Christian Reflection and Prayer

(Day 16 of Advent)

Scripture:

Read 2 Samuel 7:1-16. 

I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall
come from your body, and I will establish his
kingdom (see 2 Samuel 7:12).

The greatest king over Israel in the Old Testament was
King David from the tribe of Judah. He loved and trusted
God. While still a young man he boldly went up against
the giant Goliath and defeated him with a sling. He
became leader of Israel's army and fought many wars
to protect the nation that had descended from Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob. Finally, after many years the enemies
were defeated with God's help, and Israel was at rest
from war.

That's when David sat in his palace and thought about
the Ark of the Covenant. At God's command, Moses built
this symbol of God's presence among His people. After
hundreds of years that Ark was still sitting in the tent
Moses had constructed for it. David proposed to build a
great temple, so the Ark could finally rest inside a
permanent structure.

But through the prophet Nathan, God told David he was
not the king to build a temple, a house for Him. Instead,
God promised to build a house for David-an eternal
kingdom. He promised to raise up one of David's offspring
to be an eternal King; this King would live and reign over
Israel forever and ever.

David recognized that prophecy. It was the same promise
God had given Adam and Eve, the same promise He had
given Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah. It said one of their
descendants would be the promised Savior, the Son of
God. We celebrate the fulfillment of that promise again this
Christmas season with the birth of Jesus Christ our King.

THE PRAYER: 

"O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our
heav'nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery." Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

(Day 15 of Advent)


Read Deuteronomy 18:15-19. 
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from among you, from your brothers-it is to
Him you shall listen (Deuteronomy 18:15).

The most famous of Jacob's 12 sons isn't Judah,
the ancestor of the tribe from which Jesus came, it
is his 11th son and his favorite: Joseph. Out of
jealousy Judah and his other brothers sold him into
slavery. He was then taken to Egypt and eventually
raised to the position of prime minister when God
gave him the interpretation of a dream of Pharaoh,
king of Egypt.

When the severe famine predicted in that dream
broke out, Jacob and his family went to Egypt to get
food. There Joseph revealed himself and brought
them to the land of Egypt to live while the famine
persisted. There the Israelites grew in numbers
until the Egyptians feared and enslaved them.

Four hundred years later God raised up an Israelite
from the tribe of Levi named Moses to free Israel
from slavery. Though Moses conveyed God's
command "Let My people go!" Pharaoh hardened
his heart and refused to listen. So God worked 10
powerful plagues through Moses that compelled the
Egyptians to let the Israelites go.

Moses was unique among all the leaders of Israel.
While God spoke to other prophets through dreams
and visions, He spoke to Moses face to face. Before
his death Moses spoke about the Child of Christmas,
promising that God would raise another unique
Prophet like himself. This great Prophet-the Son of
God-will be an Israelite, living among His fellow
Israelites. No wonder we go to such efforts each
Christmas to celebrate His birth among us.

THE PRAYER:
Holy Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus
to be our great Prophet. Give us faith to hear and obey
Him always. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

(Day 14 of Advent)

Scripture:

Read Genesis 49:1-2, 8-12. The scepter shall not
depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between
his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall
be the obedience of the peoples (Genesis 49:10).

As time went by, God revealed more of His plan to
send His Son into the world. He promised Abraham
the Savior would come out of the great nation of his
descendants. Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac
was the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father
of 12 sons. These 12 became the ancestors of the
12 tribes that made up the nation of Israel.

But God still had to choose one of those tribes from
which His Son would be born. He rejected Jacob's first
three sons and chose the fourth, Judah, to be the ruler
of the nation, the ancestor of the tribe from which His
Son would come.

In the time before Jesus' birth that first Christmas morn,
great rulers arose from the tribe of Judah, especially
King David. He successfully led the armies of Israel
against all the enemies that threatened it-winning peace
for his people.

His descendant Jesus Christ also came as ruler to
defend us from all our enemies. He did this, however,
not by raising an army to fight behind Him. Jesus went
to battle all alone, His hands and feet nailed to the cross.
But by His suffering and death He routed all our enemies.
He crushed Satan's head, destroyed death, and rescued
us from hell. Raised on the third day, He sits enthroned
at God's right hand in glory.

This is the Savior whose birth we are preparing to
celebrate in 11 more days.

THE PRAYER:

Gracious Father, thank You for revealing Your undeserved
promise to send Your Son throughout the pages of the Old
Testament. Fill us with peace and joy this Christmas
season as we again celebrate His birth, life, death and
resurrection for us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)