Advent: Mighty God

"For to us a child is born, 

to us a son is given, 

and the government will be on his shoulders. 

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, 

Mighty God..."

Isaiah 9:6

 

Mighty God. The term used for God here is el. El is a general term for God and is derived from a root that means "strength." The second name in Isaiah 9:6 then is one of power--the mighty strong one, the strong God. Mighty can also refer to a warrior. The son born will be a warrior, God in strength and power. The context of Isaiah 9 reveals the reason for this warrior, that he will "break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor" (Isaiah 9:4). This reminds me of when Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming of himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor" (Luke 4:18-19).

This miraculous child, the one sent to guide us, is also our warrior and our God. He has come to remove our burdens and defeat the rod of our oppressor. There is already a fulfillment in Isaiah in that God planned to rescue Israel physically, but Jesus himself proclaimed Isaiah fulfilled in some way during his first time on earth. Jesus declared he had been sent to set the oppressed free. What did he free us from when he first came? He did battle with sin and won: "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:21-25).

 

At this time of year, let us remember that this son born for us came not only to guide us, but to break the slavery of sin in our lives. He is a warrior, come to do battle for his bride and claim her as his own. He has broken the rod of our oppressor and we are free. Such a profound truth, a humble babe in a manger born our warrior, God coming in might, the only one who could defeat the darkness of sin entangling our lives. Praise be to our Mighty God!

Advent: Wonderful Counselor

"For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor..."

Isaiah 9:6

 

Are you overwhelmed this season? Are you caught in the busyness of life, the holidays seemingly rushing by? I don't know about you, but at this time of year I always feel my schedule is packed and I am hard-pressed to catch my breath. Perhaps our expectations cause us to rush this time of year or maybe even good intentions of friends and family as we find ourselves invited to multiple events. How many of us think at the end of the season, "Did I even remember why we do all this?"

This month I am going to be posting five advent meditations, thoughts on the child born to us, who he for us even now. It's a way for me to focus on him in the midst of the crazy, to take a step back and gaze  squarely at the one this time is all about. I pray that as I focus myself, these posts may also help others pause to regain perspective.

Today I look to my wonderful counselor. Wonderful. The Hebrew word means something extraordinary, something miraculous, something hard to comprehend. It describes a work of God that causes us to stand in awe. In Jesus, God inserted himself into our world as a human--a miracle to be sure, something beyond expectations and yes, hard to understand. God in a man? And this is not a story or a myth; this is God truly being born a child, a son with authority. It is hard to wrap our minds around such a profound truth. And then the phrase goes farther...

Maybe we can deal with God become man, born a child. Maybe we have enough faith in miracles of God to go with such a happening. But then...Counselor. One who gives advice and counsel. In wonderful, we see God's hand and action doing something beyond us. Counselor links this wonder to us. This miracle event is meant to touch us intimately. This child born will not remain above us, but will interact with us. He will be our adviser and counselor. He will speak words to guide us and lead us. We will so recognize his authority that he will be the foundation and center of our lives. This child of wonder has profound impact on me personally. Am I listening to him?

In the midst of the season, remember he who is a miracle born to show you the master plan of life. Turn to him, fix your eyes on him, recall especially now that he is your focus and foundation. Enter again into the miracle, setting aside distraction. For you he came, to you he speaks. He is your Wonderful Counselor.

O Eternal and Most Gracious God...

Prayer Before Meal, 1660

Jan Steen

A Prayer, John Donne

O ETERNAL and most gracious God, who, though thou have reserved thy treasure of perfect joy and perfect glory to be given by thine own hands then, when, by seeing thee as thou art in thyself, and knowing thee as we are known, we shall possess in an instant, and possess for ever, all that can any way conduce to our happiness, yet here also, in this world, givest us such earnests of that full payment, as by the value of the earnest we may give some estimate of the treasure, humbly and thankfully I acknowledge, that thy blessed Spirit instructs me to make a difference of thy blessings in this world, by that difference of the instruments by which it hath pleased thee to derive them unto me.

As we see thee here in a glass, so we receive from thee here by reflection and by instruments. Even casual things come from thee; and that which we call fortune here hath another name above. Nature reaches out her hand and gives us corn, and wine, and oil, and milk; but thou fillest her hand before, and thou openest her hand that she may rain down her showers upon us. Industry reaches out her hand to us and gives us fruits of our labour for ourselves and our posterity; but thy hand guides that hand when it sows and when it waters, and the increase is from thee. Friends reach out their hands and prefer us; but thy hand supports that hand that supports us. Of all these thy instruments have I received thy blessing, O God; but bless thy name most for the greatest; that, as a member of the public, and as a partaker of private favours too, by thy right hand, thy powerful hand set over us, I have had my portion not only in the hearing, but in the preaching of thy Gospel.

Humbly beseeching thee, that as thou continuest thy wonted goodness upon the whole world by the wonted means and instruments, the same sun and moon, the same nature and industry, so to continue the same blessings upon this state and this church by the same hand, so long as that thy Son, when he comes in the clouds, may find him, or his son, or his son’s sons ready to give an account and able to stand in that judgment, for their faithful stewardship and dispensation of thy talents so abundantly committed to them; and be to him, O God, in all distempers of his body, in all anxieties of spirit, in all holy sadnesses of soul, such a physician in thy proportion, who are the greatest in heaven, as he hath been in soul and body to me, in his proportion, who is the greatest upon earth.

Happy Reformation Day!

Sola Scriptura

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, 

because you know those from whom you learned it 

 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures,

which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 3:14-15

Sola Fide

"For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 

Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too?

Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God,

who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith."

Romans 3:28-30

Sola Gratia

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 

not by works, so that no one can boast."

Ephesians 2:8-9

Solus Christus

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6

Soli Deo Gloria

"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.

If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,

so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."

1 Peter 4:11 

Without a Vision, People Perish?

I am in my Bible reading cycle now at the point where I am reading through the entire Bible again.  My cycle is to read through the entire Bible, then take a break for a year or two and read specific books to study them, then read through the entire Bible again.  When I read through the Bible, I try to find a new way to read through it each time, either by reading a different version or reading a different format.  At this time I am reading through the NET version of the Bible.  The NET pays specific attention to the original languages of the Bible with its copious footnotes explaining why certain terms are translated as they are.  I have been in Proverbs lately and I hit a verse that surprised me--and made me realize how it is has been misused in Christian culture.

The verse is Proverbs 29:18.  The version I am used to hearing is the KJV: "Where there is no vision, the people perish."  I've heard this used often to support the idea that people need to have goals and objectives.  You usually hear it at church planning meetings or ministry meetings: "If we don't have goals, we won't make it."  Now, I am all for goals.  But that is actually not what this verse is about.  Actually, even in the way it's quoted above, there is an immediate problem: it's only half the verse and it's the only half I ever hear in the goal context.  In the KJV, the rest of the verse says: "but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."  Hum...This is a contrast with the first part as indicated by the "but."  How does people not having goals contrast to keeping the law?  Are people without goals inherently against God's law?

The answer was revealed to me in the NET translation.  A clearer translation of this verse is "When there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but the one who keeps the law, blessed is he!"  The footnote in the NET points out that the Hebrew term here for "vision" refers to "divine communication to prophets."  This is not about a group communicating their vision for a church or ministry.  It is about God communicating His word to His prophets.  Thus, the people in the first part are without God's direction and "cast off restraint."  The Hebrew says the people are "let loose" or "let alone," the idea being that they "run wild."  Now we see how the first part of the verse does indeed contrast easily with the second part.  People without God's direction run wild, but the one who follows the law is blessed.  The person in the second part is not running wild or let loose, but is under God's guidance.

Instead of telling churches and ministries to impart their vision, this verse is making the point that those without God's communication will throw off restraint.  It's a warning even to us today that without God's word, people will run around doing whatever they want bringing chaos to society.  Unfortunately, much of our society today is a perfect example of this proverb.

He's Alive and I'm Forgiven!

Each Easter it's our tradition to listen to Don Francisco's song "He's Alive" on the way to church.  It's from the perspective of Peter and captures the point of Jesus' resurrection--forgiveness.  Here's a link to listen to this song.  It always makes me all the more joyful on Easter Sunday.

And a comic by Johnny Hart--click on the comic to view it larger.

Oh My Black Soul!

Oh My Black Soul! Now Art Thou Summoned
by John Donne

Oh my black soul! now art thou summoned
By sickness, death's herald, and champion;
Thou art like a pilgrim, which abroad hath done
Treason, and durst not turn to whence he is fled;
Or like a thief, which till death's doom be read,
Wisheth himself delivered from prison,
But damned and haled to execution,
Wisheth that still he might be imprisoned.
Yet grace, if thou repent, thou canst not lack;
But who shall give thee that grace to begin?
Oh make thy self with holy mourning black,
And red with blushing, as thou art with sin;
Or wash thee in Christ's blood, which hath this might
That being red, it dyes red souls to white.


B.C. by Johnny Hart