Meet the Cast: Luke 1:5-7
“5) In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6) They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7) But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭
Luke begins the nativity story with Zacharias and Elizabeth. He was introducing the cast. They were the parents of John the Baptist. Zacharias was a priest from the division of Abijah. He had the right pedigree.
They lived during the reign of Herod the king. That is significant because it attached a date to these events. Many times, significant events were noted in relation to kings and dignitaries. This anchored the event in time and space. It was verifiable.
Luke makes special note of the fact that both Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous in the sight of God. They were walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
There are huge blessing in living a righteous life. Psalm 4:3 says; “But know that the cliff has set apart the godly man for Himself. The Lord hears when I call to Him.” God was ready for the next big event on His calendar. He looked for godly and trustworthy people to work through.
The same is true today. God favors those who walk with Him in sincerely and truth. If you want to experience God’s favor, power and blessings, then walk in close fellowship with Him.
There was one major problem; Elizabeth was barren and they were getting old. When God prepares to do something special, He often makes it extra difficult. The stage was being set for multiple miracles converging around the ultimate birth of the Messiah through the Virgin Mary.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
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