Zacharias was a priest that belonged 'to the section of Abia.' At this time the priesthood of Israel was separated into twenty-four divisions, of which, the family of Abijah was one. They only needed all of the many thousands of priests to be together for the big three Jewish festivals. Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. The rest of the year each priest would serve one week two times a year.
Zacharias is chosen by lot for the coveted role of offering the incense, something that a priest might do only once in their entire lives, if ever. Every morning and every night a special sacrifice was made on behalf of the entire nation. As a part of this sacrifice incense was burned on a special altar so that the sacrifice might go up to God with a sweet-smelling incense. The hour of incense was at about 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. It was during this once in a lifetime experience that God made His plan known to Zacharias.
A priest could only marry a woman of pure Jewish lineage. It was a special honor to marry a woman who was a descendant of Aaron (Moses brother whose story is told in Genesis and who established the lineage of priest). Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron.
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