In this season, we were led to study about the women in the bible and how they were very instrumental in the fulfillment of God’s plan for salvation. They were women God created and their stories are written for us today to know what is expected of us. In this write up, I will delve into the woman as an incubator. An incubator is something that gives life to everything. As Myles Munroe says, whatever you give a woman she multiplies it and gives it back to you. There are many dimensions to examine a woman as an incubator. Today I will like to look at one of these aspects which is “The woman God created as an incubator of the Word.”
An incubator of the Word.
Our Case study in this topic is Elizabeth (Mother of John the Baptist) and Mary (Mother of Jesus). This narrative can be found in the book of Luke Chapter 1.
Elizabeth was barren till a very old age but remained fervent to God and her husband Zechariah was fervent in his service in the Temple as a priest. An angel appeared to Zechariah and gave him the promise of a child. He had a little doubt in his mind but God had to super impose His will over his doubt by making him dumb. Well, our focus in this story is not Zechariah but his wife.
We are not told about Elizabeth’s reaction when Zechariah told her the news, neither do we know if like Sarah, she laughed in unbelief. The only thing we are told is that Zechariah went home and sometime later, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and did not leave the house for 5 months. When she gave birth, her husband was still dumb until the time of naming the child. Their relatives wanted to name the child after his father. But Elizabeth, who was an incubator of the Word from the angel about her child and his name as revealed to her by her husband stood firm in telling them the name of the child. As a result of holding unto the word and obeying it, her husband spoke. We infer from this that Zechariah had told her the encounter he had with the angel before becoming dumb and she held unto to it till the appointed time.
Mary on the other hand was visited by the same angel who visited Elizabeth and He told her she will conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear a son and told her the name of the child, just as He had named Elizabeth’s child from the womb. As an incubator, she replied by saying “I am the Lord’s servant, may it happen as you have said.” After this encounter, Mary went to see Elizabeth whom the angel had told her was also pregnant. When Elizabeth saw Mary, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately spoke out from what was boiling in her belly, prophesying over Mary, thereby giving life to the words the angel had told Mary.
Women!!! By our very nature, we are verbal creatures. Be it an introvert or extrovert, women are known to be talkative. It is a criticism on the female gender but it is the same verbal nature that God uses to bring forth the Word. One thing which is very peculiar about the women in our case study is that when they received the word from God by the same angel, they held it within them and held unto it until it manifested even when their husbands doubted and found it outrageous. It was worst for Joseph because he made plans to break up with Mary but considering that Mary was an incubator of the word spoken by the angel, holding unto it with faith and confidence, the angel had to reveal these things to Joseph. How amazing it is to even know that the baby Jesus in her womb was “THE WORD” made flesh.
Dear woman, we have been labelled for too long and insulted about our talkative nature. Unfortunately, we always fight back. Our husbands even tell us things God wants them to do and we make mockery of it. In fact, I was disappointed some time ago when a colleague told us he was about marrying and another colleague said “Congratulations on buying your radio.” Meaning he will not have any peace in his house because all women do is to nag. It hit me so bad because we have given people a bad image about who we are. However, that’s not who God created us to be.
Woman, what is your approach to the word spoken over you? Or the word given to your husband about something concerning your family. Do you go round telling people about it out of excitement or do you wait on the lord in prayer like Elizabeth for the manifestation of the word and stand firm on it against the external pressure from relatives? Or do you make mockery of the word in unbelief hence discredit your husband and the word he received? On the other hand, what is your reaction to the Word spoken to other women or other people in general? Do you make them feel less of themselves, ridiculed or do you diagnose in the spirit about the word they received and call forth what is inside them to manifestation, thus giving birth to the word?
I urge you to take some time to think about these things in line with the character of these characters in the custody. God has given us the power to birth forth and bring to life the words spoken over our lives, our husbands and the people around us. No wonder they always say “Never joke with a woman’s instincts”. This is the God given ability to give life to words spoken over us and our households. However, we cannot give life to the word if we don’t spend time in seclusion and meditation on the words received to give power to them like Elizabeth who stayed in the secret place till she was five months pregnant. We should be slow to speak and quick to listen (James 1:19-20), so that our words will give life to the promises received in the secret place.
Where are the Marys and Elizabeths of our time. I call you forth to arise!!!
God bless you.