December 5

2 Samuel 7:12-13, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

The prophet Nathan is speaking to King David here, promising him that his offspring will build a temple for the Lord. This is Solomon that’s being referred to, the son of David. Solomon would accomplish the building of the temple, but even more importantly, there is a promise here from the Lord that the throne of this line will be established forever. David is a king, and one who is a king like David will be a king forever! This prophecy is repeated frequently throughout the psalms of David. When Jesus would come, he would be a king of God’s people, but not one who whose reign would end at the death of the individual, as is the normal course of human history.

There were two blind men who wanted to be healed in Matthew 9, and the first thing they say to Jesus is “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” This is a direct acknowledgment of this prophecy fulfilled, and is a common title for Jesus - he is that king who lives forever who comes from the line of David. At the start of Matthew’s gospel, prefacing the genealogy of Jesus, it announces Jesus as the “Son of David.” Solomon also would build the house for the presence of the Lord to dwell, and Jesus comes announcing that he is the presence of God on earth, so the temple is no longer necessary! David and his son Solomon said effectively, “Come, God, to be with your people. Come into your temple.” The temple from that line of David did come, and then when he ascended into Heaven he promised his spirit would be with us always - the presence of God is always with you, believer, because any chasm between believers and God has been erased by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross!

Hymn of Reflection: Lo How a Rose E'r Blooming. Here’s a Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIv6R-gvmQg

December 4

1 Samuel 2:1-2 -

And Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
    my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because I rejoice in your salvation.

“There is none holy like the Lord:
    for there is none besides you;
    there is no rock like our God.”

It’s remarkable how much Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2 is like Mary’s song in Luke 1. Mary begins her song by saying “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Hannah was a barren woman who was given the gift of life in her son Samuel. God continuing his plan of growing the people of God and raising up his servants even when women are barren is a common theme in the Old Testament, because the plan is not dependent on us, but only on the Lord. Mary is not barren, but a virgin, and her conception is every bit as miraculous! Both women rejoice in the Lord’s plan of salvation because our God is a god of mercy. Samuel will be like Christ in that he will be a prophet of the Lord, speaking truth as God’s mouthpiece, not perfectly, of course, but faithfully.

Jesus Christ who would come is not only king of all the earth, but also the final prophet of God. Look at what the book of Hebrews (ch.1) says about Jesus the prophet: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he also created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

Rejoice in the Lord’s salvation today as Hannah did and Mary did! The Savior has come!

Hymn of Reflection: O Holy Night. Here’s a Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJw-ey1DPRA

December 3

Numbers 24:17 -

“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.”

These words come from an unlikely prophet! Balaam was used by the Lord to speak truth even though his heart was against God. It’s a reminder that God can use even the most unlikely voices to speak truth in his world. In just the chapter before, Numbers 23, God speaks through Balaam’s donkey! The prophecy speaks to the kingship of Christ, the king who was to come. The prophet says ‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.’ This reemphasizes the fact that the plan of God has always been in place to send the Savior, but he would not come to earth for another 1200 years past the time of Balaam. But his purpose is always present: to save sinners - to reconcile all things to himself.

The star imagery is powerful here because it is not only a common image used by kings, it also alludes to the cosmic power of Christ, who rules over all creation. “The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting” (Psalm 50:1). The Wise Men would follow a star to reach the Lord, and are most likely thinking of this verse in Numbers 24 when they say they “saw his star” in Matthew 2. They are following the king - they give gifts for a king, and they worship him as Lord, the king of creation. In that very story of the Wise Men, you see God align his creation (even the stars!) to bring about his purposes, that Gentile astrologers from the east would come and worship the baby Jesus!

Know that all things have come together under God’s mighty plan to bring Jesus into the earth so that salvation would be possible for anyone who believes in him!

Hymn for Reflection: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus. Here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRAFQCOkjgE

December 2

Genesis 49:9-10 – 

Judah is a lion's cub;
    from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down; he crouched as a lion
    and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him; 
    and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

Jacob is giving a blessing to each of his sons, and here we come upon this peculiar blessing: his son Judah and his descendants will bear the marks of royalty. A lion is a strong ancient symbol of kingly rule – and a scepter is like a staff that a ruler held to show who was in power. Kingship will come then through Judah, which will lead to the line of David, from whose family comes the Christ. Tribute will come to this king, meaning that he will be acknowledged as the King, and to him (some descendant) shall be the obedience of people. God gave a promise to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, that through his descendants, all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12). Through this family would come the Savior, the Messiah, the one to whom all owe allegiance. 

It is from this imagery that C.S. Lewis created his character of Aslan, the ruler of Narnia. It’s famously said in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, on the unpredictability of the lion: “He’s not safe. But he’s good. He’s the best, I tell you.” Prophecies as far back as Genesis show us that though we may not always know why things happen the way that they do, God has always been in control and always had a plan to save you. 

Hymn for Reflection: O Come O Come Emmanuel. Here’s a Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGw0QK6ICZA

December 1

Genesis 3:15 - 

“I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.”

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Nestled in the midst of curses given as a result of the first sin is a startling promise. Adam and Eve have just eaten of the forbidden fruit, and been told that death will come, that work on earth will be toilsome, and man will now be separated from the presence of God. But then God turns his gaze upon Satan, the liar. There will be a consistent tension between man and the realm of Satan and his demons on earth, but there is an end predicted here as well. He, the offspring of the woman, will “bruise your head.” This corresponds to prophecy in other parts of the Old Testament about the Messiah, like Psalm 110, which says – 

“The Lord says to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Genesis 3:15 offers us the first promise of an end to Satan. There will be one who will come, who is an offspring of the woman, who will be the crusher, and place Satan under his feet. This Satan will “bruise the heel” of this conqueror, which means it will be costly to crush Satan under his feet. This is true of course, as Jesus will come to earth to die. He will lose his life as a result of this great conquest, only to see new life on that Easter Sunday! 

But notice this in anticipation of Christmas: Jesus as the answer for sin and death and Satan was predicted right from the beginning! There was no gap between sin and God’s answer for sin. He clothed the sinners, Adam and Eve, and made a promise that this cosmic problem would be solved! 

Hymn for Reflection: Joy to the World. Here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPA0jTQI2HM