In the story of Elizabeth, we see the faithfulness of God to Elizabeth and her husband as He blesses them with the bountiful fulfillment of His promises.In fact, Elizabeth’s name even declares hope in God’s promises. In Hebrew, the name is “Elisheva” which means God’s oath or God’s promise. In the Greek, “Elizabeth” means God’s abundance. 

Do you feel like you are waiting for God to intervene in your life? If so, you are not alone. From this story we learn that just because we are waiting it doesn’t mean that God is not there or that God doesn’t care. Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah had been waiting. They were waiting for God to bless them with a child. In that day, lineage was important and to be barren was often considered a curse. In fact, if a wife was barren, it gave right to the man to seek divorce. 

But this couple didn’t concern themselves with what society thought their life should look like. They were both from priestly lineage and they remained faithfully married and serving the Lord. “Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.” (v6). God’s silence in their lives didn’t deter them from trusting Him and serving Him. God had not just been silent to this couple but He had been silent to the people of Israel for 400 years and yet the priests continued to carry out their duties. It was in this duty that Zechariah, who faithfully prayed for a family of his own, would have the honor of a special visit and promise from an angel of God.

“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. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.” (13-15)

Zecharia may have struggled to accept this promise initially but Elizabeth rejoiced in it. Imagine thinking that your biological clock quit ticking and God tells you that His clock, His timetable is all that matters. He rewarded her patience and faithfulness. Her response: ““The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.””(v25)

As amazing as this miracle was in Elizabeth’s life, she would be granted the blessing of witnessing an even greater promise fulfilled. Her son would point others to the promised Messiah and the infant John began doing this even from the womb. 

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”” (41-45)

Elizabeth wasn’t just grateful for how she had been blessed in her personal circumstances but she was genuinely happy for the greater blessing placed upon Mary. Imagine as a seasoned older woman what a comfort she must have been to the young teenage virgin who was also a mother to be. She admired that Mary believed and trusted in what God had promised and I’m sure she encouraged her faith. 

In Elizabeth’s story, we can be encouraged to believe in God’s promises too. We can be encouraged to remain faithful even when we feel that God is being silent. We can be encouraged to wait for God’s perfect plan and purposes to be revealed in our lives. We can learn from her selfless example and rejoice in the promises and blessings we see God extend to others. 

 Elizabeth:  Luke 1:5-80

Elizabeth only appears in this first chapter of Luke, but I could easily find at least five legacy lessons through her story here. Perhaps you were able to find more and I hope you’ll share them with us.

OK, here goes:

 1.) I believe Elizabeth demonstrates that God is Jehovah- Jireh and He will provide for us. 

Notice what the angels says to Zachariah, “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. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth” (Luke 1:13-14). We aren’t privileged to see Elizabeth’s initial reaction when she learns that she is finally carrying a child after all these years of praying, but Elizabeth’s story tells us that we can never give up praying for the things we long for. Are you currently be held in the waiting room just now? I pray Elizabeth's story will be an encouragement to you. 

2.) God keeps His promises

The name Elizabeth actually means “God keeps His oaths”. He not only kept His promise to Elizabeth, but He brought the prophecy found in the Book of Malachi to life!

If you are struggling right now, waiting, wondering if God will ever answer, Elizabeth’s life is telling us to hang on! Keep trusting, for we may not see it now, but He is at work and will always keep His promises!

 3.)  God Still Performs Miracles

Both of the babies found in this chapter were miracles, but the people of that day would all view Elizabeth conceiving a child in her old age as a miracle right away. God was clearly at work then and is still at work today. Miracles are happening all the time and we need to be on the lookout constantly!

4.) We Should Bless Others Whenever We Have the Opportunity

 Notice, Elizabeth has learned that she is with child. She is so excited that she can hardly contain it. Suddenly, Mary comes to visit and shares her own exciting news and, instead of Elizabeth blurting out her own news, she chooses to share in Mary's excitement and blesses her,  “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:42-45)

Elizabeth’s blessing to Mary caused Mary to praise God,

“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1:46-55

But all of this praise could have gone sour quickly if Elizabeth had allowed jealousy to destroy her joy.

Both Elizabeth and Mary were graciously favored by God. Each were carrying precious men the world had been longing for.  I know Elizabeth was elated, yet when Mary came to Elizabeth to share her news that she had been visited by the angel of the Lord, and was now pregnant with the Son of God – Elizabeth rejoiced for her cousin, and that each were a part of God’s plan.

Have you ever been guilty of learning of a friend or family member receiving a blessing and wondering why it couldn’t have been you? What about looking over the fence at your neighbor’s home and seeing their new car, or new pool or summer home and lamenting over what you have rather than being excited for them?

I believe we all  have a tendency to look at others and compare them to ourselves and our lack, but what if we changed our way of thinking and, instead, remained grateful for all we've been given and were able to rejoiced with them and cause them to rejoice as well?

What if we could actually rest in the fact that we are just the way God has created us? We have all that God desires for us to have at this moment. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be free to simply be happy and share in other's happiness?

I believe this is the greatest takeaway from Elizabeth's life? How about you? I'd love to hear what you've discovered!

Blessings! 

sue

Good morning and welcome to our study of the women in the Bible. As we dig into each of these remarkable women and their stories, I think you’ll find that even though they lived thousands of years ago, they have much in common with women of today. For they share the same struggles, triumphs, joys, and sorrows, that we all experience as women of God. So let’s start with Elizabeth. One of the greatest heroines of faithfulness and obedience the Bible has to offer.

Elizabeth is only mentioned in the first chapter of Luke. But even the little written tells us some amazing things about her great faith in God. Coming from a very prominent family descended from the line of Aaron, she married Zacharias, a priest from the division of Abijah. And Luke tell us that both Elizabeth and Zacharias were, “righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all of the commandments and requirements of the Lord.” (vs. 6) Yet even with their upstanding status before God they had no children, for Elizabeth was barren.

Year after year Elizabeth and her husband prayed for a child. And year after year their prayers went unanswered. Having struggled with infertility myself, I know how hard, painful, and confusing it can be waiting on God. Yet as the years passed and she grew older, even in her waiting, we are never once told that Elizabeth gave up on God or on her life serving Him. Instead she continued walking in obedience and trusting in whatever plans He had for her life. 

And as He so loves to do, God rewarded Elizabeth’s faithfulness when at the age of around 60, she became pregnant with a son. Not just any son, but the promised messenger of God who would proclaim the soon to be born Messiah and prepare the way of the Lord! (Isaiah 40:3-5, Malachi 3:1) Because of her great faith and obedience God not only blessed Elizabeth with a child, through her, He fulfilled a promise made to Israel hundreds of years before her birth. Isn’t that just like God! He loves to bestow upon His children blessings far greater than we could ever imagine!

Obedience is a theme running throughout the story of Elizabeth. Her entire life she was faithful to the Lord, no matter what. When her baby was born, the tradition of the time was to name the first male child after his father. But obeying what an angel had told Zacharias, she named him John. (vs. 13, 59-60) And in great joy she cried out, “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men." (vs. 25), “Elizabeth was rejoicing in more than just the fact that she was having a baby. She was rejoicing over the fact that even though she had lived with the sorrow of barrenness for many years—even into her old age—it turned out that God had bigger plans for her than she or anyone else could have imagined. It turned out that she held a very privileged place in God's providential history.”....bethanybible.org 

Are you in a season of unanswered prayer, stuck in God’s waiting room? Ask yourself these questions. Am I praying with persistence? When I pray is it with the intention of God’s will being done? Am I trusting in His perfect timing? While I wait am I still walking in faithful obedience? Will I accept His answer even if it’s no? And finally, will I remember to bless and praise the Lord when He does answer?

God has great and wonderful plans for everyone who, like Elizabeth, live in faithfulness and obedience. And all He asks is that we trust in His goodness, His love, and His perfect timing. His promise to each of us is this, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” So trust God and His perfect plan. For one day we too will be greatly rewarded for our faithful obedience. And we can join Elizabeth in joyfully saying, “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” (vs. 45)

Elizabeth is found in  Luke 1:5-80

Hi Girls! 

We are so excited that you have decided to join us for our study on the women of the New Testament! Our first precious saint is Elizabeth found only in Luke 1:5-80. 

Elizabeth's story is often overlooked as it occurs parallel with Mary’s as she learns she is pregnant with our Lord and Savior, but there’s so much richness found in her story. In addition, there are quite a few life lessons  we can learn from her.

I plan to post a brief overview on the first day of each week to wet our appetites and get our minds thinking about the woman we'll be focusing on that week. 

Each day the writers will be focused on an individual theme: 

• Monday: Her story--a portrait of her life
• Tuesday: Her life and times--background information about the culture of her day
• Wednesday: Her legacy in Scripture--a short Bible study on her life with application to your own
• Thursday: Her promise--the Bible promises that apply to her life and yours
• Friday: Her legacy of prayer--and praying in light of her story