ADVENT – THE ARRIVAL OF A NOTABLE PERSON OR EVENT

“And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”  Romans 15:12

“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”  Isaiah 11:1

“So the LORD GOD said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”  Genesis 3:15

I love this season.  Christendom calls it the Advent Season.  Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.  The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means coming.

The definition of advent is – the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

Two thousand years ago in the nation of Israel, the nation felt as if they had been forgotten by the Lord God.  There hadn’t been a prophet to speak the word of God since Malachi.  In fact the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament are known as the silent years.  The last miracle Israel had witnessed was during the Macabbean Revolt and the oil in the lamps never ran out.  The nation of Israel is back in the promised land after years of exile, but they are under the domination of the great world power of the day, Rome.  The temple had been restored after the exile, although it was a much smaller building than the one that Solomon had buit and decorated in such marvelous glory.  God did seem silent as the oppressive regime of Rome occupied Judea and kept her people under subjugation.  The whole nation hoped and waited upon God’s annointed One, their Messiah.  He was the one Isaiah and all others prophesied about.  This Messiah was the Hope of Israel and they were sure He would free them from Roman tyranny.

Notice I said God seemed silent.  Seemed is the optimal word here.  God is always at work around me as I learned from my study, “Experiencing God.”  During these so called “silent years” God was preparing a highway system that would allow the spread of the gospel.  He was using the dreaded Roman Power throughout the land.  God was preparing earth to receive His Savior, His very own Son.  The King of Heaven was preparing to wrap himself in the form of a new born babe.  The Son of God was about to leave the gold streets of heaven and travel the dusty roads of Roman territory.

Today marks the first Sunday of Advent.  My husband and I like to do light Advent Wreath Candles.  It is what we do to prepare our hearts for the true Reason for this Season, Our Savior, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The first candle of this season is a purple candle.  It is called THE PROPHECY CANDLE or CANDLE OF HOPE.

I am walking through a trial that seems as if God is silent.  I keep crying out to Him for deliverance.  Today I light this candle because He is my hope.  Jesus is still the Hope of Israel.  Once before in history it seemed as if God was silent and He was not.  Because God is always at work around me and because He sent His One and Only Son into this world to save the people of this world and not condemn this world, I have hope.  I place my hope in the Only One who will crush my true enemy underneath His foot.  Many of my family and friends are hoping during this Advent Season.  I am hoping with them.  We are hoping for the healing of a three year old little girl whose body is riddled with nueroblastoma tumors.  I am hoping and praying for a very dear friend battling melonoma tumors in his body.  I am hoping and praying for a family who misses a little three year old boy.  I am hoping and praying for…

And because my Hope is placed in the living God, I light this purple candle.  God sent the Hope of Isreal and fulfilled all the prophecies once before, why do I think all of the sudden He has suddenly become silent?  God sent His One and only begotten Son two thousand years ago and all the nay sayers were silenced.  One dark and starry night, the King of Glory quietly entered our world and God filled the silence of hundreds of years with an angelic choir.

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  Luke 2:13-14