Elizabeth: Trust and Praise

There is so much to learn from the Bible: not just about following and pleasing the Lord, but about being a good mother.  There is certainly direct teaching on it (the book of Proverbs comes to mind), but looking at the many moms in the Bible can teach us, by example, what we should, or shouldn’t, do in our maternal role.

With the Advent season upon us, I will be exploring, over this month, two mothers central to the Christmas story, seeing what we can learn from them to apply to our childrearing and roles as women and mothers. I’m saving the “star” female for my December 28 post. Today, we’ll learn a bit from her cousin, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was, of course, the wife of Zechariah the priest and, eventually, the mother of John the Baptist, Jesus’ forerunner. We are not told how old this new mother is, though Luke 1:7 tells us that she and her husband are “well along in years.” It may be my own modern perception, but this phrasing has me assuming that she was beyond (or quickly reaching the end of) childbearing age.

She also knew, it seems, what other women had been saying about her before she received the gift of a son. In her society, you see, children were considered a sign of God’s blessing and favor. And Elizabeth was barren (Luke 1:7).

Despite the ridicule and lack of honor she may have experienced, she was upright in God’s sight. She continued to serve the Lord and follow His statutes (Luke 1:6). She was honoring God despite her circumstances, and despite what others thought.

How often do we follow Elizabeth’s example this way? Perhaps not as often as we should.

Have you ever been criticized for following a Biblical view of parenting? For forbidding your kids certain “worldly” things? For going against popular opinion on some issue? Have you ever let peer pressure make you bend your standards? Do you sometimes complain about, or get frustrated with, God’s plan or workings in your life?

Not Elizabeth – at least not to the extent that the Lord would mention it. What an excellent model of serving God in, and despite, or circumstances. These traits, it seems, are ones she passed on to her son.

And then her circumstances changed for the better. She got pregnant and was carrying a son.  She wasn’t just happy. She gave God the glory.

“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” Luke 1:25

Do we remember to thank God for our blessings? I know I forget much more often than I’d like to admit. It’s entirely too easy to take the credit for what happens in our lives. And when I do, my children get a warped view of my power and the Lord’s.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (emphasis mine)

Though we know little if any information on Elizabeth once she was a mother, she is certainly a wonderful example of a woman, and mother, of God. Her joy in her circumstances, as well as her gratitude to God for his blessings, are wonderful lessons to all women on how to serve the Lord, and their families, in a God-honoring way.

(All Scripture is from The Holy Bible, New International Version)

Joanne Sher

Joanne Sher is a Jew by birth, a Christian by rebirth, and a writer by gift. A native Southern Californian, she now lives happily in West Michigan with her husband and two school-aged children. Her first book, still seeking a home, explores God's preparation, protection and provision through her husband's serious health issues. She is also working on a biblical fiction set during King Saul's reign and centered around the handmaiden of Saul's daughter Michal. She is also a blogger, not only at her own site, but at The FaithWriters blog. She also posts monthly at The Barn Door and Jewels of Encouragement.

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