Luke 1:5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the division of Abijah. And his wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
In Exodus and Leviticus, we are introduced to the four sons of Aaron (Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar) the beginning of the priestly line of Levites. The oldest two were killed by supernatural fire from the heavens after concocting their own brand of incense that had not been sanctified by God, and therefore, disobeyed God. This, as many of the facts found in the Old Testament is a forerunner/shadow of Christ’s sacrifice. (You are sanctified by Christ’s blood and not the work of man). The other two, younger sons of Aaron offered a sanctified sacrifice to the Lord but did not follow the commanded ritual completely. They, however, escaped immediate judgement.
More foretelling that we are saved by Grace and not works. (Eph. 2:8-9)
There is lots of history and shadowing surrounding Aaron’s sons, but did Aaron have daughters?
In the Christmas narrative found in the book of Luke, we see that yes, Aaron had daughters and Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, is a descendant from one of these women.
The nameless daughters of Aaron show up in the Gospel story.
Luke makes a point of letting us know that both Zechariah and Elizabeth are descendants of Aaron, making their future and long-awaited child a priestly-blooded son fit for serving in the temple before the Lord.
But John, as the Angel Gabriel explained to Zechariah, will be a different sort-of priest.
As a priest, he didn’t wear the jewel-adorned priestly garments. He wore camel hide. As a priest, he didn’t eat the reserved priestly portion of meat from sacrificed animals. He ate locust and honey. As a priest, he didn’t enter the temple to burn incense before the Lord. He burned hearts with truth in the desert beneath the blazing sun.
Radical John prepared the people for the coming and not-what-was expected Messiah.
I love this. It is no accident that John the Radical is linked not only to his father’s lineage, but also to his mother’s purposeful line.
Think about this: One of those nameless, ordinary women — whose brothers were making history – was selected to be mother who would train up children, who would train up more children, who would train up a mother, who would train up the priest that would rip apart tradition and open hearts for the coming Messiah.
Behind the scenes and without fanfare, ordinary women and men quietly made headway in God’s storyline for mankind.
Do you sometimes feel like a nameless daughter or son in the background?
Wait! A story is in process. An unexpected purpose lies ahead.
While the Christmas story is about the birth of our Savior, I love, love taking a deeper look at the ordinary people surrounding this glorious triumph.
Aaron’s daughters are given this beautiful nod in the Gospel story.
And you, my friend, have a nod coming, too. Doesn’t this give the words wait upon the Lord renewed fervor?
I cannot wait to meet these women in heaven. And likely, they cannot wait to meet you and me.
I anticipate, with great joy, hearing the story of generations preparing for the Messiah. I anticipate, with growing excitement, hearing how nameless people have prayed us through many miraculous moments, and how the ordinary turn out to be the extraordinary who showed up, sacrificed, and quietly gave their all to the Lord.
We are each a thread in a tapestry story woven by the Lord.
Take heart and be courageous for you have a God-sized nod coming.
Laurie
Author Laurie Green Westlake 