Chasing History: Elizabeth

Whether there’s three or eleven of you, I’m so thankful to each and every one that joins me on Monday to Chase History.

If you’re new here, welcome! I’m so glad you’re visiting, let’s be friends?

Here is how the link-up words. Easy peasy, I promise.

Just pick one of your favorite women in the Bible and then write about her. Do a little research, read the chapter(s) over again. Dig in deep or span out wide. Just learn.

And then come back and tell us all about her – and you. Share how God is using a woman’s story from long ago to challenge you, teach you, or encourage you.

It doesn’t need to be fancy. It doesn’t need to be long. If you’ve read here any length of time, you know I ramble and I love details. So it should be no surprise that if I’m able to find out anything about a Story, I’m going to write. it. all. out.

Write however much you feel comfortable. This isn’t a bible study – this is community coming together to talk about Him and the Stories He has written.

What could be more beautiful? Let’s chase history together.

Background Information

Elizabeth is married to Zechariah (who was a priest)
She was barren
Elizabeth and Mary (the mother of Jesus) are relatives
Their children, John and Jesus, are cousins

So, What Happened?

For today, I’m leaving the Old Testament and I decided to just open my Bible and randomly find a women in the New Testament. I opened to Luke, and in the first chapter we find Elizabeth, the wife to Zechariah, a priest. He was chosen by lot to go into the temple and burn incense before the Lord. While he was there, an angel appeared to him and said, “Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.”

But Zechariah questioned the angel by saying,” How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

What he said was true. A little earlier in the story, we see that both Elizabeth and Zechariah were “upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.”

Even though what Zechariah said was true, the angel made him silent – unable to speak until the baby was born – because he didn’t believe.

All this time, the people are waiting outside the temple, wondering what was taking so long. Can you imagine how nervous Elizabeth was? What could take him so long? What was happening inside? Did he enter into the temple with an impure heart – did God strike him dead? Has he done something wrong? Where, just where is he?

When he came out of the temple unable to speak, they all knew he had had a vision. How frustrated, yet excited, they must have felt! After going home, Elizabeth becomes pregnant, but remains in seclusion for five months. She says, “The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

In Elizabeth’s sixth month, Mary becomes pregnant and the Lord tells her through an angel that, “Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

Of course, Mary hurried and went to see Elizabeth. She was welcomed in, and when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, it says “the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Then, we get to see how Elizabeth really feels:

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 what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!

What Does This Mean For Me?

For me, it can be so easy to be like Zechariah, pointing out the facts to God as if He doesn’t already know them.

It’s as if I think God has just forgotten, so I’ll be a helpful person and remind Him that, yes, this is true and this is false and this can never ever happen because of this and that.

And then He taps me on the shoulder and says, ‘”Don’t you remember who I am? Believe.”

So God decides Zechariah will be silent until the baby is born. How many days must Zechariah and Elizabeth wondered – what if there is no baby? What if Zechariah is mute the rest of his life, all because of unbelief?

But then, they must have realized they were sinking into unbelief again, just with that question! What a hard inbetween to be in – trusting and believing God for His promise, but not seeing any action or results.

When Elizabeth becomes pregnant, she remains in seclusion for five months. For me, this was the most confusing part of the text. If you’ve been barren for so long, waiting desperately for a child, why would you continue to hide after five months of being pregnant? At this point, it doesn’t seem likely that she’ll lose the baby…

I wonder if she was nervous what people would say or think. I’m sure Zechariah’s silence was still being talked about in town – maybe she didn’t want to add to the attention that was already on them. Still, she says that He has taken away her disgrace, but she remains hidden.

I do that.

I know His promises and His grace that covers – I know He wipes everything clean and makes it sparkle – but still I’ll stay in the shadows just.in.case. there’s still something in me that won’t please. Sometimes it feels easier to hide than risk what people will think.

But Mary comes to her, and when that happens, Jesus comes to her. And I wonder, who was this meeting for?

Mary? That she would see that God does indeed keep promises and that He can be trusted. Or was it for Elizabeth? That He would come to her and she would feel peace and joy in this pregnancy, pushed to step out from seclusion and welcome people – and the Lord – in.

Isn’t it so interesting that she ends her exclamations by saying, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” I think this was meant in regards to Mary’s faith that she carries the Lord in her womb, but I think Elizabeth was also looking back at herself, realizing that Zechariah didn’t believe at first – and she stayed hidden even when the Lord had proven His Faithfulness.

What a reminder to us: He will do all that He says He will. The Lord never does anything half-way. He accomplishes all He sets out to do, and we can trust – and wait – in that.

“For nothing is impossible with God.”

How many times have we heard this phrase, and how many times have we went on, not knowing what story it really comes from?

Elizabeth’s Story rings out this phrase, what will your Story say?

For nothing is impossible with God.

*****

Next week I will be at camp, serving as a camp mom for high school guys and girls. Needless to say, I don’t feel equipped at all. Which probably means God is going to show up and show off. Still, prayers are much appreciated – that they would listen and learn from Him, and that I would have His wisdom to share. Also, that I will have strength to get through the week…I’m still very sick from SLU, but I know He will give enough for each day.

All that to say, I’m taking a break from Chasing History next Monday.

We’ll be back on Monday, August 5th – so you have tons of time to prepare!!!

Happy Monday to you all, and have a wonderful week!