Barren Elisabeth - Luke 1:7

Luke the physician wrote, “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless”, and in chapter one and verse seven of his book Luke shares how, “Zacharias” and “Elisabeth” “had no child, because Elisabeth was barren”, where we read:

And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren,

and they both were now well stricken in years.

The verse reads, “And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, ...” Luke began with the words, “And they had no child” or “and Zacharias and Elisabeth did not have any offspring or children”, “because that Elisabeth was barren” which means “since and on account that Elisabeth whose name means oath of God was sterile and unable to conceive a child”. Luke shared how “Zacharias and Elisabeth” did not have any children because “Elisabeth” was “sterile and unable to conceive a child”.

The verse continues, “... and they both were now well stricken in years.” Luke added the words, “and they both were now” which means “and Zacharias and Elisabeth were at this time” “well stricken in years” or “of great age, advance in years and unable to go farther in their lives”. Luke shared how both “Zacharias and Elisabeth” were old and past the prime of their lives.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn that “Zacharias and Elisabeth” were older people who were past the time of having children. The time of “fruitfulness” had passed, and neither of them believed they would have children in their lives. God will do a miracle for them, and because they lived “righteous lives” even while they “lacked for children”, God honored them to be the parents of a major figure in the plan for the salvation of mankind. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and as these events unfold, perhaps we will identify with the “barrenness” of “Elisabeth” for some area in our lives. During this time we should continue to be “righteous” before God, and allow Him to decide how He wants to use us as we commit ourselves to His Son Jesus as our “Savior and Lord”.

Next time Luke shares how Zacharias, “executed the priest's office before God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".