What is the meaning of Luke 1:7? But they had no children • Luke interrupts the glowing testimony of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s righteousness (Luke 1:6) with a simple, painful fact: “But they had no children.” • In ancient Israel, children were viewed as a direct blessing from God (Psalm 127:3), so childlessness carried social stigma and personal heartache. • Their lack of offspring reminds us of other godly couples—Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 11:30), Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), Elkanah and Hannah (1 Samuel 1:2)—whose waiting set the stage for miraculous intervention. • The contrast between their faithful obedience and their unfulfilled longing underscores that righteous living does not guarantee immediate resolution of every earthly desire (Job 1:1, 20–22). because Elizabeth was barren • Scripture speaks plainly: the biological obstacle lay with Elizabeth. As with Sarah (Genesis 18:11) and Rachel (Genesis 29:31), God sometimes permits barrenness to highlight His sovereign power to give life where none seems possible. • Barrenness in the Bible often precedes a divinely appointed birth that serves God’s redemptive plan—Isaac to carry the covenant, Samuel to lead Israel, now John the Baptist to prepare the way for Christ (Luke 1:13–17). • The verse affirms that physical circumstances, however real, never hinder God’s purposes (Jeremiah 32:27). and they were both well along in years • Humanly speaking, time had run out. Like Abraham and Sarah “advanced in age” (Genesis 17:17), Zechariah and Elizabeth had passed childbearing years, eliminating natural hope. • Their advanced age magnifies the miracle God is about to perform (Romans 4:19–21). When the Lord answers, no one can attribute John’s conception to coincidence or medicine; it is unmistakably divine. • Their long season of waiting also refines their faith. Persistent prayer despite decades of disappointment (Luke 1:13) models endurance that trusts God’s timing rather than surrendering to despair (Galatians 6:9). summary Luke 1:7 emphasizes three realities—childlessness, barrenness, and old age—that combine to make parenthood impossible apart from God. By spotlighting this impossible setting, Scripture prepares us to marvel at the Lord’s miraculous answer. The verse assures every reader that faithful obedience can coexist with unanswered longings, yet those very impossibilities become canvases for God’s power and faithfulness to unfold in His perfect time. |
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