God's Guidance; Psalm 19, Matthew 2

 

    When we think of astrology verses astronomy, we think of the latter as scientific and objective, and the former as mystical, superstitious or downright demonic.  These divisions aren’t as clear as we might think.  Early astrologists made some incredible scientific observations and discoveries, and modern astronomy isn’t so divorced from religion.  On my conspiracy theory rabbit trail, I discovered that occultists were heavily involved in the origins of NASA.  Let me just say, Jack Parsons, and leave it at that.  People have worshipped the stars and planets as gods.  Others have tried to discover the mysteries of the stars so that they could be gods.  And many have looked to the stars to know the will of God. 

The stars do tell a story.  The constellations of the northern hemisphere have been recognized the same way across cultures of the world but with different names.  The Hebrew term for constellations of the Zodiac is Mazzaroth.  The Jewish calendar is based on them.  Each of the 12 tribes of Israel were identified by one of them.  Psalm 19:1-4 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.  The skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech; they use no words. No sound is heard from them, yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”  The heavens tell the story from Creation to the new creation, and the ancient Israelites understood them as such.  It’s not so surprising then that God would use the stars to tell of the birth of Jesus, since the coming of Jesus to earth was always a part of God’s plan for the redemption of humankind.  God speaks through the heavenly bodies.  But the story found in the skies is not separate from God’s Word.

            The second half of Psalm 19 speaks of God’s law.  For a long time, I thought the jump from a psalm about creation to David abruptly switching subjects was strange, almost as if they should be 2 different psalms, but it makes sense.  We can’t know what the stars mean apart from the word, and creation adds a visual representation to what we hear in the Word.  In our gospel reading today, we see God using both creation and word to guide the magi to Jesus.  And the magi responded to God’s guidance because they were seeking it.  In their conversation with Herod, and Herod’s consultation with the chief priests and scribes we can see that both the stars and the word were used to determine where the King of the Jews was to be born.  The magi clearly tell Herod that they have come to worship the new king, who was not just a king, but Messiah.  Herod knows that this is a prediction of Messiah.  The difference is that the magi were expecting and looking for the Messiah and Herod and the chief priests and scribes, who knew the prophecy about the Messiah weren’t looking for Him.  They weren’t paying attention to the stars, nor were they excited about His birth, but fearful.  God was speaking all along.  Those who were seeking His guidance heard and followed. 

            God still speaks.  The book of Hebrews opens with the words, “God, after He spoke long ago to the ancestors in the prophets, at many times and in various ways, in these last days has spoken to us through His Son whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the world.”  Jesus is the revelation of God. He is the One to whom the stars point.  He is the one of whom the Scriptures speak.  I had a Bible teacher once whose answer to people who want to know what God’s will for their life was would say, “Jesus Christ is God’s will for your life.”  What does that mean?  Obviously, it is to believe in Him for salvation, but it is more than that.  Romans 8:29 says that God has planned for us to be “conformed to the image of His Son.”  In Philippians 2, Paul exhorts us to have the mind of Christ, which in I Corinthians 2:16 he says we already have.  In other words, we are to think like Christ, which we can do because He has given us His mind.  We are also to act like Christ.  What does it mean to act like Christ?  We go back to the Scriptures, particularly the gospels to see how lived.  Jesus Himself told us to do things like love one another—His most repeated command, forgive one another, serve one another, love our enemies and bless them.  It’s not always that hard to figure out what God is saying to us. 

            Jesus also said He and the Father would speak to us by the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to live in us.  Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth.  The Holy Spirit also guides us by convicting us when we are not doing what God is telling us to do.  How do we hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us?  We hear through the Spirit illuminating our consciences.  We hear through the same communication channels that God used to guide the wise men—the written word and creation and through other people. I was visiting George this week, and we were talking about God speaking to us.  He mentioned how God has used His word to speak to him, when he has run across the right verse at the right time or how sometimes it’s just a little phrase, maybe of 4 words that sticks out.  He talked how a verse can have one application at one time and a different application at another time.  When it comes to God speaking through people, we can infer that the magi consulted with each other as to what star meant and the way they should go.  We also seeing them consulting with the Jewish religious leaders through Herod.  Sometimes God speaks through people who aren’t seeking Him, and in fact, are resistant to Him.  God can speak through anyone or anything.  It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to hear the message God is speaking through an unknowing or even hostile messenger without their knowledge.  Have you ever heard God speak through an unlikely person?  Of course, God speaks through other believers as well.  Proverbs speaks of getting counsel from other people. Proverbs 11:14, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”  Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” And Proverbs 15:22 “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.”

Another way we can hear God speak to us is through prayer.  Our text doesn’t tell us that the magi prayed, but it is certainly a communication channel offered to them.  We do see them worshipping Jesus.  Worshipping is a form of prayer but prayer also involves listening to God.  Sometimes God speaks to us in prayer through silence.  Sometimes God speaks to us in prayer through action, by answering our prayer even in the moment.  Sometimes God speaks to us in prayer through our own words that as we speak, we get clarification for God’s direction for our lives. 

God also speaks to us through circumstances.  There are events in our lives where things come together in such a way that we know God is speaking to us.  The right opening comes at the right time.  Sometimes God speaks to us to take an action.  Sometimes God speaks to us so that we will stop and rest in Him.  Sometimes God speaks to us through circumstances just so that we will know His love and care for us.  I have God use circumstances in all three ways at various times.

You really know God is speaking to you when multiple things come together at once.  You read something in Scripture, then you might hear something about what you read on a radio program or in conversation with a friend, then circumstances come together to reinforce it, then you pray about it, and it is very clear what God is up to in your life.

There is a saying that you often see on Christmas cards or bumper stickers that says, “Wise men still seek Him.”  This is true!  Those who are wise seek God and those who want to be wise will seek God.  God is still speaking.  God isn’t silent.  God wants to be found.  God reveals Himself in various ways, but we have to be paying attention.  Probably most of us do not make New Year’s resolutions anymore, but one thing we can commit to seeking to be more like Jesus, which we can do when we follow God’s guidance.  May we always to listen to God’s voice. To that end, I have made us star words for this year.  Each has a Scripture verse and a word.  Maybe God will speak to you through the verse, the word, or both as you meditate on it.  You might want to put it on your refrigerator or mirror or keep it in your Bible.  Let God guide you this year through the Word, Creation, prayer, circumstances, and people.

Peace & Goodwill; Luke 2:8-15

 

Tonight, much of what we have been studying, anticipating, waiting for and preparing for comes to pass.  Advent past becomes advent present as Christ is born, Emmanuel, God is with us.  A couple of weeks ago, we heard about God’s promise of perfect peace from Isaiah 26:3.  We looked into what perfect peace is and isn’t.  Tonight we hear angels sing, promising peace that will affect the whole earth to people of “good will.” 

            At our first joint Advent service with St. Christopher’s, Fr. Paul talked about the song that the angels might have sung.  He suggested and sung for us what is a familiar worship song—“Shalom, Aleichem”, which is “Peace upon you, ministering angels, messengers of the most high, of the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. Come in peace, messengers of peace, messengers of the Most High.  Bless me with peace, messengers of peace, messengers of the Most High.  May your departure be in peace, messengers of the Most High.”  This is the song sung by Jews on the way home after Friday night Shabbat synagogue worship or around the table as the shabbat candles are lit.  This song in its present form dates back to the 17^th Century and is based upon a Talmudic legend.  Fr. Paul wasn’t saying that this WAS what the angels sang, but he suggested that they would have sung something recognizable that would have quickly transformed the terror of the shepherds into joy. 

            Why were the shepherds so terrified.  Well, we’re all startled by sudden, strange phenomenon.  Look at the chaos the mysterious drone situation is causing.  At this point, most people know that the official story isn’t the real story, but what’s really going on?  Notice that a careful reading of the text does not say the angels appeared in the sky.  Verse 9 says, “an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shown round about them.”   It became bright!  In our Advent Bible study in November, we looked at the hymn “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.”  We looked at artists’ renderings of angels based off biblical descriptions of angels, from very early in Church history to many done by AI, depictions that would indeed cause one to be terrified if they showed up—angels as warriors with flaming swords, angels with 6 pairs of wings, angels covered in eyes, angels with 4 faces.  The hymn speaks of “rank on rank the host of angels spreads its vanguard on the way.”  Again, although these are heavenly messengers, it doesn’t say they appeared in the sky.  Verse 13 says, “And suddenly there was with the angel (the one who was standing in front of the shepherds) a multitude of the heavenly hosts.”  This is military language.  Whenever we read of a host of angels in the Bible, it is military language. It’s not just talking about a lot of angels, but an army of angels.  By the way, I’m 51 years old.  I’ve known this story from early childhood, and yet, this is the first year that I realized the angels weren’t in the sky.  I went to tell Jim and he was like, yeah, I know.  Yet, this army comes with a message of peace.  Fr. Paul suggested that some Old Testament saints might have been included in this army.  Perhaps so. 

            We don’t know the full of the song, but we know they gave glory to God, using this familiar term for God—“Most High.”  God gets the glory.  God is the Peacemaker.  I do think the song was one which told them that what they had heard in the Scriptures was coming to pass.  What is the promise?  On earth peace.  Well, we certainly don’t have world peace, and they didn’t have world peace, so we need to take a closer look at the angels’ message.  The first angel tells the shepherds to not be afraid “for I bring the gospel of great joy for all people.”  The gospel is for all people.  The gospel is that the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord has been born.  Jesus is the Savior of the world, the only hope the world has for peace and the source of true joy as we saw a couple of Sundays ago.  In his commentary on Luke, David L. Theide writes that Jesus came “to bless and restore humanity.”

Fr. Paul pointed out that the angels delivered their message, not in Greek, but in Hebrew or Aramaic in which both the word for peace is “shalom” meaning well-being and wholeness.  It is peace between God and people and people with people.  This is a promised blessing for the world which comes through Jesus and those whom He has chosen.  When we live like Jesus wants us to live, we can bring about human flourishing, which results in peace.  The earth is a better place because it is cared for properly.  The needy are cared for.  People are treated fairly. 

This does not mean everyone will be saved, but no one can be saved without Him.  The second half of the heavenly host’s message can have multiple interpretations.  The KJV says, “Peace on earth and good will toward men.”  This translation is based on very late manuscripts, and is not the best one.  Other translations say “Peace on earth among men on whom God’s favor rests or peace on earth to men with whom God is well-pleased.”  This word “well-pleased” is unique to the Jews and Christians, and was not used in any of its forms in secular society.  It most often refers to that which is pleasing to God.  The root word is the same as when God the Father says of Jesus at His baptism, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.”  However the form of the word is different.  It could mean and has been interpreted as people of good will or of good pleasure—i.e. those with good intentions or those who do that which is pleasing to God.  This interpretation goes with Scripture promises like Jeremiah 29:13 in which God says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”  St. Augustine said that our hearts are restless until we find our rest in God.  The message of the angels would be that peace comes upon earth in those whose intentions are right because God will come and has come to them.  And then of course, the shepherds do go forth to seek the Savior. Perhaps God sent His angels to these shepherds because they were those with hearts that were seeking God.  However, another interpretation is closer to exactly how God uses it towards Jesus—people who are well-pleasing to God or to those whom God favors.  This interpretation aligns with our Reformed tradition of the doctrine of election, that God is in charge of our salvation.  Of course, both of these things can be true at once.  God has predestined us for salvation, and therefore those who are the elect are and will be those who seek God. 

Is God pleased with all people?  We know that God is not, and yet God still blesses all people.  In Luke 6:35, the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus says, “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to the ungrateful and evil.  God loves everybody, even those with whom He is not pleased.  More than in any of the other gospels Luke records calls to repentance by John the Baptist and by Jesus.  We have seen in our Isaiah studies that God’s blessings as well as God’s judgments are tools God uses to bring people to a state of repentance.  Part of God’s blessing is bringing shalom to the world—that wholeness and flourishing, which Jesus brought wherever He went as He walked the earth, and which God still brings through people whom He has favored who are in turn dedicated to pleasing God.  Friends, believe the good news—Jesus the Savior has been born for you.  God’s favor and peace are upon you.  May you live into peace so that the people and environment around you also flourish and find peace. 

Rejoice and Be Glad!; Isaiah 25:9-12

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Perfect Peace; Isaiah 26

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Watchman, What Do You See?: Isaiah 21, Matthew 24:27-31, 42

 

As you know, there are different roles within the body of Christ.  One of those roles is to be a watchman.  It is a particular calling given to different people.  It is part of the role of prophet.  The watchman’s job is to warn people about the coming judgment so that they might repent and turn to the Lord before it is too late.  We see the role of the watchman in our Old Testament reading this morning.  That being said, it is the job of all of us to keep watch for ourselves.  Jesus told us to keep watch for His coming.  We hear that in our New Testament reading today.  Keeping watch for ourselves doesn’t mean that we have no role in the lives of others.  All of us are called to admonish one another as brothers and sisters in Christ so that we help one another to turn from sin and live holy and righteous lives.   

            Once again in Isaiah, we have judgments of the nations.  This time in Isaiah 21 there are multiple short judgments against many nations—Babylon, Edom, and Arabia, and in describing the judgment of Babylon, a warning for Judea.  We took a deep dive into the fall of Babylon when we looked at Isaiah 13 and Revelation 17-18.  We saw that the fall of Babylon was mourned by those whose livelihoods were enmeshed in that worldly, unjust economic system, but that it was celebrated by the saints in heaven, those who had been persecuted.  Here, Isaiah is terrified over the judgment of Babylon.  Why, because they are continuing in their eating and drinking unaware of the destruction about to befall them.  We saw In Isaiah 13 that even though the word “watchman” wasn’t used, Isaiah acted as a watchman for them.  He warned them of the coming judgment, but now he sees that the time from them to repent has come to an end and they did not.  They are continuing in their partying.  The Babylonian destruction comes suddenly out of nowhere.  We saw when we looked at Babylon before that this sudden judgement did come to pass exactly that way when in the middle of a party, King Belshazzar’s kingdom was stripped away.  Now the Lord calls Isaiah to appoint a watchman.  This watchman does not seem to be appointed for Babylon, since the riders are coming from there but for Judah.  Judah is not named in the text but is described as “my threshed and son of the threshing floor.”  The word threshed is in the feminine singular, while son of the threshing floor is masculine singular.  The watchman is doing his job on the wall, and nothing seems to be happening, when suddenly he sees a troop of riders with the horsemen riding in pairs and one calls out “Fallen, fallen is Babylon.”  The watchman seems distressed because he knows the people are unprepared.  He has tried to tell them what he has heard from Yahweh of the Armies and to tell them about the God of Israel.  He directs his prayer to the Lord, telling the Lord that he is doing his job.  The destruction of Babylon should be good news to an afflicted people.  Both Isaiah and the appointed watchman are distressed over the coming destruction of people who are in rebellion against God.  Do we feel the same the way?  Do we even care enough about others to warn them of what will happen to them if they continue to reject the Lord? 

            Our reading from Matthew speaks of Christ’s second coming as also sudden and coming seemingly out of nowhere.  We don’t know when it will be other than “after the tribulation.”  And in verse 14, which we didn’t read, Jesus speaks of the gospel first being preached to all the nations before the end will come.  Since it seems as if the world cycles through periods of great tribulation, we may or may not recognize when we are in the final one, so we are called to be alert, to keep watch, because we don’t know when the Son of Man will return.  Jesus does not want us to be caught off guard by His coming.  We may be surprised, but it should be a joyful surprise, fulfilling our hope for His return.  If we are prepared, we can look forward to His coming.  Jesus repeats this command in the next chapter Matthew 25:13 at the end of the parable of the 10 virgins.  We are to keep watch, to always be prepared for the coming of Christ.  The apostle Paul also talks about this in I Thessalonians 5:1-11

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 

We are to encourage one another to live the way Paul exhorts us to, and we are to continue to share the gospel with those who have yet to hear.  We know this from what Peter says about the Lord’s sudden coming accompanied with sudden destruction in II Peter 3:9-13.  

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.  11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking

We hear that the Lord doesn’t want anyone to perish, and that’s part of the reason He hasn’t returned yet.  By the way, don’t take it for granted that someone as heard.  We will see this with the judgment of the Arabs.  Both Peter and Paul speak of Christ’s return as something to which we should look forward with hopeful anticipation, not something to be dreaded.  The world may be afraid when Christ returns, but we should not.

            Next we see the judgment of Edom.  Here Isaiah is the watchman.  The Edomites are the descendants of Esau.  This time Isaiah is the watchman on the wall who sees the coming destruction.  This destruction will be ongoing.  In Isaiah 21:11 The watchman is asked what does he see.  He replies, “Morning comes, but also the night.”  There is a reprieve, but trouble will come again.  Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”  For Edom, joy would come in the morning, but the weeping in the night was going to return.  Then the watchman says, “If you would ask, ask, come back again.”  We tend to hear that is someone continually checking on the status by asking the watchman what’s going on.  The watchman is the one speaking.  He could be speaking like, “I don’t know why you keep asking; the news isn’t any different or getting any better.”  Or it could be taken like, “If you want to ask again later, return, and come back to see if anything has changed.”  The Hebrew has 3 verbs—“If you want to ask, ask (a command) return or go back, which can also be interpreted “repent”, and then come.”  This is actually an invitation for those facing destruction to ask for help, like the Moabites were invited to as we hear last week, repent, change your ways, and then come back again.  Rev. Samuel Lindsay connects this passage to the death of Jesus.  Remember that the Herods were Edomites who practiced Judaism.  The morning came for the Jews.  Jesus is the morning, but Herod the Great first tried to kill Jesus, and then Herod Antipas was also partly responsible for the death of Jesus.  The Herods continued to reject the gospel.  Agrippa I was responsible for the persecution of the church and ended up dying from parasites.  Agrippa II also rejected the Lord.  Paul preached the gospel to him on multiple occasions, but he ended up not believing and sending Paul to Rome.  He was the last Herod.  The Herods could have embraced Jesus, but instead, they rejected the light, and so further darkness would come upon them.  Like the Moabites we heard about last week, the Edomites quickly ceased to become a distinct people.  There are no Edomites today. 

            The watchman’s job is to tell people what’s coming.  If he doesn’t do his job, he is at fault for the people being unprepared.  We see this in Ezekiel 33:3-6.  

[If the watchman] sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’

The watchman cannot make people do the right thing, but it is his job to warn the people about looming danger.  In this chapter, Isaiah acts as a very concerned watchman as he sees destruction coming.  He isn’t worried for himself, but for those on whom judgment is coming.  He isn’t worried for himself because the judgment doesn’t apply to him.  He is in right standing with the Lord. 

            The final judgment in Isaiah 21 is upon Arabia.  There is no watchman to look out for them but they are warned by Isaiah.  The warriors of Arabia will quickly be reduced to a few. 

As watchmen, we are called to keep watch for Christ’s return.  As we do so, we are to watch out for ourselves.  Watching for Jesus doesn’t mean standing around looking at the sky, nor does it mean merely observing signs of doom and impending doom.  It means, as we heard from Jesus, Peter, and Paul to watch our own lives, to make sure we are doing that which we want Jesus to catch us doing when He returns.  It also means looking out for our brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage them in godly living.  Some of us are called to be watchmen for those who do not yet know Christ, to warn those who have rejected Jesus to come to repentance before it is too late.  Today’s Advent word is hope.  It’s easy to see destruction and looming destruction in our world, but there is also hope.  Remember that judgment is justice.  While the Day of Judgment is a day of terror for those who do have rejected Christ, for those who know Him, it is the fulfillment of hope when sin and evil will be vanquished fully, finally, forever.   In her poem, “A Day is Surely Coming,” Valerie Bridgman writes: 

 

A day, certain and on its way
And we feel it approaching
Slowly first, then in a quickened pace
Like a promise, on its way
To being fulfilled
A day when justice and righteousness
Is executed as surely as the day breaks Sun shines, rain falls, fog gathers
At foothills. 

 In the midst of destruction, where do you see hope? 

 

A Loving and Just King; Isaiah 15-16

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Two Crowns; Isaiah 28:1-8

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