Day 1
Her name means “God is my Oath”
Her Character: A descendant of Aaron, Elizabeth was woman the Bible calls “upright in the sight of God.” Like very few others, male or female, she is praised for observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations with out blame. She is the first to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
Her Sorrow: To be barren for most of her life.
Her Joy: To give birth to John, later known as John the Baptist, the Messiah’s forerunner. His name, divinely assigned, means “the Lord is gracious”
Key Scripture: Luke 1:5 - 80 (below, it’s long, but worth reading)
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” 21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. 23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him,she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
The Song of Mary
46 And Mary said:
“ My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
Circumcision of John the Baptist
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zacharias’ Prophecy
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “ Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 “ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Day 2
Incense
Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, had been given a very special, very serious privilege. (most all of us are given a special privilege, it is how we choose to look at it that makes it special) When it was his priestly division’s turn to serve in the temple, he was chosen by lot - which was God’s way of making the choice - to burn incense in the temple. Each morning and evening he took fire from the altar of burnt offering and placed in on the golden altar of incense that stood before the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. He then poured the dusty incense from a golden urn onto the fire. While Zechariah performed this duty, all the worshipers who were at the temple that day stood outside and prayed. The smoke and aroma of the incense symbolized their prayers rising up to God. The fragrance also served to fumigate air tainted with the odor of the blood of animals killed for the sacrifices.
The earliest historical records about worship include information on the burning of incense. All the nations surrounding Palestine appreciated the sweet smell of incense permeating not only their places of worship but also their homes. The incense Zechariah burned in the temple was made according to a special “recipe” (Exodus 30:34 - 38) of spices and salt that had been ground to a powder. This holy incense could be used only in the temple in worship, never for ordinary, everyday purposes. (Thank God we no longer have to go to the temple and we can go directly to Him through His son Jesus Christ). The prophet Jeremiah Often condemned the Israelites for burning incense to false gods. But he could be even more scathing in his denunciation when they burned incense when their hears weren’t in their worship (Jeremiah 6:20). God made it clear that the mere burning of incense didn’t please him; it was only a symbol. He was looking for hearts that were turned toward him in faithfulness and trust.
Dear God, first I must thank you that I do not have to sacrifice an animal and shed it’s blood in order to worship you or clear my sins. I am in awe that you gave us your son as the ultimate sacrifice. I am so amazed by the history that I can learn from your Word. I pray that every woman that receives this will be willing to notice that there are no coincidences that they belong to this devotional or to your Kingdom. You have chosen us by lot. Help us to carry out your purpose in our lives, showing us our very special, very serious privilege. Help our words to be like incense to you, what we say be a sweet fragrance to all that hear. Most of all, work in our hearts, the area we struggle with when there are broken relationships and hurts. We are thankful you created us after your own likeness, giving us an insight of how deeply you can love us. It is in your Son’s name, Jesus Christ, that we come humbly before you today . Amen.
Day 3
Read Luke 1: 5-25
What important things do these verses tell you about Elizabeth and Zechariah? Do you think the words of verse 6 mean they were perfect? If not, what do these words mean?
Why do you think Zechariah didn’t believe the angel (1:1)? Was he so afraid? Was the announcement so unbelievable? Why do you think he was punished for not believing?
Imagine an angel coming to you with some unexpected and unbelievable announcement. What would your reaction be?
Why would Elizabeth say she was disgraced among her people (1:25)?
Describe how the infertile woman feels today. Is disgrace part of her feelings? If you know someone who is struggling with infertility, how can you be a friend and support to her.
Read Luke 1:39 -45
Do you think the reaction of Elizabeth’s baby to Mary’s arrival was just coincidence? What do you think prompted the baby to “leap” just then (1:41)?
Elizabeth didn’t just smile and offer a quiet prayer when Mary arrived. She “exclaimed” and praised God “in a loud voice” (1:42). What would have to happen for you to exclaim your praise to God in a loud voice?
What is the focus of Elizabeth’s praise in verse 45: what God has done in her life or what God has done in Mary’s life? What does this reveal about Elizabeth?
Day 4 (and 5)
Her Legacy of Prayer
Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished - Luke 1:45
Reflect on Luke 1:5 - 80
Praise God that he is the Creator who shapes every child in the womb.
Offer thanks for the gift of children.
Confess any tendency to cheapen the value of human life, including unborn life.
Ask God to restore our appreciation for the miracle of human life.
Lift your heart
A person’s a person, no matter how small! - from Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss.
It is amazing to read about a child leaping inside the womb. I know with 3 children, I could never tire of the movements inside, although uncomfortable at times, it was a constant reminder of the LIFE growing inside of me. A life that God had purposed for me to bring into this world. While he did most all the work, creating my body to form and develop a baby from a single cell into a person. It is even more exciting to share in the joy and anticipation when others are pregnant as well. How exciting it must have been for Mary, probably in her first trimester, and Elizabeth, most likely in her third trimester. One much older than the other, both experiencing the miracle of pregnancy. Here is a reminder of what happens during the development of a child.
18 days - nervous system appears
30 days - most major organ systems begin to form.
4 weeks- heart begins to beat
7 weeks - facial features are visible
8 weeks - all major body structures and organs are present
10 weeks - tiny teeth form in the gums
12 weeks - brain is fully formed and can feel pain.
12 - 14 weeks - may start sucking thumb.
6 months - grasp hands, kick, hear voices and sounds outside womb.
Take a few moments to praise your Creator with beautiful words from Psalm 139
For you created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
You works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
When I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
Were written in your book
Before one of them came to be.
You are Lord and Giver of life. Help me to respect, protect, and nurture it - no matter what color, no matter what age, no matter what gender of human being I encounter.
