Light
of the World: Advent, Week 1
[Note:
all Scriptures are quoted from The Message unless otherwise stated.]
A
purple candle, known The Prophecy Candle or Candle of Hope is lit in the Advent
wreath. Traditionally, the Scripture passage for the first week of
Advent is Isaiah 9: 2-17. Verse 2 begins with, “The people who walked in
darkness….” The Scriptures use images of light and darkness to
distinguish between good and sin/evil; however, darkness can also refer to
confusion, mental anguish or spiritual blindness. Therefore, Isaiah’s prophecy
is a strong message of what God’s people had experienced and what they could
expect to happen (i.e., the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah). The
Israelites had been walking (i.e., living) in hopeless darkness, but they would
see a great light and be filled with new hope.
Before
time began there was darkness. Then God spoke into the darkness, created light,
and affirmed that it was good (see Genesis 1: 1-5). Yet, with The Fall from
grace of Adam and Eve, humanity was thrown into darkness. Throughout history,
this permeating darkness has infiltrated and devastated the health—mentally,
physically, and spiritually—of individuals and nations. This journey of shadows
and gloom can be traced down through the ages as people have selfishly used the
gift of freewill to wreak havoc in their environments and in the lives and
environments of others. Ecclesiastes emphasizes, “What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun,”
(Ecc. 1:9, New International Version). This certainly has been true of the
darkness that has cloaked the human race. It’s not new; it has been evidenced
and experienced since the dawn of time. This darkness is not the root of the
problem—it’s the symptom or the result of what happens when we choose to follow
our own path instead of God’s ways. The Exodus 20: 4-6 it states that God will
“punish the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third,
and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me.” Based on
their own morals, parents model “acceptable” behaviours for their children, and
leaders do the same thing for their followers. Unfortunately, when people walk
(live) in darkness they model the mindsets and actions of those who are also
misled and who are stumbling through life without clarity or direction—even
worse they pull others into their dark existence.
“The
people walking in darkness…” We certainly can identify with these words that
Isaiah spoke so long ago, because we, too, have experienced how difficult,
discouraging, and even depressing it is when must deal with dark times in our
own lives. This difficulty is sometimes expressed through the use of the idiom,
“I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel,” which means that we may
finally be nearing the end of a hard and demanding set of circumstances or
task.
But:
The
people walking in inky darkness did not continue to stumble in it, because, “The
people who walked in darkness have seen a great light,” (Isa. 9:2). If you have
ever experienced a blackout, a loss of electricity, then you understand the
value in having candles or flashlights ready for such emergencies. In December
of 2005 we experienced a major ice storm, with evening temperatures below
freezing, and a blackout that lasted for 7 days and 6 nights. Determining ways
to provide for my family’s essentials was stressful; and we were thankful for
the help of friends, but the novelty of ‘adventures’ soon wore thin. And just
when we thought we couldn’t last another day, the lights and heat came back on.
What an incredible transformation in our mood and sense of well-being! Light
can provide warmth, and it illuminates and dispels darkness and despair,
replacing it with hope. Light can also reveal danger. The amazing reality is
that since the dawn of time the Light of the World has been stepping into the
darkness in our lives to show us the way out. Psalm 119: 105 notes, “By your
words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark
path.” Yes, we reaffirm, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great
light,” (Isa. 9:2).” May God continue to show us how to respond to that Light,
to His Son, Jesus Christ.
Suggested
Daily Scripture Readings:
These
recorded prophecies predicted the Messiah’s coming hundreds of years before
Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Sunday,
Nov. 29/15: The People Walking in Darkness See a Great Light--Isaiah 9: 1-2
Monday,
Nov. 30/15: The Sign of Immanuel (Immanuel means “God with Us”)—Isaiah
7:10-15
Tuesday,
Dec. 1/15: Comfort for God’s People—Isaiah 40:1-5
Wednesday,
Dec. 2/15: The Messiah’s Birthplace—Micah 5:2
Thursday,
Dec. 3/15: Jesus the Messiah’s Genealogy: Matthew 1: 1-17
Friday,
Dec4/15 : Joseph is Visited by an Angel-- Matthew 1:18-25
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