Elizabeth and the Menopausal Surprise

Elizabeth and the Menopausal Surprise

Luke 1:25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” (NLT)

            During Biblical times, a man was thought to be blessed by God when he had plenty of children and land.

Psalm 127:3-5 ⁽³⁾ Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. ⁽⁴⁾ Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. ⁽⁵⁾ How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. (NLT) The women also took great pride in being able to have children – especially sons, but to not have children in those days was to be looked down on and shamed. Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah the priest, was a barren woman who was way past her prime to have any children and yet, during her menopausal years, God was about to give her the surprise of a lifetime.

            Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were of priestly descent. Zechariah carried out his priestly duties at the temple when his time for rotation came around. One day, while going into the most sacred part of the temple, he saw the angel, Gabriel, who had come with a message from the Lord. Luke 1:12-13  Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. (NLT) Zechariah must have prayed for many years, but had given up on the hope that he and his wife would ever have a child. Nevertheless, he questioned the accuracy of this word that he had received. Luke 1:19-20 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” (NLT) Zechariah was struck with muteness until his son John was born. Elizabeth was indeed barren, old, and had gone through the menopausal stage in her life, but what seems impossible to us is possible to God. Isaiah 54:1 “Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children  than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord. (NLT)

            There are times in life when we too may be at the “menopausal” stage where dreams hoped to be fulfilled in our prime seem impossible now. Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,  but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. (NLT) You may have longed to get that degree, pursue that career, write your life story, or even walk down the aisle. You may have watched as others around you seem to be living their dream as you watched the years of your life go by unfulfilled one by one due to obstacles blocking your path. Yet, there is hope at the Potter’s House. That’s right! The Potter has a plan for every person in life. It does not matter if you are considered to be past your prime. What matters is that you know the Potter’s plans that ultimately become your purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (NLT) The Potter has an on-time plan for YOU. What we may consider as a delayed promise is actually timed perfectly with Him.