Advent (day 4)
Hope is a future-oriented term, but it is grounded in past events. In the Old Testament, hope for the Messiah was anchored in God’s mighty deeds in history. This is why their concept of Messiah was closely linked with terms like “Deliverer”.
In fulfilling His promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), God delivered the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and led them into the Promised Land. The Exodus event formed the basis of hope for the people of God. They told the story over and over again.
Even when Israel was unfaithful, hope was not lost. Because of God's faithfulness and mercy, those who returned to Him received forgiveness and deliverance from their enemies. The psalmist called on Israel to “hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love and with him is great power to redeem. It is He who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities” (Psalm 131:7).
God’s mighty deeds sustained Israel’s hope for a messiah, the anointed ruler who would be God’s agent to restore Israel’s glory and rule the nations in peace and righteousness.
If we are weak in hope, perhaps we have vested our hope in weak things: wealth, possessions, reputation, relationships. Perhaps these are the things we long for now. Let us renew the hope of Advent in our hearts by remembering the mighty deeds of God, not least of which is coming into our world. “And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point o f death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8). Come again, Lord Jesus. We await your return.
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 105
In fulfilling His promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), God delivered the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and led them into the Promised Land. The Exodus event formed the basis of hope for the people of God. They told the story over and over again.
Even when Israel was unfaithful, hope was not lost. Because of God's faithfulness and mercy, those who returned to Him received forgiveness and deliverance from their enemies. The psalmist called on Israel to “hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love and with him is great power to redeem. It is He who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities” (Psalm 131:7).
God’s mighty deeds sustained Israel’s hope for a messiah, the anointed ruler who would be God’s agent to restore Israel’s glory and rule the nations in peace and righteousness.
If we are weak in hope, perhaps we have vested our hope in weak things: wealth, possessions, reputation, relationships. Perhaps these are the things we long for now. Let us renew the hope of Advent in our hearts by remembering the mighty deeds of God, not least of which is coming into our world. “And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point o f death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8). Come again, Lord Jesus. We await your return.
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 105
posted by Bob | 9:35 AM
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