So it was, on the eighth day,
that they came to circumcise the child;
and they would have called him
by the name of his father, Zacharias.
Luke 1:59, NKJV
The eighth day of a baby boy's life was a great day of celebration for a family. Not only was it the naming day, but it was also the day of covenant. As Hebrews had been doing for 2000 years, the family of Zacharias and Elizabeth gathered for the cutting of covenant--a small medical procedure, the removal of flesh, the spilling of blood, and the seal of commitment between God and His people. That baby boy would grow up marked for the rest of his life with the sign that he belonged to God's chosen people.
And as good relatives often do, these relatives started suggesting names for the baby. You know the drill...everybody wants a namesake, everybody has a recommendation. Some want the baby to have a chic and fashionable name. Others think it's time to revive an old and not-often-used moniker. Either way it can be an oddity. But then someone in the crowd looks at Zacharias with his wrinkles and long white beard, and at Elizabeth with her silver braids and liver spots, and they realize that this is a one-time event for this family. They will likely never have another child--so this son, this firstborn and only son, should be given his father's name.
Had they taken a vote, I'm sure everyone would have agreed. Except that was not what God wanted. Zacharias and Elizabeth had very specific instructions from God, instructions on what to name their baby. And therein is the Biblical proof that good ideas from well-intentioned people aren't necessarily the best or even right thing to do.
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