Both are Jewish – Elizabeth a descendant of Aaron the priest, Mary of the house of David; both become pregnant in miraculous, though different, ways; both have their sons’ names and roles declared by the angel Gabriel before their birth; both offer insightful praise to God and make commitments in order to fulfil their part in His purposes (Luke 1). Let’s look at some of the choices Elizabeth made and what they tell us about her character.
She chose righteousness over rebellion
The first mention of Elizabeth is alongside her husband, where Luke tells us:
“Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old” (Luke 1:6-7 NLT).
This elderly couple lived in a period when God had not spoken to, or intervened on behalf of, His people, the Israelites, for 400 years, that is, since not long after their return from captivity. The nation was once again under occupation, this time by the Roman Empire, to whom many Jews had defected or deferred, rejecting God and His promises. This couple were united in a desire to please God no matter the disinterest and disobedience around them. Living a life that is pleasing to God continues to be a challenge to all of us today as we wait on God’s intervention again, and as compromise and apathy mark nominal Christianity more and more, and can rub off on true believers. Perhaps this narrative is a particular challenge to older Christians like Elizabeth – you are never too old to be used by God, and the influence of a life of simple obedience on those around you cannot be overestimated.
The verses above tell us that Elizabeth not only faced general discouragement but, over many years, she had endured the specific hardship of barrenness. Having grown up in a priest’s household, she would surely have been aware of the promise in Scripture that a woman’s child would one day bring about deliverance from Satan (Genesis 3:15) and her aspiration would have been to bring such a child into the world. Inability to conceive was usually attributed to a wife; it was often viewed as evidence of God’s judgement, and at times considered as grounds for divorce [1]. Elizabeth may well have been an object of scorn, like many other Bible women before her such as Hannah, Sarah and Rachel. Yet, unlike these latter two examples, who initially rebelled and brought about terrible disruption in their homes and marriages through their determination to have a child at all costs, Elizabeth chose to accept her situation and continue to live righteously before God even as the years went by and no child came.
In our modern world we swing from extremes when it comes to conception and children. On the one hand those who are “childless by choice” are applauded for the “courage” to live a life of little or no obligation; others may wish to conceive but reserve the right to choose how and when this happens and to deal with any unexpected consequences or complications as they see fit; those who have children often run into the pitfalls of either making them the centre of their world, or neglecting them in favour of career and personal happiness. As Christian women, our desires and attitudes should reflect what Scripture, not society, says – and God makes it clear children are a blessing (Psalm 127) But we should never desire good things so much they become ultimate things. Our ultimate goal should always be Christ-likeness and our identity should be in Him not in whatever category of womanhood we fall into. Whether God graciously uses the role of mothering or other means to conform us to His image is not our choice; ours is to trust Him and live for Him, just as Elizabeth did.
She chose seclusion over selfishness
Elizabeth’s impending pregnancy is announced to Zechariah, who doubts the angel’s message and is struck dumb (Luke 1:20) and, many commentators suspect, also deaf[2]. We are not told how the news is communicated to Elizabeth but given her consistent character it seems safe to assume she accepted it without wavering. Her immediate response is recorded by Luke:
“for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, ‘Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people’” (Luke 1:24-25 ESV).
This woman, who had probably been misjudged and ostracised by her community for years, could be forgiven for shouting her good news from the rooftops. Not only was she to have a much longed-for baby but the child was to be a son and a mighty servant of the Lord! Although this was an exciting time in her life, it was also going to be a difficult one – her advanced age no doubt meant the pregnancy would take a greater toll on Elizabeth and she might benefit from some help. Yet instead, she humbly recognises God’s hand in her situation, expresses gratitude toward Him and then promptly hides herself away with her elderly, mute and possibly deaf husband for five months. Why?
I wonder if it was partly out of loyalty to Zechariah, who had devotedly stood by her as she bore the stigma of being unable to conceive and consistently prayed that it might be otherwise. He had doubted at the final hurdle, been struck dumb, and was no doubt painfully aware of his failure and the fact it had occurred whilst offering incense in the temple before God and His people (Luke1:21-22.) So, Elizabeth stands by him in return, even though it must have meant she had little conversation or support during those first few challenging months. The same God she knew and communed with in all her previous years was her companion still, and the faithful life He had called her to remained His will for her as she prepared for motherhood. But perhaps a greater reason for choosing to seclude herself can be found in what the angel had foretold about her child:
“He must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke1:15 ESV).
This has echoes of what the angel of the Lord told the mother of Samson when He instructed her to avoid alcohol and uncleanness as her child would be a Nazirite dedicated to God (Judges 13). Perhaps Elizabeth knew that Samson had not lived up to his potential, and therefore wished to give her son the best possible start in his role for God. Complete seclusion meant she was not at risk of coming into contact with anything that might and so she puts his needs, and ultimately God’s requirements, before her own. Nowadays women are encouraged to put themselves first before their own husbands, children or anyone else. It takes strength of character to stand against the mantras of modern feminism and be prepared to put others first and ourselves last, to take a supporting role in order to enable others to play their part in God’s plans. All those long and barren years God had been quietly preparing Elizabeth to be the mother of one of his boldest prophets. Just as she had learned to do in the hard moments, she submits selflessly to God in this joyous one.
She chose encouragement over envy
Elizabeth’s solitude is broken in her sixth month of pregnancy by the arrival of her cousin Mary who has just been told that she will miraculously conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Son of God. Picture Elizabeth, a woman no doubt possessed of scriptural understanding through living in the religious area of Judea amongst priests; one who has amassed valuable life experience particularly as something of an outcast on account of her infertility; one who has dearly longed for a child yet accepted her lot, uncomplainingly, for her entire married life. Now, just as her desire is fulfilled, her poor, teenaged, virgin cousin on the cusp of marriage arrives from Galilee having been granted the honour of carrying and raising the long-promised deliverer, God’s own Son. Humanly speaking, you could see how Elizabeth might feel her thunder had been well and truly stolen by someone who was far less qualified for the task! It is a mark of how closely attuned Elizabeth was to God that His Holy Spirit fills her and under His influence she recognises the child Mary is to bear as Lord and declares the following to her:
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? . . . And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Luke 1:42-43,45 ESV).
Again, this response is very revealing of Elizabeth’s character – there is not a trace of envy but rather humility, awe and God-given insight. As Mary had only just arrived, she presumably had not revealed all the details of her visit from Gabriel, yet, through the Spirit’s leading, Elizabeth recognises Mary’s belief in his message. She encourages her that she will be blessed for her trust in God and it is in response to these kind words of Elizabeth’s that Mary finally expresses herself more fully than she has before, with the words of her well-known song of worship and joy that many of us love to read and meditate on to this day (Luke 1:46-55). How beautifully do these two women fulfil the instructions of the apostle Paul, written many years later to the Colossians:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16 ESV).
We are not given any information about the two cousins’ relationship before these events but the fact that Mary, almost immediately after receiving the news she was to become pregnant, makes the trip of around 100 miles[3] to Elizabeth’s home, suggests she knew her godly character. Here was one who would welcome her for she had known misunderstanding and rejection herself; one who would believe the words told to Mary just as she had believed God about her own pregnancy; and one who had spent years, and the past six months especially, leaning on her God and sustained by His Word, and so could now encourage and build up Mary in her first few difficult months. Is this the kind of godly woman I seek out for advice and support in both the crises and the humdrum of life? Is this the kind of godly woman I am hopefully becoming for other Christian women to turn to? Is my home a place where people know they will always be welcomed and will go away strengthened and encouraged?
Given her steadfast nature we can safely assume Elizabeth continued her role of encourager as a mother raising her son John the Baptist. For those of us blessed with children, are we walking closely with God and soaking up His words and wisdom so that we are equipped to build up and encourage our children? Elizabeth’s words inspired Mary to utter one of the most beautiful songs of praise in the Bible, and her humble words of greeting to her cousin seem to be replicated in her son John’s greeting to Christ (Matthew 3:14). What do our words inspire others, particularly our children, to do or say? Are we taking time to speak words of encouragement to them in our busy lives? The character of Elizabeth should inspire us all that a content, obedient and unassuming life lived to please God and to meet the needs of others is one of immense value to the Lord. He will use such a life, as He did Elizabeth’s, to enact His purposes and to encourage His people.
[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/c2000_Luk/Luk_001.cfm
[2] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_001.cfm
[3] Mary's Visit to Elizabeth
