It felt like I couldn’t really begin to participate in Advent season yet, because I had this final exam hanging over my head: Old Testament II.
It was only one class, but because of the pace of the last six weeks, I got about 10 lectures (I can view them on my own schedule), and several chapters of reading behind. Because I had a deadline of Wednesday at midnight for completing the entire course, I knew I would just have to buckle down, and think about the Christmas season only after I finished this seemingly giant task.
Monday afternoon and most of Tuesday were spent catching up on those lectures (while fighting the temptation to click over to Amazon and do a little shopping) and then reading over notes in preparation. I had a Christmas party to host on Wednesday night as well, so I also fought visions of grocery lists and cookies dancing in my head.
But the longer I studied, the more I began to notice a pattern. An Advent pattern of sorts. The exam was over the books of Job through Malachi – the last 22 books of the old Testament, most of which are books of prophecy. In every one of the prophetic books can be found this pattern:
1. Warning of Judgment
2. Promise of Restoration
3. Repeat
Just take a look…
All of the prophets were called by God to speak a message of warning and judgment to both the nation of Israel, and other nations as well. But no one listened. Their hearts were hard. They had turned from God. They were worshipping idols. They had forsaken proper temple worship and the priesthood. Even priesthood was corrupt. Kings and constituents were sacrificing their children to pagan gods. The One True God’s Word and Law was gathering dust in a closet.
It was a bad scene, one of ultimate betrayal, and yet, in a display of incredible patience, God waited about a thousand years to bring about their deserved punishment: Total devastation by their enemies and exile from their beloved homeland.
But before His people were violently captured and while they were in the midst of the desolation of their homes and cities, God promises them a rescue. In His grace He assures them of hope. The first candle lit during Advent is the Hope Candle. When I finally realized that my Old Testament studies were not hindering my seasonal celebrations (silly me), but were instead facilitating its celebration and observance, I had to marvel all over again at the goodness of God.
In this first week of Advent, He has shown me (yet again) that he is a God of Hope. He has reminded me that He never leaves His people without a promise of future Hope.
He provided hope in the garden right after revealing the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin – her seed will crush the serpent’s head someday. (Genesis 3: 15)
Judgment…Hope.
He provided hope to a destroyed and exiled Israel through the prophets – the ransomed of the Lord will return to Jerusalem with joyful singing and no more sorrow. (Isaiah 35:10)
Brutal Exile…Joyful Return.
And He provides hope to us “exiles” today – the sufferings of this present time are nothing compared to the coming glory of Christ. (Romans 8:18)
Present Suffering…Future Glory
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never longed for the coming glory of Jesus more than I have in this last year.
He is sweet even in our waiting though, and here’s a little evidence of that from this past week…
It snowed in Texas! Like real flakes that stuck to the ground….and accumulated, remaining there even overnight! My Facebook news feed was nothing but Texas snow pics, Texas snowmen pics, and notifications of school closings. It hasn’t happened since 1985, but I don’t think anyone there ever stopped hoping for it. It may have taken a full 32 years, but the Lord granted their hopes yesterday and they went crazy celebrating and delighting in hope realized.
Robert and I and about 10 other couples from our church went to a really helpful and hopeful marriage conference last weekend. We also went hiking with a few of those couples during our free time in hopes of reaching the summit of Mount Monadnock. We made it, ate some granola bars (and plantain chips I had stuffed in my pocket), and made the descent all in the course of about three hours. It was so fun and refreshing!
And then I could barely walk the next day, and the next…AND the next, and I hoped (and prayed) that the soreness in my calf muscles would go away. It finally did, and I hope to hike many more mountains while I wait expectantly for the day that “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east…and the Lord my God will come…” (Zechariah 14:4-5)
Happy Advent! Happy Hope!