Silence ~ Then…Boom!

     Four-hundred years.

     One-hundred-forty-six-thousand days.

     God—silent. Why? His people—the apple of His Eye, the ones He created to love Him and enjoy Him forever, the nation of promise—turned away from Him.

     Repeatedly. So many times that God finally said, “Enough.” And His silence “deaf ears.” The ears of the ones not listening or seeking.

     Until… 

     God sent a heavenly messenger to Zachariah who spent his days worshipping Him—Hashem*. In fact, he was a priest. High priest. One who carried out his “duties” with a heart devoted to the calling he was given. And this timely visit happened while Zachariah offered the sacrifice at the altar.

     God’s silence ending.

     Then why did Zachariah doubt what God was about to do? Bless this elderly couple (who up until this time were unable to conceive) with a son**? He knew the Scriptures, what God had done. Miracle after miracle. His wife did too.

     Yet, the angel Gabriel’s message did not compute. And, because of this disbelief, Zachariah would be unable to speak until his and Elizabeth’s son’s brit***.

     Silent—281 days (or there abouts).

     Then God sends Gabriel to deliver yet another astounding message to a virgin—a morally-pure, teen-aged girl.

     The most astounding announcement of all time.

     Ever!

     The message? Mary, who loved Hashem with all her heart, would become with child through a miracle by the Divine. She’d bear a son named Jesus, and this Child would be…

     …the Savior of the world!

     Unlike her cousin-in-law Zachariah, Mary praised God with a song from her heart for choosing her to bear this Child Who would change…

     …Everything!

     Then there was the visit to Joseph. He certainly looked to be facing the toughest decision of his life amidst the gossip and character assassination he must’ve endured when word got out that—

     What!!! His betrothed was pregnant???

     So, what does God do? He again sends Gabriel to minister to Joseph through a dream and assures him this is all going to be fine.

     More than fine. Part of the divine plan. 

     But the messages from the 400-year, no-longer-silent God weren’t over yet. He sends Gabriel again to proclaim to the lowliest of the low—stinky, poor, but faithful shepherds. And not only do they experience this single beaming angel, but God sends out the choir!

     The heavenly hosts! Praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest…”

     Why write this to you—many of you who likely know more about the deep theology behind it all and have heard the announcements read over and over again?

     Or maybe you haven’t.

     My husband and I were relaxing, listening to Christmas music. The old carols in particular draw my attention because of the depth of the message in many of them. I was taken aback by such words even though I’ve heard them hundreds of times.

     But between the songs, I turned to Brian and said, “I’ve been thinking about the 400 years when God was silent. Can you remind me if that all happened just prior to the events we’re remembering now—the pronouncements?”

     “Yes,” he said thoughtfully, “starting with Zachariah.”

     “Thinking of this, I cannot fathom for the life of me God being silent all that time. I mean, I can’t even imagine Him being silent one single day, and then…Boom!”

     “Boom?” asked Brian giving me the odd look he tends to at times. (You’d have to know us.)

     “Bursts of Hope! Like an unexpected meteor shower or something! All of a sudden! So close together when you think of Gabriel’s visits! This astounds me!”

     “Yes, it really does,” he agreed.

     Yes.

     It really does.

     We live in times where it might seem God is again silent. Times when the people He’s created do not acknowledge Him. Turn away from Him. Do evil upon evil to the point of killing each other, setting up false gods to replace Him, and more.

     Is the “silence” God weeping? Waiting?

     Is the silence us not paying attention?

     As we come upon this Christmas time, may we who love God—the wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace—celebrate His birth and the reason for His coming with hearts bursting with Hope—

     Like a meteor shower or something!

     If you’re going through a season in your life where you cannot hear God and think Him silent, be like those shepherds on the hillside outside Bethlehem.

     That was a silent night, once the sheep were all settled for the night. Oh, maybe an occasional bleating from a suckling lamb searching for its mother’s milk.

     Silence doesn’t mean God is not there. You may not expect it—but if you seek Him, you will find Him.

     BOOM!

     A meteor shower of Hope to the world!

     God With Us! 

     Emmanuel! 

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is giv’n!

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav’n.

No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

 

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

 

(from O Little Town of Bethlehem by Phillips Brooks, 1868, public domain)

 

#Godsilent400years #Christmas #ZachariahElizabeth #Hashem #MaryJoseph

#JesusSavior #EmmanuelGodWithUs #shepherds

 

 

*”The Name”—the Hebrew word that devout/orthodox Jews use when mentioning God,

   believing Him too holy to even be called “God/Yahweh/Jehovah” also writing “G-d” or “Hashem” in reverence

**the one known as John the Baptist, sent by God and anointed to “prepare the way of the Lord”

***Jewish ceremony when 8-day-old baby boys are circumcised and their names announced

 

Photo Credit: freeBibleimages.org 

World Turned Upside Down

       Just prior to Thanksgiving I managed to break out with shingles. I learned from the doctor (who diagnosed this itching, stabbing, burning rash) I was contagious. Oh bother.

        This changed plans a bit, but I must admit gladly so. You see, I was supposed to go Walmart grocery shopping and take our son who absolutely loves exploring that store repeatedly. I am not, however, a great fan of shopping—anywhere!

        I didn’t want to let Min down, so we decided I’d use the Pick-Up option to get groceries we needed so he could have his moments of wonder and excitement inside the store.

        I went over the change in our regular routine, as our son needs this each and every time we do just about anything. “This time I’m going to pull up and let you out to go in the store on your own.”

        “Okay,” Min said with a smile (as much of a smile as he wears as he isn’t a huge smiler), “and I’ll be responsible and grown-up, and I will call you when I’m done. Right?

        “Yes,” I said. “Do that because I’m going to park further down the lot after I pick up our groceries.”

        So, plan in place, I got the food then pulled into an empty space further down the parking lot than usual. I whistled tunes a while then found myself daydreaming, when I spotted something that made me smile.

        Across the way stood a cart return. There are many of those in the lot, all with a grocery cart logo on top. The sign on this particular bay, however, had slipped, leaving the shopping cart logo upside-down.

        I chuckled. Didn’t the shoppers get the message? They all put their carts in there right-side up. I laughed again. Such rebellion! Then my phone rang.

        “I’m done,” our son said on the other end. “I’m coming out the food-end door.”

        “Okay! I’ll be there in a minute.” I started the car, pulled out, and went to picked up Min.

        He loaded his bags in back then climbed into the car.

        “Do you know how to take pictures on a phone?” I asked, thinking we’d done this a time or two before but not remembering how. (I’m seriously techno-challenged.)

        “Yeah.”

        “Well, can you take one for me please? I saw something I thought was funny.”

        “Yeah.”

        I drove back to where the rebellious shoppers parked their carts right-side up and pulled the car sideways so Min could take the picture.

        Min gave me a blank look.

        “I know. I’ve lost my mind, but I thought it was funny that no one put their cart in the bay upside down.

        “Oh,” Min said. “It should match, right?”

        “Exactly!”

        Then Min smiled big. He took the picture then passed me the phone. “Can I go over there and turn a cart upside down?” He asked. “That’s funny.”

        “Okay. Then I’ll take your picture.”

        Min got out, flipped the cart upside down, and gave me a thumbs up.

        I indicated when the task was completed, and he turned the cart upright and parked it in the bay.

        “Rebel!” I yelled out the window.

        He came over to the car, got in and buckled his seatbelt. “What are you going to do with the pictures?”

        “Oooh, I dunno. Maybe nothing. Maybe get some idea for a blog post.”

        “Maybe we should use carts upside down,” Min said.

        “Cheaper that way! And shop on our heads!”

        “Can we do that?” he asked.

        “I hardly think so.”

        Okay! Insane moments! I admit it. (What else is new?) But, if you think about it, my ridicu-litis could be credible. After all, the Walmart rebels? Some shop in pajamas, ya know. So, who’s to say there’s not an actual rebellion going on!

        I did come up with a reason to use this experience in my blog, which you’ve already discovered if you read this far, you who don’t park your shopping carts upside down.

        I got to thinkin’ about our upside-down world vs. the one I grew up in scores of years ago. Your world too? Let me "splain"…

        Visualize a pyramid! The bottom wide, the top a point. A stable structure, like the pyramids in Egypt—standing firm over 1000s of years. If you were to take one of those (if you could, which you can’t, but if you could) and turn it upside down and rest it on its point. The structure would tumble and break apart. If it didn’t initially tumble, the point would shatter under the pressure.

        Now think of the pyramid as an illustration, as we were taught and believed (and still do) that man and woman are at the bottom of a pyramid with God at the top—God being the utmost as He should be represented. King of kings, Lord of lords, supreme!

        Over the years, the fall of man (caused by sin) has done a 180 to that pyramid. Now man and woman are portrayed as most import along with every form of false teaching they’ve used for building their pyramid. They are still on what had been the base of the pyramid before, but now God—Who was/is on the point now sits at the bottom tip.

        That’s what we’ve done with God. Humanism, environmental teaching that earth is our mother, cults, sexual revolution, moral fall, etc. have all played a part in the once strong pyramid being inverted. God is now portrayed as small. Weak. Man and woman—all-powerful—now are at the top. Playing God. But…

        That structure can’t stand forever. In fact, it tumbles easily. Remember. The pyramid cannot balance on its tip and will topple, becoming rubble.

        How did this happen?

        Rebellion. Real rebellion. (Not like the people who didn’t park their carts in obedience to an inverted sign.)

        We live in dangerous times. Nearly godless times.

        Oh, there are those who hold solidly to the Word of God—their foundation, and there are genuine revivals breaking out—praise the Lord. But for the most part, the grounded believers are percentage-wise smaller than the masses.

        One example of this has to do with shopping, believe it or not.

        Have you noticed, as Christmas approaches, stores and ads show more and more “things” you can buy and don’t show or mention Jesus—the Reason for the season? Have you noticed each year Jesus gets pushed further and further away from the time of year we should be coming to “let us adore Him?”

        This is a part of the inverted pyramid. Making God small. Making “things” big—“must haves.”

        I, for one, almost feel like scrapping Christmas gifts altogether. Call me a Scrooge. A Grinch. But it hurts my heart to see Jesus ignored. Kept in storage. And, if He does show up on a shelf, for example, in Walmart, He is quite alone.

        May I encourage you to keep your hearts upright? To above all put Jesus in your “cart” this Christmas? And fill your heart-cart with gifts for the Savior?

        After all, it is His Birthday!

No Room / Have You Any Room for Jesus?

Evie Tornquist - No Room - Have You Any Room For Jesus

 #shopping #rebellion #pyramid #forgettingJesusbirthday #Christmas 

Photo Credit: Nativity~pixabay.com