The weather is turning cold. Trees are changing, some already dropping leaves. This is the time of year a pastor has to start thinking about Advent, if he hasn't already. I always get excited for Advent and Christmas about mid-October - partly because I am immersed in it already in worship planning, but also because I can't wait to crack open the front part of the hymnal and sing those Advent and Christmas hymns!
The Psalm today speaks of our Advent King. Our Genesis reading is a very captivating narrative story that (although long) is a quick and easy read. It tells us of the bloodline of the Messianic Advent King. So, to our study!
Read Psalm 24
This Psalm always gets me excited for Advent, because when I hear/read the words I also hear Handel's Messiah, or the great Lutheran hymn "LIft Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates," (quoted in part below). And what are these gates, the ancient doors? A common interpretation (and one that I believe is helpful) is that these are the doors of our hearts. Our hymn explains:
Fling wide the portals of your heart;
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for heav'n's employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
So shall your Sov'reign enter in
And new and nobler life begin.
To God alone be praise
For word and deed and grace!
(LSB 341:4, Public Domain)
Advent texts (in Scripture and in hymns) apply largely both to Christ's first coming and his second coming. So when we hear of the coming reign of our God, we prepare and rejoice to celebrate his first coming. A humble king, he came to suffer and die that he might break the backbone of Satan. He died and rose that Death might die. He rose and ascended to rule over his people, forgiving our sin and strengthening us to live in his Kingdom loyally and faithfully.
We also think of his coming again, and we long and look forward to that day. Satan's power is broken now, but when Christ comes again Satan will be thrown into the eternal lake of fire. Now death has no sting, but when Christ comes again, our bodies will never be sick and will never die again. Now, sin's dominion is shaken, but when Christ comes again we will be rid of our sinful nature and will dwell in perfect peace and love with God and with others.
Do you understand why I love Advent? A focus on Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection; and a focus on his heavenly kingdom in which we will have perfect life without end! Therefore I pray with John in Revelation 22:20 "Come, Lord Jesus!"
Read Genesis 27
We might contemplate too much the nature of Rebekah and Jacob's sin. Did they sin in their deception? Almost certainly. But interestingly enough, the outcome was God's Will. (Not that the end justifies the means. There was almost certainly a better way for Jacob to receive the blessing).
But not dwelling on the sin and deception too much, we know that it was God's will for Jacob to receive the Messianic blessing rather than Esau. Rebekah had been told by God in the previous chapter, "The older shall serve the younger." We also hear elsewhere (In Malachi 1 and Romans 9) that God loved Jacob. Regarding God's hate for Esau, I don' wish to get into the predestination debate now. There will be plenty of opportunity for that in the future, specifically in Romans 9.
But it was God's intent for Jacob to receive the blessing of the Messiah. Through Jacob would be born the Advent King. Jacob, who would be renamed Israel, would be a multitude, and a blessing to the earth. This is fulfilled in Christ. Jesus is the King. We are part of his multitude by faith.
This interesting occurrence of the younger receiving the blessing is repeated. Amazingly enough, Jacob will bless his grandsons and will intentionally cross his right arm over to the younger, and his left to the older. Again the younger will receive the promise. (We'll see this in Genesis 48).
This just verifies that the promise comes by the grace of God, by his choice. It is not by works, not by being a certain race, not by being the eldest or by any other way of "earning" it. It is by God's grace. The promise continues. The Advent King approaches. Come, Lord Jesus!
Ask Yourself:
Do I try to dictate how God should bless me?
Do I resort to deception to accomplish what I believe is God's will?
Do I look forward to Jesus' second coming? Can I honestly pray "Come, Lord Jesus!" If I struggle with that why?
Pray:
Redeemer, come and open wide
My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!
O enter with Thy grace divine;
Thy face of mercy on me shine.
Thy Holy Spirit guide us on
Until our glorious goal is won.
Eternal praise and fame
We offer to Thy name.
(LSB 341:5, Public Domain)
Study with me tomorrow,
Pastor Jon
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Jon, I have questions, but I suppose they will have to wait until Romans. However, I will pass on this thought. Maybe, Rebekah, knowing God's promise decided to take it upon herself to see to it that Jacob would receive the blessing, much like Abraham and Sarah took it upon themselves to use a servant to "fulfill" God's promise. Who knows what might have occurred in either situation had they trusted in God from the start? And then the question, does this happen to us in the same way?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely it does! I like to say that often God works in spite of us. Though we have sin and try to take matters into our own hands, and though we do often make a terrible mess of things, God's grace abounds all the more. He not only forgives us, but has an incredible way of working out all things for the good.
ReplyDeleteSo we do not call the evil good. But we do rejoice that God has overcome the evil and worked his good graces anyway. If they had trusted God and acted appropriately, then Jacob would have received the blessing (becuase it was God's will), but perhaps there would not have been the hatred of Esau for his brother. You never know.
But yes, let us trust him and do what is good, loving, and right. Then watch what he will do in our lives!