Biblical Wonder Woman: ELIZABETH is introduced to us as the wife of a certain priest and is further identified as one of the ‘daughters of Aaron’. Although characterized as righteous before God and walking in all of the commandments and ordinances of God, scripture records that they were both old in age and childless – this righteous and obedient daughter was barren!
The humiliation this obedient daughter most likely felt would have been quite burdensome. Being unable to bear children was the most demeaning issue a woman of this era could experience. But her husband prayed for a breakthrough, and God heard and answered his prayer.
The gender reveal party was not planned and it was not predictable… Zacharias, her husband and God’s priest, went about his priestly duties and walked into God’s plan of parenthood. He was like many of us – we ask God for something, yet don’t fully believe that God will do what we’ve asked of Him. Zacharias’ lack of faith resulted in his mouth being closed. However, his wife, Elizabeth, believed God fully and stood on her convictions.
Just imagine it… Elizabeth was well past child-bearing age, yet God blessed her womb to conceive. Scripture records that for five months, Elizabeth hid herself. Her thoughts…“How kind the Lord is! He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” (Luke 1:25) For five months, this blessed mother-to-be lived in seclusion, protecting herself from those who had dismissed her, shielding herself from speculation and ridicule of nay-sayers, secretly nurturing the blessing God had gifted her with as he grew.
But it was Elizabeth’s stand after the baby was born that inspires me to list her as a Biblical Wonder Woman. Can you imagine being a new mother with a husband who has lost his voice, standing at the circumcision of your son and telling the crowd that wanted to name him after his father that his name would be John? Scripture never records how she knew his name was to be John; however, scripture does record that Elizabeth stood confidently in her declaration. Although her declaration was never affirmed by the people, Elizabeth stood firmly in what she knew. It was Zechariah’s written statement, “His name is John.” that confirmed Elizabeth’s declaration and ultimately released Zechariah’s tongue.
As women, we must be willing to sometimes stand alone on what God said because we trust the God Who said it. Sometimes there won’t be a covering who can verbally affirm our stand. Sometimes there will be a crowd who will question our stand because of history and tradition. Sometimes we must know what we know because we know Who we know – The Sovereign God!!! Women have a long history of taking stands… Biblical Wonder Women Are CONFIDENT!
How we see what we see influences our decisions and our behaviors. Lady Angelia Ministers, “Where you are has major influence over what you see.” (“Problematic Perspectives” – 1 Kings 17:8-16)