The Advent season is upon us, and love is in the air, but not the love of romance; tis the season to be jolly, for the love of God is in the air. “ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (Jn 3 v 16) Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople from 715-730 wrote:
A great and mighty wonder,This week, my morning devotion time was spent reading the Old Testament book Exodus. You might wonder how Exodus relates to Advent? Or, for that matter, can any book outside of Matthew and Luke relate to Advent?
A full and holy cure!
The virgin bears the Infant
With virgin-honour pure.
Repeat the song again!
To God on high be glory,
And peace on earth to men!
At the very lowest point in the family of Israel, the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses from the midst of a blazing bush, the bush was burning with fire and yet not consumed. (Ex. 3 v 2) God remembered the covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and brought Israel out of Egypt. God promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a land, a nation and a blessing for all people. (cf. Gn 15; 22 vs 15-18; 26 vs 2-5; and 28 vs 13-15) God made a covenant with David; David’s house and kingdom would endure eternally before God. (cf. 2 Sm 7 vs 8-17) It was at the lowest point in the Davidic royal line that Jesus was born of a teenage virgin who was betrothed to a carpenter who lived in Nazareth of Galilee. According to the law of the Mosaic covenant: Every firstborn male of every womb of Israel, both beast and man belongs to God. The beast is to be sacrificed to God, but the sons of Israel are to be redeemed by sacrificing a lamb; if however, the means of the parents are insufficient for a lamb, then two turtledoves or two young pigeons are to be sacrificed instead. Joseph and Mary opted for two turtledoves or two young pigeons indicating that they were of lowly means. (Lk 2 vs 22-24; cf. Nm 12 v 8)
God came to Mt. Sinai to redeem the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt at just the right time through the Exodus. God came in human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ to redeem the Davidic Royal line from ending at just the right time. God sacrificed his only begotten Son to redeem his elect from sin and death at just the right time, “so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3 v 26)
When Joseph and Mary came to present Jesus, Simeon, a devout man filled with the Holy Spirit and Anna, a prophetess, both advanced in years were found in the Temple waiting to see the Lord’s Christ. (Lk 2 vs 25-38) Therefore, continue to be patient and wait on the Lord like Simeon and Anna; trust in the promises of God for his elect, for all of God’s promises are fulfilled at just the right time!
