I am the wife of Zacharias the priest. Moreover, I am the daughter of a family of priests of the house of Aaron. My father was a priest. As the wife of a priest, it has been my duty to give attention to my husband's priestly vestments and to our home where godly people come to talk over Temple matters. We had no children . . . until God performed a miracle.
Our story is not unlike that of Sarah and Abraham. You'll remember that she too was barren until well in years. Then God gave Isaac to them.
In our case, Zacharias had gone into the Holy Place of the Temple of the Lord to burn incense and to pray. I don't know what he prayed for that day, but I know now that it was in that place and at that time that the angel Gabriel came to him and announced that I would give birth to a son who should be named John. Zacharias found this hard to believe and questioned the matter. The angel then gave him a sign, ". . . because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur" (Luke 1:20).
I was in my sixth month when my relative Mary was visited by an angel with the announcement that she too would bear a son whom she should name Jesus. And the angel added, "And now, your relative Elisabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God."
So Mary set out from her home in Nazareth and came with haste from her home to mine. We live in the hill country of Judea, in a desert tract near the Dead Sea, four miles walking distance from the great Temple in Jerusalem.
Now when Mary appeared at my door, I knew immediately that there was something special about this visit. When Mary greeted me, my child leaped in my womb. And I was filled with the Holy Spirit, and exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" (Luke 1:41-43).
Mary stayed with me for three months, and we had much to say to each other. We shared the common experience of approaching motherhood and joyfully planned for the birth of our sons. We did not know what the future held for them. Little did we know that John would be beheaded by Herod, ruler of Galilee nor that Mary's son would be crucified on the cross by an angry mob. I treasure Jesus' words about my son, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matt. 11:11).
I believe I altready told you that I am a daughter of the house of Aaron. I am honored to bear the name of Aaron's wife Elisheba which means "God is an oath." To me that means that God's word is all powerful.
Elisheba is the Hebrew name for . . . ELISABETH.
Our story is not unlike that of Sarah and Abraham. You'll remember that she too was barren until well in years. Then God gave Isaac to them.
In our case, Zacharias had gone into the Holy Place of the Temple of the Lord to burn incense and to pray. I don't know what he prayed for that day, but I know now that it was in that place and at that time that the angel Gabriel came to him and announced that I would give birth to a son who should be named John. Zacharias found this hard to believe and questioned the matter. The angel then gave him a sign, ". . . because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur" (Luke 1:20).
I was in my sixth month when my relative Mary was visited by an angel with the announcement that she too would bear a son whom she should name Jesus. And the angel added, "And now, your relative Elisabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God."
So Mary set out from her home in Nazareth and came with haste from her home to mine. We live in the hill country of Judea, in a desert tract near the Dead Sea, four miles walking distance from the great Temple in Jerusalem.
Now when Mary appeared at my door, I knew immediately that there was something special about this visit. When Mary greeted me, my child leaped in my womb. And I was filled with the Holy Spirit, and exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" (Luke 1:41-
Mary stayed with me for three months, and we had much to say to each other. We shared the common experience of approaching motherhood and joyfully planned for the birth of our sons. We did not know what the future held for them. Little did we know that John would be beheaded by Herod, ruler of Galilee nor that Mary's son would be crucified on the cross by an angry mob. I treasure Jesus' words about my son, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matt. 11:11).
I believe I altready told you that I am a daughter of the house of Aaron. I am honored to bear the name of Aaron's wife Elisheba which means "God is an oath." To me that means that God's word is all powerful.
Elisheba is the Hebrew name for . . . ELISABETH.
Copyright ©2004. Beverly Whitaker
Elisabeth
Luke 1:5-57
