thy servant flourish speedily and may his horn be exalted in Your salvation. For in your salvation do we hope all the day. Blessed are You, Lord, Who produces the Horn of Salvation.
Blessing 17, Worship
Accept Your people, O Lord our God, and receive their prayer. Restore the most holy service of Your house and accept in love the offerings and prayers of Israel. May it please You always to want to accept the service of Your people Israel. May our eyes see You return to Zion in mercy. Blessed are You, O Lord, Who restores His Presence to Zion.
So, keep this in mind while we read what happens next in our story in Luke.
Luke 1:11-17 (NKJV)
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
The angel tells Zacharias that his prayer has been heard and will be answered. In part, this may have included a prayer for his wife, Elizabeth, to have a child. But I believe the angel was also referring to the prayers that the people and Zacharias were praying right then. Consider this. They were praying, “May the Offspring of David Your servant flourish speedily,” and, “Return in compassion to Your city, Jerusalem, and rest within it,” and, ‘May our eyes see You return to Zion in mercy.”
It’s like the angel tells Zacharias, “All right! Now’s the time! The Offspring of David is coming now! And, since you also prayed, ‘May it please You always to want to accept the service of Your people Israel,’ here’s the way you can serve God right now. You can be a part of God’s plan. Your wife, Elizabeth will give birth to the one who goes before the Messiah, preparing the hearts of the people to receive His message.”
When God determined it was time to send the Messiah, He did answer speedily! So many prayers are being answered here. And isn’t it amazing when God answers our prayers by making us the answer to that prayer? I think that is because God puts it on our hearts to pray for certain things. And as we pray about it, we too become concerned about it. And then we are willing to obey when He opens the door for us to participate in His answer to that prayer.
And did you see that the angel also said Zacharias and Elizabeth would be blessed with joy and gladness? This is their reward for persevering in prayer and serving God. And they will be so happy to serve God in this way, won’t they?
If you have been praying for something for a long time, trust God about the timing for the answer to that prayer. Be faithful and keep serving Him. And keep in mind that God might use you in the answer to that prayer.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The English translation of the Amidah can be found at https://hebrew4christians.com, by John J. Parsons. The direct link is https://hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/Daily_Prayers/Shemoneh_Esrei/shemoneh_esrei.html
God’s timing is exquisite! He is always in control. Praise God! The Choir at the end of your devotional is awesome! Thank you for sharing!
I love how some of these stories open up when one considers what was going on in the Jewish worship. Mark Biltz’s book, God’s Day Timer, is so good at pointing these things out, too.