And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
Luke 1:7 means that Zacharias and Elisabeth had no child because Elisabeth was barren and both were well advanced in years, remaining childless into old age. Their son was thus a son of their old age and a child of miracle. They were an aged, godly, faithful pair, righteous before God and blameless in all His commandments and ordinances, living at the time when Israel was waiting for the Messiah.
Despite childlessness, Zacharias continued in faithful priestly ministry, standing before the golden altar in the holy place while incense burned and the prayers of Israel and the people outside ascended before God. Through those long years he had prayed both for the coming of the Redeemer and for a child, and heaven regarded those prayers as about to be answered. God promised this faithful pair a son, to be named John, assigned a special work as messenger to announce Christ and prepare the way for the Lord, as declared in the angel's message to Zacharias about the child to be born. The announcement came while Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, when heaven's messenger appeared standing on the right side of the altar as a sign of divine favor.
The mercy seemed too great for Zacharias to credit, so he took no note of the sign of favor and was filled with fear and self-condemnation. The verse carries a lesson of parental responsibility to prepare for a child's birth: even with a divinely appointed child, parents cannot leave the child for God to care for alone but must faithfully cooperate with God in forming a character fit for his work. In that cooperation they moved to a retired place in the country so their son would not be exposed to the temptations of city life or be induced to depart from their counsel and instruction, sacredly fulfilling their obligation so that by no careless neglect on their part would he fail to become good and wise and give light and guide feet into peace.
Luke 1:7 means that Zacharias and Elisabeth had no child because Elisabeth was barren and both were well advanced in years, remaining childless into old age. Their son was thus a son of their old age and a child of miracle. They were an aged, godly, faithful pair, righteous before God and blameless in all His commandments and ordinances, living at the time when Israel was waiting for the Messiah.
Despite childlessness, Zacharias continued in faithful priestly ministry, standing before the golden altar in the holy place while incense burned and the prayers of Israel and the people outside ascended before God. Through those long years he had prayed both for the coming of the Redeemer and for a child, and heaven regarded those prayers as about to be answered. God promised this faithful pair a son, to be named John, assigned a special work as messenger to announce Christ and prepare the way for the Lord, as declared in the angel's message to Zacharias about the child to be born. The announcement came while Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, when heaven's messenger appeared standing on the right side of the altar as a sign of divine favor.
The mercy seemed too great for Zacharias to credit, so he took no note of the sign of favor and was filled with fear and self-condemnation. The verse carries a lesson of parental responsibility to prepare for a child's birth: even with a divinely appointed child, parents cannot leave the child for God to care for alone but must faithfully cooperate with God in forming a character fit for his work. In that cooperation they moved to a retired place in the country so their son would not be exposed to the temptations of city life or be induced to depart from their counsel and instruction, sacredly fulfilling their obligation so that by no careless neglect on their part would he fail to become good and wise and give light and guide feet into peace.