Luke 1:7 tells us something striking:
“But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.”
This comes immediately after Luke tells us that Zechariah and Elizabeth were:
“righteous in the eyes of the Lord, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.” (Luke 1:6)
That raises an important theological question.
If Elizabeth was truly righteous in the eyes of the Lord, and if she walked blamelessly in the Law, why was she barren?
After all, under the Old Covenant, fruitfulness was explicitly promised to those who obeyed.
The Tension with Deuteronomy 28
In Deuteronomy 28, God promises blessings for obedience to the Law, including fruitfulness:
“Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb…” (Deut 28:4)
So logically, one might argue, if this really meant she KEPT the law perfectly, that would mean that God would be obligated to give her a child
If that were true, her barrenness would imply one of three things:
- God failed to keep His promise.
- The covenant didn’t work.
- Or Elizabeth’s best efforts, still fell short in the eyes of the Lord, as Paul said “No one is righteous”,
The Real Issue: No One Ever Truly Kept the Law
The Bible is consistent on this point:
“There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10)
Even when Scripture calls someone “righteous” under the Old Covenant, it is relative righteousness, not absolute perfection.
God’s standard was never “best effort.” It was perfect obedience.
And this is the same God who, as Scripture says, could find fault even in the stars (Job 25:5).
If creation itself does not meet God’s absolute standard, sinful human’s law-keeping certainly does not.
So Elizabeth’s barrenness does not prove:
- that God broke His promise
- or that the covenant failed
It proves something else entirely.
The Ceiling of Human Obedience
Elizabeth represents the highest level of righteousness a human could reach under the Law:
- sincere
- faithful
- blameless by covenant standards, to the best of ability.
But yet, no human could ever attain the perfection in keeping the law. Elizabeth’s barrenness becomes a living illustration of the Law’s limitation.
Human obedience—even at its best—fell short.
Remember the rich young ruler? He thought he kept the law perfectly, but then Jesus gave him a glimpse of God’s standard and he was found wanting. By ourselves, we could never attain the promises through our efforts.
Only One Man Truly Kept the Law
There has only ever been one person who fulfilled the Law perfectly:
Jesus Christ.
He alone:
- loved God perfectly
- obeyed without flaw
- fulfilled every requirement
That is why every promise of God ultimately finds its fulfillment in Him.
Paul makes this explicit:
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Not in human obedience. Not in covenant performance. But in Christ. Remember Paul saying in Rom 4:16, that it is through faith and not by the law.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all….
Faith Was Always the Way—Even in the Old Testament
This is why Scripture repeatedly shows that Old Testament blessings came by faith, not by works.
Jesus Himself lived under the Old Covenant—and yet He walked by faith.
Even though He could have operated on the basis of flawless law-keeping, He consistently demonstrated that God’s power is accessed through trust, dependence, and faith.
That’s why when Scripture looks back on the heroes of the Old Testament, it does not praise their works.
It praises their faith.
The Hall of Faith Proves the Point
Hebrews 11—the so-called Hall of Faith—lists men and women who experienced God’s promises.
And not one of them is commended for Law-keeping.
They are commended for faith.
“By faith…”
“By faith…”
“By faith…”
Not by obedience.
Not by perfection.
Not by works.
Faith was always the channel. But if you are a believer, you don’t have to strive for more faith, but renew your mind. Read Why in the New Covenant It’s Not About “Not Enough Faith” but the Renewal of the Mind.
What Elizabeth’s Barrenness Really Shows Us
Elizabeth’s barrenness is not a theological problem—it is a theological revelation.
It shows us that:
- human obedience was never perfect.
- even the best humanity could offer still fell short
And it prepares us for the gospel.
We always fell short of the glory of God when we approached God by works. Fruit does not come from performance.
So, God made a way, and guaranteed the promises in our life by faith.
Final Thought
That tells us everything we need to know. Human perfection was never possible. But praise be to God, we have received the perfection of Christ, in Him, through faith.
And that is exactly what the gospel reveals.
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