ADVENT DAY 14 - A PROPHETIC WORD

Today's scripture is from the prophet Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light.

For those who lived in a land of deep shadows -

light!  sunbursts of light!...

For a child has been born - for us!

the gift of a son - for us!

He'll take over

the running of the world.

His names will be:  Amazing Counsellor,

Strong God,

Eternal Father,

Prince of Wholeness

His ruling authority will grow,

and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.

He'll rule from the historic David throne

over that promised kingdom.

He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing

and keep it going

With fair dealing and right living,

beginning now and lasting always.

The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies

will do this.

Written around 740BC

ADVENT DAY 13 - LOOKS AREN'T EVERYTHING...

1 Samuel 16:6-7, 10-12

...When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, "Here he is!  God's annointed!"

But God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature.  I've already eliminated him.  God judges persons differently than humans do.  Men and women look at the face;  God looks into the heart."

Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel.  Samuel was blunt with Jesse, 

"God hasn't chosen any of these."

Then he asked Jesse, "Is this it?  Are there no more sons?"

"Well, yes, there's the runt.  But he's out tending the sheep."

Samuel ordered Jesse, "Go get him.  We're not moving from this spot until he's here."

Jesse sent for him.  He was brought in, the very picture of health - bright-eyed, good looking.  

God said, "Up on your feet!  Anoint him!  This is the one."

ADVENT DAY 12 - ...AND YOUR GOD WILL BE MY GOD

Ruth 1:6-9, 16

One day Naomi got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home;  she had heard that GOD had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah.

After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, "Go back.  Go home and live with your mothers.  And may GOD treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me.  May GOD give each of you a new home and a new husband!"  She kissed them and they cried openly.

But Ruth said, "Don't force me to leave you;  don't make me go home.  Where you go, I go;  and where you live, I'll live.  Your people are my people, your God is my god...

Despite being a Moabite, Ruth was a forebear of King David.

Her loyalty to Naomi and the God of Israel was what mattered, not her nationality.

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ADVENT DAY 11 - HERE IS WHAT YOU MUST DO...

Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out from Shittim two men as spies. 

"Go.  Look over the land.  Check out Jericho." 

They left and arrived at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there...

Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof and said, 

"I know that God has given you the land...now promise me by GOD,

I showed you mercy;  now show my family and mother, my brothers and sisters - everyone connected with my family..."

The men told her, "In order to keep this oath you made us swear, here is what you must do:

Hang this red rope out of the window through which you let us down and gather your entire family with you in your house...

Joshua 2:1, 8-9, 12-13, 17-18

And so, Rahab the prostitute who believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob obeyed the two men and she and her family were saved, not because she was good or did good things, but because she trusted God.  Rahab ultimately became the great-great-grandmother of King David and the many-many-times great-grandmother of Jesus.

ADVENT DAY 10 - "...OH THAT THEIR HEARTS..."

Moses summoned all Israel and said:

Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today.

Learn them and be sure to follow them.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

"You shall have no other gods before me.

"You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above 

or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.

"Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

"Honour your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you.

"You shall not murder.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

"You shall not covet...anything that belongs to your neighbour.

The LORD said, "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my

commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!"

Deuteronomy 5...

For further reading on the 10 commandments click on the link below.

https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/exodus-and-work/israel-at-mount-sinai-exodus-191-4038/instructions-about-work-exodus-201-17-and-211-239/the-ten-commandments-exodus-201-17

ADVENT - DAY 9 - BUT...

Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age.  And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat.  When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him - they wouldn't even speak to him..."What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?" 

So they sent Joseph a message, "Before his death, your father gave this command:  Tell Joseph, 'Forgive your brothers' sin - all the wrongdoing.  They did treat you very badly.'  Will you do it?  Will you forgive the sins of the servants of your father's God?"

When Joseph received their message, he wept.  

Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid.  Do I act for God?  Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good...

Genesis 37:3-4,50:15-17,  19-20

This is the last reading from Genesis in these days leading up to Christmas.  The link below from The Bible Project is a fabulous eight minute overview of Genesis and what these stories have to do with the coming of Christ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4isSyennFo

ADVENT DAY 8 - JACOB DREAMED

Jacob came to a certain place and camped for the night since the sun had set.  He took one of the stones there, set it under his head and lay down to sleep.  And he dreamed:  A stairway was set on the ground and it reached all the way to the sky;  angels of God were going up and going down on it.

Then God was right before him, saying, "I am God, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.  I'm giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants.  Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth;  they'll stretch from west to east and from north to south.  All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants.  Yes.  I'll stay with you, I'll protect you wherever you go, and I'll bring you back to this very ground.  I'll stick with you until I've done everything I promised you."

Jacob woke up from his sleep.  He said, "God is in this place - truly.  And I didn't even know it!" 

Genesis 28:12.16