Elizabeth | The Wolfe Notes

These notes follow our 7-step rhythm for Bible study. Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotes are from the EasyEnglish Bible translation.

Notes on Elizabeth

(from Luke 1:5-6, 13, 23-25, 39-45, and 57-61)

Annotation Notes, Summary, N/W/L Statements, Key Verse, God's Character, Prayer, Action 

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1. Annotation Notes

? Denotes a question, * a personal thought, x a cross reference, ! a connection, and italics a referenced source.

1. ? What does the name Elizabeth mean?
1. God is my oath ("Elizabeth" at Behind the Name)
2. *Elizabeth shows that God is indeed her oath when she names her son John. She believes Gabriel's message to her husband, she believes Gabriel is sent by God, and she does what Zechariah was told to do.
2. ! Elizabeth was from Aaron's lineage. Aaron, the original priest. (Luke 1:5)
1. x [To Moses] Bring your brother Aaron and his sons from among the other Israelites. They will serve me as my priests. That will be Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Exodus 28:1
2. ! Interestingly, Aaron's wife was named Elisheba (Exodus 6:23), the origin of the name Elizabeth. 
3. ! Just as Job was known for obeying God's commands, so were Zechariah and Elizabeth. (Luke 1:6)
1. x This is the report about Noah and his family. Noah was a good man. He was the only person at that time who lived in a completely right way. He stayed near to God in his life. Genesis 6:9 
2. x When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him. The LORD said, 'I am God Almighty. In all your life, obey me and do nothing wrong. Genesis 17:1
3. x There was a man who lived in a place called Uz. His name was Job. He was a good and honest man. He was afraid to make God angry. He refused to do evil things. Job 1:1
4. They were not perfect, but they broke no explicit commandments. (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
5. This detail is mentioned to challenge their reputation; many believed childlessness was a curse. (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
4. ? How many other women were barren but given children by God? Of the stories I can think of, it definitely seems to be a sign of the child's anointing. (Luke 1:13)
1. x The Lord's angel appeared to [Samson's mother/Manoah's wife]. He said, 'You have not been able to give birth to any children until now. But you will become pregnant and you will give birth to a son. Judges 13:3
2. x So the Lord God himself will shoe you that he speaks a true message. Look, the young woman who has never had sex will become pregnant. She will give birth to a son. She will call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
3. x Hannah was very upset as she prayed to the LORD. She could not stop weeping. She made a promise to God. She prayed, 'LORD Almighty, you can see how said I am. Please be kind to me, your servant. Remember me and do not forget me. Please give a son to me, your servant. If you do that, I will give him to serve you for all of his life. Nobody will ever cut his hair...The LORD remembered what she had asked him for. Hannah became pregnant. Later, she gave birth to a son. She gave him the name 'Samuel'. She said, 'His name is Samuel because I asked the LORD for him.' I Samuel 1:10-11, 19-20
4. I wonder if there is significance to the parallels of Eli and Hannah's story and Zechariah and Elizabeth's story. NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
5. ?It seems sad to me that Elizabeth hid herself (KJV) for five months of her pregnancy. Was that common? OR was she being careful in case she lost the baby? (Luke 1:24)
6. ! When Elizabeth praises God, she says "He looked on me" (KJV), which reminds me of Hagar who praised "the God who sees me". (Genesis 16) And our God sees us too!
7. *What a relief it must have been for Elizabeth! This pregnancy meant she would no longer be shunned by the families who had conceived. (And on a personal level, I get it. Though not shunned to the same degree, I still receive jabs for my childlessness from time to time. So I can imagine, to some degree, what relief she must have felt.)
1. x Sarah said, 'Now God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about what has happened will be happy with me.' She also said, 'Abraham would never have thought that I would feed a child at my breasts. But I have given birth to a son for him, even when he is old.' Genesis 21:6-7
2. x Hannah prayed and she said, 'I am very happy when I think about what the LORD has done. The LORD has made me very strong. I can laugh at my enemies because you, LORD, have saved me. That makes me very happy. I Samuel 2:1
3. x She became pregnant and she gave birth to a son. Rachel said, 'I am not ashamed any longer, because God has given me a son.'  Genesis 30:23
8. * How I love that the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth the moment she felt her Savior's presence and heard Mary's voice. (Luke 1:41 & 44) Our presence and voices help the Spirit move. 
9. ! Yet again in Elizabeth's story, we see that God chooses the lesser to shame the proud: "You are the mother of my Lord and I am not an important person." But, yet, you visited me! (Luke 1:43)
10. *Even though Mary came to visit Elizabeth, the celebration focuses on Mary's pregnancy. Which is a prime example of where our focus is naturally drawn when we know the Savior! (Luke 1:39-45)
11. *Also, what an instrument of comfort Elizabeth was to Mary. How she strengthened and reassured her! (Luke 1:42-45)
12. *Just as Elizabeth rejoiced with Mary in her good news, Elizabeth's family and community members rejoiced with Elizabeth in her good news. (Luke 1:58-59)
1. x If you are with someone who is happy, you should also be happy. If you are with someone who is sad, you should also be sad. Romans 12:15
13. *Elizabeth's simple "No," to naming John Zechariah showed the depth of her strength, obedience, and faith. (Luke 1:60)

2. Summary

Luke begins the story of good news by retelling the good news that came to Zechariah and Elizabeth. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth belonged to the tribe of priests and were known for their righteous living. Yet, because of their childlessness, they were shamed. We are not sure how Elizabeth learned of the promise of pregnancy Gabriel shared with Zechariah, but we do know that when Elizabeth became pregnant, she rejoiced greatly. Her shame was removed! About six months into Elizabeth's pregnancy, Mary visited Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's voice, she felt John leap in her womb, and immediately started celebrating with Mary for the marvelous work God was working through her. The rejoicing was made merrier because neither one of them previously felt important. Elizabeth and Mary stayed together until it was time for John's birth. When asked if Elizabeth would name her baby Zechariah, (as it was the custom to name him after his father or another family name) Elizabeth said, "No. His name is John." After Zechariah confirmed the name Elizabeth gave to John, he could finally speak again.

3. N/W/L Statements

1. I NOTICED that Elizabeth began her pregnancy with uncertainty (Luke 1:24), yet was comforted by it toward the end (Luke 1:40). She went from hiding in her house, to blessing Mary in the middle of it, to standing in defiance of tradition after delivery.
2. I WONDER what it felt like to know that John recognized Jesus, and then to be overcome by the Holy Spirit.
3. I think God wants us to LEARN that:
1. We can trust Him, even when our current circumstance looks infinitely far from what we want it to be or think it should be.
2. Life is about partnering with God. We don't know what most of Elizabeth's life was like, but we know she walked with Him throughout it, even in her deep disappointments. Her story is a sweet reminder that there are blessings in fulfillment after a lifetime of faithfully waiting on God.
3. Our willing obedience is a response to our faith in Him.
4. We should rejoice when others rejoice, and weep when others weep.

4. Key Verse

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for JOY. Luke 1:43-44 KJV

I think these verses best reflect the intense emotions Elizabeth felt: humility, deference, honor, recognition, companionship, fulfillment, and JOY,

5. God's Character

1. God makes us wait.
1. Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 NIV
2. But as for me, I will watch for what the LORD will do. I will wait for God, who saves me. I know that he hears me. Micah 7:7
2. God is faithful.
1. I want you to know that the Eternal your God is the only true God. He's the faithful God who keeps His covenants and shows loyal love for a thousand generations to those who in return love Him and keep His commands. Deuteronomy 7:9 VOICE
2. Even if we no longer trust him, he will still be someone that people can trust. He will always remain true to his nature. 2 Timothy 2:13
3. God rewards obedience.
1. I also told them, "Obey me. Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. You must live in the way that I have commanded you. If you do that, you will enjoy your lives. Jeremiah 7:23 
2. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; Isaiah 1:19 NIV
4. God partners with us. 
1. Whenever we have trouble, he comforts us. Because of that, we ourselves can comfort other people. When they have any kind of trouble, we can comfort them, in the same way that God has comforted us. II Corinthians 1:4 
2. Before God made the world, he chose us to be his people because of Christ. He chose us so that we would please him. Because we belong to Christ, God accepts us as completely good. This shows how much he loves us. Ephesians 1:4 

6. Pray

Father God, thank You for partnering with us! When I read Elizabeth's story, I see Your faithfulness. I am strengthened to wait and rest in You while I continue to walk in trust and obedience to You. Though I do not know what tomorrow brings, I know that You are there - so it will be beautiful.

7. Act

1. Keep walking in faithful obedience and unwavering trust.
2. Rest knowing my loving God holds every tomorrow, and that is all I need to know.

Sample these related posts:

• To understand our 7-step rhythm for Bible study.
• For 2026 Bible study plan suggestions.
• To review Zechariah's story.
• To review Gabriel's story. 
• To celebrate motherhood.

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