Advent Week 3
by Becky Davey
The last couple of weeks of Advent is often filled with frenetic activity. God never acts frantically, yet His plan from before eternity is accomplished on time. He had everything planned and done on time so the people He yearned to have fellowship with were/are informed about the Special Someone to come so that they wouldn’t miss Him. Among many roles, God had revealed Him as the snake crusher, savior, shepherd, rock, bread from heaven, king, priest, and prophet. How much time before He would come? Was there anything else the people needed to know so that they could recognize Him?
Yes, there was more. God was moving to more specific revelations. Last blog we learned He would come as a boy child (Isaiah 9:6). Now we learn His mother would be a virgin! How can that be, there has to be a father?! Remember, God can’t be put in a box. He can do anything (Luke 1:27). This baby would be called Immanuel, meaning God with us (Isaiah 7:14). All of this was knowledge given to the people in the 700s BC. God spoke through the prophet Micah to let them know that the birth would take place in Bethlehem—not just any town called Bethlehem—the Bethlehem in Ephrata or Ephrathah (Micah 5:2).
God had made plans before time began. He gave the people all the clues they needed to recognize this Special Someone He promised to send. It had been so long since the first promise had been made; in fact, thousands of years had passed. How did they respond? Could they, would they believe/trust Him? To encourage them He gave many promises 700 years before Christ, including, “Blessed is the man whose trust is in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord,” (Jeremiah 17:7). He not only expresses His blessing, but tells us He has plans for each of us, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future and a hope,” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Malachi, 400 years before Christ’s birth, tells us of the sad story of people who loved themselves more than God. Out of all that He had given them, they kept the best for themselves and gave Him the dregs. Even their worship was tainted. But—there were some who trusted. Even when things didn’t go the way they wanted; even when they couldn’t understand why things seemed so bad to them—maybe like Covid-19 seems to us—they responded in trust and confidence in God’s care and His plan. They said, “Though the fig tree does not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herds in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God the Lord is my strength,” (Habakkuk 3:18-19).
They wondered: when will He come? That was the only thing they felt they needed to know. WHEN? But God was silent. For 400 years there was no new message from God. But they kept their faith in Him! In fact for that faithful remnant, anticipation of God’s plan of sending that Special Someone grew stronger and stronger.
Covid-19 has interfered with our lives for 9 months! It doesn’t get better; in fact, right now it seems to be getting worse. Which of the two kinds of people will we be? Like those of Malachi or those of Habakkuk?
Photo credit: Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash