The final week of advent will be spent reflecting on God's love for us. In this week's passages that love is expressed through God's grace as He communicates with David and Mary. That love shines through their fear and doubt, leading them to the place where they are able to put their trust in the Heavenly Father. As we prepare for Christ's second advent, the Lord of love is communicating that love to us, inviting us to put aside our fear and doubt and to place our trust in Him. As you read this week's passages, ponder all of the ways in which God's gracious love has been made evident in your own life, and marvel at His loving-kindness.
“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” (2 Samuel 11:11-16)
David wanted to build God's house, but God had other plans. It would be David's son, Solomon, who would be given that task. But the line of David would soon fail as his descendants turned away from the Lord to serve other 'gods,' and for a long time it appeared that God's promise would fail. The Lord loved David, however, and had no intention of breaking His word. There would be a descendent of David who would establish the throne forever. That descendent, Jesus, would also be the Son of God. Through Him the throne of David would be established forever, and the line of David, the man after God's own heart, will reign eternally. God's love for us is just as sure, and we can be as certain of eternity as David was, for that is what God has promised us, and His promises never fail.
"I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands."
These words reflect those of Isaiah 53: The Father allowed HIs Son to be "punished", "beaten", "flogged" by human hands -- as He bore, not His own, but our sins and wrongs.
"Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past..." This benediction from Romans 16 is a familiar one. It reminds us that the Lord has revealed a mystery through His Son: the means by which those who belong to God are redeemed. It is the gospel which answers that mystery, the good news that you and I will not be required to atone for our sins. God's Son, Jesus, has done that for us. Through His sacrifice our eternal salvation is established, and we who were once on shifting sand now stand upon the Rock. We cannot totter, we cannot be shaken, for we are secure in the sure knowledge of our Savior. In this place there is no fear, there is no need for doubt. We can be certain that we are God's, and that nothing can snatch us out of our Lord's hand. God's undying love has led Him to do whatever it might take to claim us as His own, for as Dr. Vic reminded us Jesus bore not HIs own, but our sins and wrongs. That is love without condition and without measure, and it has been given freely to you and I through the grace of God, to whom belongs all glory and honor.
"Mary was greatly troubled at his words ..." When the angel appeared to Mary, she reacted the same way anyone else who has an angel drop by reacts: she was a little awestruck and a lot afraid. But she need not fear, the angel said, for Mary was highly favored. That is, Mary was about to be shown the incredible width, depth and breadth of the love that God had for her as she was showered with God's grace. The gift of grace would make it possible for Mary to respond to the good news of Jesus' birth not with fear, but faith. That same good news has been extended to us, and we too are "highly favored," for God's grace has been showered upon us as well. John 1:16 tells us, "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace." That grace flows from God's love for us, which is new every morning; great is His faithfulness. As you go about today, enjoy God's grace and the reminder it provides of God's great love for us, saving us from our sin and reconciling us to the Father so that we can respond to Him not with fear, but faith.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her." (Luke 1:38) There were other things in Mary's future in addition to grace. The Lord told Mary that she was highly favored. He did not tell her that she would be spared from all hardship. Life would not be easy for Mary. She and Joseph no doubt endured the whispers and disapproval--and perhaps outright hostility--of those who knew their situation and assumed sin. By the time the child she would carry announced who He was to the world, her husband was dead. She would have to witness her son, God's Son, endure great hardship and, eventually, an unimaginably cruel death. What could possible sustain her faith through all of this? The same thing which produced that faith in the first place: the grace of God. God never promises His people that they will not endure hardship this side of heaven. In this world we will have trouble, but the Lord has left us His peace. That peace is granted to us through the grace of God, and helps us endure what may come our way, knowing that Jesus led the way by enduring the cross. Grace and peace to you today, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
God said, in reference to David, "My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted." As an aside, "hi s horn will be exalted" is a reference to David's kingly power. In the Bible the horn symbolizes power, and in this case refers to David's power and authority as king. God plans to exalt David's power as king, transferring it to his descendants forever. But what I really wanted us to look at was God's promise that His faithful love would be with David. That is important because without that love, David had no more hope of being exalted than Saul did. With that love, David was exalted. So too are we who are loved by God. It is God's faithful love that exalts us, That will happen because God loves us faithfully, and because through His grace we are able to recognize our need for Him ("Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." James 4:10). As you come before God in humility and thankfulness for His faithful love, know that He has plans to exalt you, and that through His grace you are promised eternal life in His Kingdom. That was God's promise to David, and it is God's promise to us.
The final week of advent will be spent reflecting on God's love for us. In this week's passages that love is expressed through God's grace as He communicates with David and Mary. That love shines through their fear and doubt, leading them to the place where they are able to put their trust in the Heavenly Father. As we prepare for Christ's second advent, the Lord of love is communicating that love to us, inviting us to put aside our fear and doubt and to place our trust in Him. As you read this week's passages, ponder all of the ways in which God's gracious love has been made evident in your own life, and marvel at His loving-kindness.
ReplyDelete“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” (2 Samuel 11:11-16)
ReplyDeleteDavid wanted to build God's house, but God had other plans. It would be David's son, Solomon, who would be given that task. But the line of David would soon fail as his descendants turned away from the Lord to serve other 'gods,' and for a long time it appeared that God's promise would fail. The Lord loved David, however, and had no intention of breaking His word. There would be a descendent of David who would establish the throne forever. That descendent, Jesus, would also be the Son of God. Through Him the throne of David would be established forever, and the line of David, the man after God's own heart, will reign eternally. God's love for us is just as sure, and we can be as certain of eternity as David was, for that is what God has promised us, and His promises never fail.
"I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands."
DeleteThese words reflect those of Isaiah 53:
The Father allowed HIs Son to be "punished", "beaten", "flogged" by human hands -- as He bore, not His own, but our sins and wrongs.
That's Eternal Love!
"Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past..." This benediction from Romans 16 is a familiar one. It reminds us that the Lord has revealed a mystery through His Son: the means by which those who belong to God are redeemed. It is the gospel which answers that mystery, the good news that you and I will not be required to atone for our sins. God's Son, Jesus, has done that for us. Through His sacrifice our eternal salvation is established, and we who were once on shifting sand now stand upon the Rock. We cannot totter, we cannot be shaken, for we are secure in the sure knowledge of our Savior. In this place there is no fear, there is no need for doubt. We can be certain that we are God's, and that nothing can snatch us out of our Lord's hand. God's undying love has led Him to do whatever it might take to claim us as His own, for as Dr. Vic reminded us Jesus bore not HIs own, but our sins and wrongs. That is love without condition and without measure, and it has been given freely to you and I through the grace of God, to whom belongs all glory and honor.
ReplyDelete"Mary was greatly troubled at his words ..." When the angel appeared to Mary, she reacted the same way anyone else who has an angel drop by reacts: she was a little awestruck and a lot afraid. But she need not fear, the angel said, for Mary was highly favored. That is, Mary was about to be shown the incredible width, depth and breadth of the love that God had for her as she was showered with God's grace. The gift of grace would make it possible for Mary to respond to the good news of Jesus' birth not with fear, but faith. That same good news has been extended to us, and we too are "highly favored," for God's grace has been showered upon us as well. John 1:16 tells us, "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace." That grace flows from God's love for us, which is new every morning; great is His faithfulness. As you go about today, enjoy God's grace and the reminder it provides of God's great love for us, saving us from our sin and reconciling us to the Father so that we can respond to Him not with fear, but faith.
ReplyDelete“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her." (Luke 1:38) There were other things in Mary's future in addition to grace. The Lord told Mary that she was highly favored. He did not tell her that she would be spared from all hardship. Life would not be easy for Mary. She and Joseph no doubt endured the whispers and disapproval--and perhaps outright hostility--of those who knew their situation and assumed sin. By the time the child she would carry announced who He was to the world, her husband was dead. She would have to witness her son, God's Son, endure great hardship and, eventually, an unimaginably cruel death. What could possible sustain her faith through all of this? The same thing which produced that faith in the first place: the grace of God. God never promises His people that they will not endure hardship this side of heaven. In this world we will have trouble, but the Lord has left us His peace. That peace is granted to us through the grace of God, and helps us endure what may come our way, knowing that Jesus led the way by enduring the cross. Grace and peace to you today, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteGod said, in reference to David, "My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted." As an aside, "hi s horn will be exalted" is a reference to David's kingly power. In the Bible the horn symbolizes power, and in this case refers to David's power and authority as king. God plans to exalt David's power as king, transferring it to his descendants forever. But what I really wanted us to look at was God's promise that His faithful love would be with David. That is important because without that love, David had no more hope of being exalted than Saul did. With that love, David was exalted. So too are we who are loved by God. It is God's faithful love that exalts us, That will happen because God loves us faithfully, and because through His grace we are able to recognize our need for Him ("Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." James 4:10). As you come before God in humility and thankfulness for His faithful love, know that He has plans to exalt you, and that through His grace you are promised eternal life in His Kingdom. That was God's promise to David, and it is God's promise to us.
ReplyDelete