The Sixth Day of Advent - Appointed

 

 

The Call of Jeremiah is depicted in this 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld

We continue to meditate upon Psalm 85 from yesterday, especially verses 1-2:

Lord, you were favorable to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you pardoned all their sin.

We take a moment to soak in the words, favor, restoration, forgiveness, and pardon.

These are actions and outcomes that only God can activate.

Then, we turn our hearts toward land, fortune, iniquity, and sin. The first two are things to be restored. The second are reasons why restoration is needed.

In verses 8-13, we see how God works and how God's workings are rooted in the divine character of God.

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people,
    to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
    that his glory may dwell in our land.

I want to hear God speak because God speaks peace.

The voice is heard by those who are God's people, who are faithful, and who turn to God with their hearts. May this Advent be a season for faithfully turning our hearts to God as people of God.

And furthermore:

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.

These promises abound and resound with covenant love tempered and amplified by the faithfulness of God Himself. They are not only poetic in tone and temper, but they are also musical in their truthfulness.

Everything about God is righteous, true, just, loving, merciful, and gracious.

 

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The prophetic voice today is from the lips of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord.”

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,

“Now I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

The role of the prophet is to receive the call of God on his or her life and then to speak to the nations, calling them, in return, to God.

The prophet is to carefully listen, earnestly comply, and faithfully speak.

In Jeremiah's case, it took getting over some deep reluctance, overcoming a lack of confidence, and surrendering his fear of man to God. In return, God promised Jeremiah that his words would have power and authority.

He would speak to his people, but Jeremiah was called a prophet to the nations. Another word for that is "gentiles."

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The Church in Antioch

Acts 11:19-26

 

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. 

 

The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.

 

And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”

 

What do people call you as they observe you and your friends living in Christian community and acting in accordance with the teachings of Jesus?

 

In Antioch, these new believers were called, "Christians." It might have been derogatory, but it was also a back-handed compliment. It was also embraced, and it stuck.

 

It is no disgrace to be so identified with one's Master that it becomes one's identity.

 

What could be a greater goal this Advent than to be identified more closely with Jesus?

The coming of God in human flesh is climactic event announcing and ushering in a new day when all of God's prophets, like Jeremiah, would be prophets to the nations. It initiated a day of favor, restoration, forgiveness, and pardon when God's covenant tent would be enlarged to include all peoples. Jesus' coming in humility prefaced his passion and his passion prefaced his resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father where he waits to come again in glory, while the people he left behind, eventually called Christians, bear witness to his Kingdom in how they do life together, serve humanity, and announce the coming of the King!

When Jesus appeared and began to teach, he started by saying, "Turn around! Change direction! God's Kingdom has arrived!"

And so it has and we celebrate that during this season called Advent.

God is restoring the land!

We have been appointed to say that!