While there is actually quite a bit of Scripture devoted to Elizabeth, she sort of gets lost in the nativity narrative. We tend to skip over her role as the mother of John the Baptist in our eagerness to magnify Mary’s significance.
Her husband, Zechariah, and Elizabeth lived when wicked Herod was on the throne. He was the guy who not only killed members of his family but also ordered the extermination of all male babies under the age of two. Zechariah was a priest and Elizabeth was also from a family of priests. Both of them walked with God and took their faith seriously. They lived in an unnamed village in the hill country of Judea, obscure and ordinary, yet upright before God.
As we take a look at Elizabeth’s life from Luke 1, I want to draw out six practical truths that will help us.
1. Describe your disappointment (v. 7).
As devoted as Elizabeth was, she was also deeply disappointed. Some of you couples may be experiencing this kind of pain as well. In that culture barrenness was considered to be a sign of God’s disfavor so this couple would have lived with some shame and the knowledge that while they were devoted to God, others probably thought they had done something wrong. In what area of life are you experiencing unmet expectations? What prayers have been met with silence?
2. Pray for God’s provision (v. 8-25).
At least once a year, Zechariah would leave home while his order served at the Temple. It was similar to being in the Reserves. This had to be difficult for Elizabeth but she also knew that it was an honor for her husband to serve in this way. Zechariah was chosen by lot to go into the Holy Place and burn incense. This was a once-in-a lifetime privilege and was the greatest moment in the life of any priest. As a thousand priests stand outside and thousands of worshippers have gathered in the Court of Israel, Zechariah stands alone in the holy place. Only he’s not alone because an angel of the Lord suddenly appears and announces that their prayer was heard and they would have a son, John. The little verb phrase “has been heard” can be literally translated “was heard and is being heard.”
This is amazing because Zechariah and Elizabeth are quite old and past the normal age to have children. It’s quite possible that they had been praying for 40 years or more but nothing had happened. Or maybe they had given up much earlier. And now they were too old. And yet here’s an angel saying: “Your prayer has been heard.”
3. Trust God’s timing.
One of the hardest things to do when we pray is to wait for God’s answers. God answers prayer according to His timing and His delays are not the same thing as His denials. God often waits until things are humanly impossible and then He does what only He can do. God waits in order to display His glory, to dispense His grace and to grow our character. I like how one author puts it.
When we pray a prayer that is not right, God will say, “NO.”
When we pray a prayer and we are not right, God will say, “GROW.”
When we pray a prayer and the timing is not right, God will say, “SLOW.” But, when we pray a prayer and all is right, God will say, “GO.”
In what area do you need to trust God’s timing?
4. Look for ways to encourage others (v. 36-37, 39-42).
When you’re going through something, look for ways that God wants to use you to encourage someone else. Most of us get so wrapped up in our own worries that we forget that there are people around us who need encouragement. In fact, one reason God ministers to us is so that we’ll minister to others. Elizabeth was a huge encouragement to Mary. In fact, Elizabeth’s pregnancy was used as an example by the angel when he spoke to Mary. Elizabeth and Mary now had something in common because both of their pregnancies were miraculous. When they met, Elizabeth’s baby leaped in her womb and then in a loud voice she praised God through Mary. I love this about Elizabeth – her focus is on Mary, not on herself. And, these words were further confirmation to her about what Gabriel had told her. Learn from Elizabeth and look around and see who needs some encouragement today. It’s likely that God wants to use you to help someone who is going through something you have already experienced.
5. Enjoy the blessing of believing (v. 43-45).
Every member of Elizabeth’s family was impacted by the announcement of the Lord’s salvation. Notice that Elizabeth called Jesus “my Lord” even before He was born in verse 43. She then blesses Mary by affirming her for her acceptance of the Lord’s will in her life. An aged priest has less faith than a young peasant girl, and thus Elizabeth’s blessing of Mary for her faith in God’s promise contains a mild rebuke for her doubting husband, who did not believe Gabriel’s words. May I suggest that Elizabeth seems to have had much deeper spiritual and scriptural insight than Zechariah did? She speaks of much more than she would have learned from what the angel said to her husband – not just that their son would be the forerunner, but that the son of Mary is Lord and Savior. Elizabeth had no doubt that Jesus was the Lord and the only way to salvation.
6. Speak up when the time’s right (v. 22-24, 59-65).
Can you imagine what it must have been like for Elizabeth when she was pregnant? We know from verse 24 that she was in seclusion for five months. Zechariah couldn’t speak at all for these months and verse 60 tells us that eight days after the baby was born when it came time to name him everyone thought he would be named after Zechariah but Elizabeth spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John!” This probably got everyone talking and so they made signs to his father and he wrote out these words: “His name is John.” At that moment he was finally able to speak and his first words were in praise of God. I love how Elizabeth speaks up and speaks out. She was not afraid to say what she knew to be true, no matter what others thought of her.
I hope you will take courage to continue to pray for God to work in and through you. Don’t give up!