The New Way

 

They were both from the line of Jewish priests.  They were in a right relationship with God, obeying His commands.  They were childless.  And they were old.

 

It may seem to be just a tiny miracle, but I think it's pretty neat that when God wanted to talk with Zechariah, He caused his “number” to be chosen (chosen by lot)  so that he would be in the right place at the right time.  The priests were divided into 24 groups – and each group only served for 2 weeks per year at the temple in Jerusalem.   The rest of the time, they served in their own towns.  By this time in history, there were many, many priests (over a thousand in each group) who would go to Jerusalem to serve.  While Zachariah was serving at the temple – maybe cleaning or polishing or sweeping or baking bread or offering sacrifices, etc., a number drawing was done, and Zachariah was “chosen” to go into the Holy Place to offer incense to God.  Some priests never got to do this, and they were only allowed to do it once in their lifetime.  It was indeed a very special honor.   This is why I feel that God supernaturally caused it to happen at this particular time.  God is always at work around you orchestrating things so that you will be in the right place at the right time!    

 

Going into the Holy Place was such an honor because that was the closest a priest could get to God's presence.  Now the high priest could go into the Holy of Holies – which was even more sacred.  But he could only go in once a year on the Day of Atonement.  He would make a sacrifice for himself and for the nation of Israel and then go into the Holy of Holies and talk with God.  

 

Let me give you a rough sketch so you can visualize this area of the temple.

 

It will not be proportional but will give you an idea. 

 

 

Now between the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place was a very thick (3” to 6” thick from ceiling to floor) curtain. 

 

The Holy Place was considered sacred because it was so close to the Holy of Holies.

 

The priest who was chosen to enter the Holy Place would first make his sacrifice for his sins and then enter the Holy Place.  He would offer incense to God and spend time in prayer and then leave. 

 

It was indeed HOLY.  No one could go into this room unless they were chosen for this task.  But it was also a most dangerous assignment.  So dangerous that the priests began to sew little bells on to the bottom of their robes so that the people would know if they were still alive or dead.  If the bells quit tinkling, the other priests would use a long shepherd's crook to reach in to pull the dead body of the priest out.  Other records say that they tied a rope around the priest's ankle, so they could pull him out if he died.  They couldn't enter the Holy Place unless they were chosen, so they invented these methods to retrieve the body if the priest didn't survive.

 

Why do you think it was dangerous to enter the Holy Place?   All the priest did is take some incense into the Holy Place table and pray for the people of Israel.    So, why was it dangerous?  

 

It was dangerous because God is Holy.  You can't come before God with sin in your heart.  Before going into the Holy Place, each priest was to confess all his sins and make animal sacrifices for them.  If he did this, he was fine.   But if he failed to confess all his sins, or he was deliberately covering his sins and pretending they weren't really bad – God would strike him dead.  

 

It's serious business to come into God's presence.  God is holy.  The only person who could come in His Presence had to have their sins confessed and paid for – all of them!  The Jews paid for their sins by sacrificing an animal.  A priest who was not in a right relationship with God was risking his life to enter the Holy Place.

 

Would you want your number to be drawn?