Winning the Lottery

The lottery was held every day for the Priests the Temple to assign duty posts.

Coins of Ancient Israel

.   The first drawing was to clear the altar of ashes. {A story is told that there were once two men who desired to clear the altar, and they both ran to be first, but they were equal, so one man pushed another off the ramp to the Altar. The man who fell off broke his leg, and the court saw the danger of disorder. This is how they began to assign priests duty by lottery. - Mishna Yoma 2.2}
.   The second lottery assigned specific tasks of the sacrifice to thirteen men. These men processed sacrifices, and took them to the top of the ramp by the altar. The fourth drawing decided which priests would receive the sacrificial offerings at the top of the ramp and place them on the altar.

Model of the Temple

.   At the third drawing of the lottery the officer used to say, “New priests come up and submit to the count for the incense.” This means that only once in a lifetime can a man clear the ashes from the Altar of Incense and then refresh the fire with figwood from the outer altar.
.   Now according to the Bible Zechariah the Priest, the father of John the Baptist was chosen casting of the third lot for duty of clearing and renewing the fire of the altar of incense. Luke wrote: “Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.” We also know from the Bible that this was probably Zechariah’s last tour of duty before he retired. Imagine the shock of Zechariah at being selected. Imagine the timing of God, in giving Zechariah an important message!
.   The Mishnah, an official guide book for Priests explains the duty that Zechariah was to follow: “Every day, the officiating priest would scoop out coals. [When he would scoop out figwood from the outer altar mixed with incense for the inner altar for the incense offering of morning and evening], he would scoop them with (a coal pan) of silver and spill them into one of gold [and he would not scoop them out with one of gold, for the scooping out of coals wears out the pan, and the Torah "pitied the money of Israel."].”

In the Holy Place of the Temple

.   The Bible tells us that when Zechariah went into the Holy Place of the Temple to tend the altar of incense according to the Law of Moses and instruction of the High Priests, “all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.” They waited on Zechariah to ‘quickly’ finish his task, so the sacrifices could begin … but…
.   “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.”

The Best book for Advent!

The Christmas story contains many details that most people miss. The details make the story more wonderful. I want to share the details with you (in more interesting form), in a ten minute reading per day …. Take a look at the book Advent Journeys, on the left side of this page, or by clicking this link.

Special Christmas

     Christmas is a special season, filled with great joy for most Christians. The holiday is infused with faith, social gatherings, worship services, special events, music, decorations, communication from friends who live far away, good food, helping others, giving gifts, and receiving presents. Some Christmasses are just what you expect, and others are memorable. Special Christmases I remember include some when I was young, my daughter’s first Christmases, and a Christmas out west when we got snowed in and built snow tunnels. I remember Christmas Eve worship in Kansas, with my wife’s family, and the privilege of bringing her grandmother to church when she was in failing health.

Christmas in Denver with 34" of snow

     I have fond memories of the plays and musicals I participated in during the Christmas season. These events ministered to others, and built friendships as I worked with others on the production. I worked with Ronda and Brent Hart to decorate our church and mask the hallway for “Follow the Star.” I also work with them as the Bethlehem Rabbi in a production entitled Walk Thru Bethlehem. I have watched with great joy as God grew a small youth production in Apex, NC, entitled Journey to Bethlehem into a production that ministers to thousands of people each year.

Bethlehem Rabbis at Walk Thru Bethlehem

     In the first century, in a time when there was not yet Christmas, there was a village priest by the name of Zechariah, who served on rotation at the Temple in Jerusalem. (That means he worked each of the three harvest festivals and two other weeks annually, for a total of five weeks per year). The man Zechariah was an older priest, almost ready for his time of retirement.
     To be sure, there were special times of service in the Temple, and then there were times when the duties overtook him. On days when work was light, Zechariah was full of joy. At times when the tasks were great and the stress level was high, the village priest forced joy into his heart, because he knew that this pleased God.

Temple model at the Israel Museum

     Zechariah had learned to be joyful at all times. He had faced various problems in life, and with God’s help, they had all been overcome. All except one, and that was OK, because God is always in control. Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth desired a child, but while they were young, and even in middle age, when it is still possible to have children, none were born. Elizabeth was barren. Zechariah found joy in his wife and in life.

Birth of Jesus

     In Zechariah’s final year of service, possibly in the week of his retirement, was an amazing week for the village priest (which I share in my book Advent Journeys, available as a book, as a Kindle e-book, and readable through Amazon Prime) and his wife Elizabeth. God chose Zechariah for a special place of service, tending the altar of incense. And while at the altar God sent the angel Gabriel to communicate that Zechariah's wife Elizabeth would give birth to a child. The priest was shocked! This was a story like that of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Elkanah and Hannah, and Boaz and Ruth. The retiring priest was amazed!