Elisabeth Conceived - Luke 1:24

Luke the physician wrote how Zacharias encountered the “angel Gabriel” as he was burning incense in the temple. “Gabriel” told Zacharias that he and his wife would have a son, and they were to name their son “John”. This caused Zacharias to ask, “Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto you, and to show you these glad tidings. And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because you believed not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house”, and in chapter one and verse twenty-four of his book Luke shared, “after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived”, where we read:

And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

The verse reads, “And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, ...” Luke began with the words, “And after those days” or “and when those days had passed” “his wife Elisabeth” which refers to “Zacharias' female spouse named Elisabeth which means oath of God” “conceived” or “became pregnant and with child”. Luke shared “after” Zacharias came home from ministering within the temple, his wife, Elisabeth, became pregnant with their first child.

The verse continues, “... and hid herself five months, saying,” Luke added the words, “and hid herself five months” which means “and Elisabeth concealed and secluded her pregnancy for five months long”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”. Luke shared how Elisabeth did not let anyone know that she was “pregnant” for “five months” and declared what will be revealed in our next verse.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see not only what happened to Zacharias' wife Elisabeth, but also what she did about it. Even as “Gabriel” promised, Zacharias and Elisabeth were miraculously expecting their first child. This fulfillment of prophecy cause Elisabeth to “hide” the fact that she was pregnant for “five months”, and she will make a declaration that acknowledges the “Lord” working in her life in our next verse. Suffice it for now to understand that God had a plan for the salvation of mankind, and miraculous events like this pregnancy of the elder Elisabeth were all performed according to His divine purpose and will.

Next time Luke shares Elisabeth's words, “thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me”, 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".