What Do We Know about Elisabeth?

What do we know about Elisabeth: Luke 1

She was a Matron Saint of Christianity

One of the 3 Wise Women

Elisabeth had a noble lineage  

• Daughter of an Aaronic Priest 
• She was identified by name, not “wife of…”  
• Wife of priest (Zacharias) – also a descendant of Aaron
• Righteous – only righteous 2 women in Bible (Other named Tamar – her story also involved wanting a child) – only one in New Testament
• Considered a person of goodness equal to her priestly husband
• Under Jewish law, men were expected to be strictly observant, but because of household obligations (e.g., children), women were exempt. However, Elisabeth is recognized in scripture as showing exceptional devotion to God’s commands—beyond that which was expected of women. She was well respected and honored.

Elisabeth was barren

• This was seen as a curse or judgment of God
• It was socially stigmatized – barren in a culture where a woman’s worth was                                            measured by the number of children she bore
• It was the duty of an Israelite wife to bear children – each woman dreaming that she may be the mother of the Messiah
• This held greater shame for daughter and wife of priest
• Zacharias was a direct descendant of Aaron. When he lived, Zacharias was “the only lawful administrator of the “preparatory priesthood,” meaning he was responsible to produce a male heir and preserve the priesthood’s mission until the Savior’s coming.    

                                    -Camille Fronk Olson pg. 128

• Elisabeth suffered heartache, sorrow, shame, humiliation….
• She was past child-bearing years
• Greek/Roman life expectancy was 20 to 35 years
• Israelite life expectancy was 40 to 45 years
• 3 out of 10 children died before the age of 18
• Men usually outlived women by 10 years
• Women experienced high mortality rate due to childbirth
• Imagine finally blessed with a child and knowing you will not live to see him grow

Zacharias, priest of the course of Abia   

            

Twice a year (for a week) his course served in Temple

        He was 1 of approximately 7,200 priests in Israel

On this day, his lot was chosen from among 300 – coincidence?

•  An angel appears
•  Prayers have been heard
•  Elisabeth is to conceive
•  His name is to be John
•  Lifestyle is prescribed  –  a Nazarite consecration

Joy and gladness abounded, many to rejoice…great in the sight of God…filled with Holy Ghost from womb…turn Israel to their God…go before the Lord…turning hearts of children to their fathers…prepare a people for the Lord

• Zacharias doubts and is struck dumb (and probably deaf)
• Consider: Where was Elisabeth? Outside of the Temple or waiting at home?
• How did Zacharias communicate what had happened & would happen??
• Elisabeth was likely illiterate (the illiteracy rate in Israel was 95%)

• Sons of priests were educated and studied the Torah. Girls were taught household skills by mothers at home (as a daughter of a priest, Elisabeth may have picked up some basic reading and writing).

Imagine all those months without being able to speak with each other? The news of pregnancy was not made public, Elisabeth had no one to talk to, and she was left with her own thoughts and communion with God.

Elisabeth hides herself for five months – it was culturally appropriate for women to seclude   themselves during pregnancy.

In the Meantime...

An angel appears to Mary

Mary and Elisabeth were “close relatives”

Mary goes to Elisabeth in haste, as instructed by an angel

            She took the trip to Ein Kerem (67 miles from Nazareth)

            There was no warning of visit (i.e., no email, technology wasn’t available)

Why did the angel send Mary to Elisabeth? (Elisabeth had unique qualifications & preparation to receive and nurture Mary )

Elisabeth’s greeting: Luke 1:41-45

Elisabeth and Mary – Elisabeth was a witness

It’s wonderful to consider the love God has for women and His willingness to place women in significant testifying roles (e.g., Eve, Elisabeth, Anna, Mary Magdalene)

Elisabeth was privileged to be the first person and first woman to bear witness of Jesus in the flesh. 

Elisabeth knew instantly through the Spirit and testified that the child Mary carried was the son of God—the promised Messiah.  Hers was the first prophetic witness of the virgin birth of the son of God.

Notice what Elisabeth did not say or do (no comparison of miracles, no judgment, no criticism or condemnation).

She responded to the Spirit, graciously offered hospitality, she was nurturing and comforting. She was deferential and respectful.

“Mary and Elisabeth could easily be presented as rivals. Instead, they exemplify faith triumphing over personal ambition. They are mutually supportive and understanding, each accepting her role in salvation history, and not threatened by that of the other. They serve as models of the power of cooperation over the destructiveness of competition.”  

         Barbara Reid in Fronk Olson pg. 130

Imagine how thrilled Elisabeth was to finally have someone with whom she could talk and share. Imagine the bond they must have developed.

“In the same way that John prepared the way for Christ to accomplish His divine mission, Elisabeth helped prepare the way for Mary to accomplish her divine mission.”  Heather Farrell

Some suggest that E may have been present in the stable to help Mary at the birth of her divine son—it was customary for relatives to attend childbirth (Ein Kerem 3 miles from Jerusalem, so who better to attend to Mary than Elisabeth?)

“Mary and Elisabeth not only shaped the character of their respective sons, Jesus and John, but they also influenced generations of those who would become the disciples of their sons.” Kent Brown, 9

After the naming of John, we read no more about Elisabeth and very little of her son’s childhood—Elisabeth’s mission had been fulfilled—her mark on history and womanhood was indelible.

What can we learn from Elisabeth? And what are the characteristics of an Elisabeth?

FAITHFUL   

STEADY

PROLONGED FAITH  

            

“Elisabeth’s faith in God was steadfast during circumstances that were humiliating and painful. Her patience and trust were in God’s timetable, not her own. She accepted that God was mindful of her and through her could do great things. Her advanced age underscores the strength of her faith, even though she had not been granted her heart’s desire for decades. 

Her assurance reflects a peaceful conviction of God’s goodness, no matter what the future held. No wonder God chose Elisabeth to prepare, support and bless young Mary for her divine mission. Elisabeth exemplifies one who looks to God for a reason to hope even amid long years of uncertainty and disappointment…Like Elisabeth, many of us may discover that God’s greatest blessings come near the end of a faithful life.”

          FRONK OLSON, pg.131

TRUST IN LORD’S PURPOSES AND TIMING – life does not/rarely goes as we believe it should, yet we cannot give up or lose faith. “With God all things are possible.”

FULL OF HOPE – God hears and answers prayers – not always when or the way we might choose, but always in the way that is best for us and to accomplish His divine purposes

righteous – “Walking in all the commandments and covenants of the Lord – OBEDIENT,blameless” – high standard under mosaic law

PRAYERFUL – “Thy prayer is heard…” first thing angel said to Zacharias

HUMBLE – What God thinks of us is always more important than what others think—
Elisabeth knew who she was and she understood her standing/relationship with God      

believing heart – a contrast to Zacharias: Luke 1:45

               
Elisabeth blesses Mary, not because of her motherhood, but because she believed.

trusted in the Lord in spite of – did not lash out against God (Hannah, Naomi, Job’s wife). Elisabeth refused to become bitter. Instead of turning against God, she and Zacharias turned toward God. Scholars comment that because of their goodness, Zacharias and Elisabeth were honored and respected in their community.

nurturing

“The story of Elisabeth and Mary demonstrates that when God gives us a commandment or inspiration, He always gives us multiple witnesses to proclaim the truthfulness of His word.  Mary must have felt quite afraid and alone as she faced her future life.  She was betrothed and pregnant and didn’t know how her future husband would react and she knew she faced the possibility of being stoned.  

She also didn’t know how her family would react or how she would be able to explain her situation to them.  What a blessing for her to have Elisabeth, who, through the power of the Holy Ghost, was able to discern what had happened to her and who was able to give her the emotional and spiritual strength she needed to go forward on the hard path she had accepted from the Lord.

Just as He did for Mary, God sends people (Elisabeths) into our lives to pave the way for us to accomplish our divine missions on this earth. He sends people to us who will guide us onto the right path…”

Heather Farrell, pg. 16

no judgment or criticism

unselfish – felt and responded with pure joy for others

“When Mary comes to visit Elisabeth in her home, we learn even more about Elisabeth’s noble, selfless character …Elisabeth recognizes the role and importance of her young cousin who is to become the mother of the Son of God…. What is most striking is Elisabeth’s evident lack of jealousy. Many individuals become envious because of a privilege or honor that comes to another… But not Elisabeth. 

She was a person who did not seek special status for herself. Instead, … she welcomed Mary in the warmest tones and, with her inspired words, made the younger woman the center of her attention. Elisabeth was a person without guile, a person of Christ-like love…”

Kent Brown, pg. 27

courageous – at the naming of John – probably the only woman – Zacharias had no voice – she spoke up to declare his name  -  when was Zacharias confirmed, he received his voice

witness of the Savior - don’t know what (if any) contact Elisabeth had with Christ, but her testimony of Him is still powerful today

Ask yourself, am I like Elisabeth?  

OR, in what ways can I be an Elisabeth?  What can I do to become an Elisabeth in the life of another?

Imagine if each of us in our neighborhoods, wards, and stake embraced the attributes of Elisabeth and became an Elisabeth in the lives of the women surrounding us—especially those younger than us.

CHALLENGE – Seek to identify more in our daily walk with Elisabeth. Seek opportunities to bless, nurture, encourage without comparison or judgment, support and witness of Christ ….

“I love the example we have in the first chapter of Luke which describes the sweet relationship between Mary…and Elisabeth…

This young maiden and her cousin, who was “well-stricken in years,” shared a common bond in their miraculous pregnancies, and I can only imagine how very important the three months they spent together were to both of them as they were able to talk together, empathize with each other, and support one another in their unique callings. What a wonderful model they are of feminine nurturing between generations. Those of us who are a little more mature can have tremendous influence on the younger generations …

If there are barriers, it is because we ourselves have created them. We must stop concentrating on our differences and look for what we have in common … Sister Marjorie P. Hinckley once said: "Oh, how we need each other. Those of us who are old need you who are young. And, hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old. It is a sociological fact that women need women. We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other."

I know that there are people in all of our lives who are sent to “go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways” and give us the strength we need to accomplish what the Lord has sent us here to do. As we endeavor to do the work that God has given us, let us not forget that He has given us everything we need to be successful and that He sends people when we need them. There are angels all around us. We never know when we may be someone else’s Elisabeth and it will be our turn to reach out and give someone the courage, strength and faith to do the work God has given them.”

Sister Oscarson:  Farrell, Walking with the Women of the NT, pg 17

Assignment – Ask yourself, “Who are and who have been the Elisabeths in my life?” 

            Write a note to these women

MAY THIS BE SAID OF EACH OF US:

“When we open doors both into the world of Elisabeth and into her soul, we can see her for what she was—a generous and faithful daughter of God. Scripture calls her “righteous,” the only woman in the New Testament who carries that distinction. She was a woman of faith and obedience, a woman of prayer and devotion, a woman who sought to prepare herself spiritually for the wondrous experience of giving birth to the child who would go before the Messiah. Hers was a noble task… She was a daughter of God who was humble and obedient. She was a wife who was faithful and full of hope. She walked in the path of the Lord and was blessed because of it.”

Brown – pg 33

           

References:

Luke 1

“Mary and Elisabeth,”  S. Kent Brown

“Women of the New Testament,”  Camille Fronk Olson

“Walking with the Women of the New Testament,” Heather Farrell

“Gifts of the Visitation,” Denise Bossert

*Class taught by DeAnne Green