“And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,”
Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God — the temple service context is important: Zechariah is performing his priestly rotation in Jerusalem, the center of the covenant community's worship. The priestly divisions served twice a year for a week at a time; within that week individual duties were assigned by lot. The divine appointment is about to come to Zechariah in the midst of his faithful performance of his ordinary priestly duties.
Church Fathers on Luke 1:8
The Lord appointed by the hand of Moses one High Priest, at whose death another was to succeed in due order. This was observed until the time of David, who by the command of the Lord increased the number of the Priests; and so at this time Zacharias is said to have been performing his Priest’s office in the order of his course, as it follows: But it came to pass, when Zacharias was performing the Priest’s office in the order of his course before God, according to the custom…
Zacharias seems here to be designated High Priest, because into the second tabernacle went the High Priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and the sins of the people.
Read all 4 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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