Advent Devotions Door County 2021

[Read Luke 2:1-7] The classic story of Christmas is told to us in Luke: the traveling couple, expecting a child, stayed in a manger because there was no room in the inn, and there he was born – laid in a manger, wrapped in bands of cloth. We were asked to consider each passage through the lens of kings and kingship: I think about Augustus declaring a decree that all should be registered… Could you imagine if a politician today demanded that everyone travel back to their hometown to be counted?? I mean… I can already hear the outcry. How can they demand that I travel there now? I can’t go now, I have too much to do! Who is going to pay for the travel expenses?? Whether or not we would go on such a journey, or grumble about it, really isn’t the point. True kingship is. True kingship is not really about a census, or who is going to pay for it, or anything like that. It is not about our governance or our policies… Or our resistance

[Read Matthew 2] Many are familiar with the story of Herod, the wise men, and the subsequent birth of Jesus. However, when we read more closely, a beautiful picture emerges. Twice Herod is given the moniker “king” in this chapter: “In the days of Herod the king” in verse 1 and again in verse 3, “When Herod the king heard this ….” As he inquires of the chief priests and scribes, though, Herod hears of another king. The Jewish leaders proclaim to him a prophecy from Micah 5:2; namely, there will be another ruler come from Bethlehem who will shepherd God’s people, Israel. After God’s Word is proclaimed, Herod is never referred to as “king” ever again! What God declares, the rest of the world cannot deny. The Father, through Micah, proclaimed that his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, would be the true ruler of all creation. “For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28). As we celebrate on the eve of Christmas, may we bend our knees and bow our hearts to worship

[Read 2 Chronicles 36:22-23] If you need something to temper the unbridled joy of the Christmas season, you might want to read the last chapter of 2 Chronicles (Chapter 36). I can guarantee it will curb your enthusiasm. Here is a rehearsal of the final succession of the kings of Judah. They were awful. In each case, The Chronicler writes, “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” As a result, the people of God spend a generation in exile. Still, the chapter ends on a hopeful note. Eventually, the king of Babylon was deposed, and a new ruler came on the scene. Cyrus of Persia was a generous ruler, restoring exiled peoples to their homelands. In sending the exiles back to Judah and Jerusalem, he not only gave them permission to rebuild the Temple, but some resources to do so. Here was an outsider through whom God was keeping God’s promises. Jesus himself was not the king that the people expected. Born of poor, nearly anonymous parents, a refugee in Egypt, raise

[Read Esther 8] If the story of Esther and King Xerxes was found other than tucked between the Bible books of Nehemiah and Job, it is unlikely that it would be recognized as part of the canon. Selfishness and manipulation are present in spades, romance plays a role, and readers are likely perched at the edge of their seats as the dramatic story of the powerless vs. the powerful plays out. But there is no mention of God. No prayers are spoken. No miracles of a Cecil B. DeMille scale occur. It would be easy to dismiss it as a secular, pre-Christian era thriller. But, placed in the context of the covenants, it is easy to see God at work. God is present in the persistence of Mordecai to stand up for what is right, despite his lowly standing. Present also in the courage of a young Jewish woman to challenge a king, despite his decree that “women should be seen and not heard.” And God is present in King Xerxes’ conversion from a ruler who is self-indulgent, to one who

[Read Daniel 4] King Nebuchadnezzar, the powerful man who destroyed Jerusalem (526 BC) and led many Hebrews into a Babylonian captivity is confronted by the God whom he has defied. After being driven from his kingdom and made to eat grass like a wild beast for a whole year, King Nebuchadnezzar finally looks to heaven and his sanity is restored. He becomes so grateful that he cannot contain his joy anymore. In an open letter to the world, he proclaims (Daniel 4:1-2), “King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.” This experience of uncontainable joy reminds me of another occasion when a few shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks at night. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appears to them and says, “Behold, I bring you good news that’s going to bring great joy to all people! A Sa

[Read 1 Samuel 9-10] “We want a king like our neighbors!” “We want someone to fight our battles!” “Waaaa!” The grumbling, disagreeable children of God had no idea the hornet’s nest they stirred by their demands. They could only see the positives of monarchy. Who isn’t impressed and amazed by the pomp and circumstance of royalty? There is nothing so beautiful than the colors in a bejeweled tiara and nothing so awe-inspiring than the precision of the royal guard. God had provided them a holy government, with Himself at the head. Just and true were His laws and his council. But that government didn’t impress the neighbors nor the Israelites, unfortunately! They wanted what they wanted and so they paid the price. There’s a saying in corporate America: Everyone gets promoted to their level of incompetence. So it was with Saul. He looked the part and started off well, but success didn’t last long. Impatience with God led to military defeats, the cancer of deep jealousy, and an unfortunate de

Other nations in the ancient world looked for big, strong kings to lead their armies into battle. But Israel is to be different; they must pick the king that God wants. Deuteronomy 17:15, “be sure to appoint over you a king the LORD your God chooses.” And the king isn’t given absolute power to rule however he likes. He is not to acquire great numbers of horses for himself, and so to build a big army to show off his military might, nor is he to take many wives or accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. He must not amass wealth and status for himself at the expense of the people. Rather, he must be a man of God’s word. “When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees.” -Deuteronomy 17:18 There’s one feature tha

[Read Luke 1:5-17] The name Zechariah means “God remembered.” His name and his priestly experience serving in the temple help us bridge the gap from the Old Testament to New Testament. The priests of old (like Aaron, Eli, Zadok, et al) served in the temple, offered sacrifices, made atonement, and interceded for the people – before the exile, and before God’s intertestamental silence. And, while the priests returned from exile and went back to serving and interceding for these hundreds of years…God reminds them of where they’ve been, that He does remember, and that He continues to work in the waiting. He gives Zechariah a message and then makes him mute – a representative short period of silence, where the people wouldn’t hear and wouldn’t know what God was doing except by literal signs that Zechariah would make with his hands…and, on writing tablets. Zechariah was silent until the day his son, John (the Baptizer), was born and named on the 8th day. God seemed to be givi

[Read 1 & 2 Maccabees, from the Apocrypha] Around the Christian celebration of Advent and Christmas, our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate their own festival of Hanukkah, which is detailed in the deuterocanonical or apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees. King Antiochus, of the Greeks, profaned the temple by placing idols on the altar and allowing pagan sacrifices. The Maccabeans revolted under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus and reclaimed the Jewish temple. They celebrated for eight days, inaugurating the festival of lights for the rededication of the altar. Judas Maccabeus led several military battles detailed throughout 1 and 2 Maccabees. Their army was small when compared to their opponents’ armies. When Judas was questioned about it, he resiliently said, “It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven. … [W]e fight for our lives and our laws” (1 Maccabees 3:19, 21). These people experienced persecution for their beliefs

[Read Ezra 7] As we remember the Gift of Christ to the world this Holiday Season, let us learn a lesson of sharing found in the life of Ezra. Ezra was born of the sons of Aaron and had been given a priestly training. But it appears that he was not satisfied with his spiritual condition. He wanted to be in full harmony with God and to carry out God’s will. And so he “prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it.” Ezra 7:10 He sought God earnestly, and as he learned more concerning God's dealings with His children, and comprehended the sacredness of the law given at Sinai, Ezra's heart was stirred. He experienced a conversion and determined to use this knowledge to bring blessing and light to his people. God chose Ezra to be an instrument of good to Israel, a wise teacher. Ezra developed into a man of extraordinary learning and became “a ready scribe in the law of Moses.” Ezra 7:6 Ezra became a mou

[Read 2 Samuel 15, 1 Kings 1] The priest Zadok is probably a biblical figure you have not given much attention to in your reading or study of the bible. References to him are found in the Old Testament, 2 Samuel 15 and 1 Kings 1. One of Zadok’s responsibilities was to care for the Ark of God and offer counsel to King David. It was King David who told Zadok to take the ark of God into the city and if the Lord would allow it, he would be able to see it again.  The second occurrence of Zadok in the Old Testament is in relation to the anointing of King Solomon. After the anointing, he took the ram’s horn, blew it, and cried out, “Long live King Solomon!” The ark of the covenant and the anointing of the king evoke an Advent and Christmas imagery. Jesus, in the womb of Mary, is the new ark of the covenant, and during the Visitation to Elizabeth, John the Baptist dances before the ark. During Advent we await the arrival of a King, the one whose reign will never end, and who has been anoint

Read Leviticus 8-9 I must admit, reading Leviticus for my Advent devotions never occurred to me. Nor does Advent have me focusing on Jesus as High Priest. I simply anticipate the joy of Christmas morning, reflecting on Jesus’ birth into such humble surroundings. His Advent to Mary and Joseph in the stable, with cattle, goats and sheep close by. I think of the crudeness of the manger – a feed trough for the animals. Then I read about the ordination of Aaron as High Priest – was intrigued by the attention to detail with the sacrifice of the animals that day, the goat (or lamb) used as a sin offering and the bread as a grain offering and ironically, I was back at the stable. You see Jesus was born in Bethlehem (meaning “House of Bread”) – the very Bread of Life laid atop the grain came to replace the grain offering. Jesus, the Lamb of God, born in a stable where lambs were raised and offered up at the temple for the daily sin offering, has come to of

[Read Genesis 14:18-20, Hebrews 7]   Melchizedek is a familiar yet obscure character in Genesis.  He held the unusual offices of both king and priest at the same time .  When the writer of Hebrews speaks about Jesus’ unique priesthood, he likens Jesus to being of the priestly order of Melchizedek. Jesus certainly had a unique priesthood.   He came not only as priest but also as the offering itself!   He left heaven to become a human like us, to die in our place, to redeem us from our sin. Chris Tomlin reflects the uniqueness of this priestly king in his Christmas song, “A King Like This.”             A King like this, majesty laying in a manger A King like this, unto us is born a Savior The Light, the Light has come. A King like this, the highest name and the song of heaven A King like this born of flesh into our suffering The Light, the Light has come He is Christ, the Lord He is Christ, our Savior I bow my heart before no other name I bow my heart before no

Aaron is officially placed into the role of intercessor as Israel’s first High Priest, but his brother, Moses, is the one who is known for leading the people – making decisions on their behalf, and by stepping into the breach and pleading with God on Israel’s behalf when they sinned against him. The descendants of Levi, the priests, are the leaders who will carry on the intercessory ministry. They would serve in the temple, in the presence of the Lord, carrying out the sacrifices on the altar that God prescribed to deal with the people’s sin. Deuteronomy 18:5 – “for the LORD your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD’S name always.” The laws here aren’t about how the priests should act, but how the rest of the nation should act towards them. The priests wouldn’t be given any land when the Israelites took control of Canaan because they weren’t meant to be farmers or shepherds; they were meant to serve God in the temple. So, t

Haggai 1-2 There are just two chapters in the book of Haggai. It needs just two pages in our church’s large-print worship Bible. Perhaps you have not noticed Haggai. There is much there to notice. Jews who returned from exile were to rebuild a temple. It was hard for them to see any progress. One of the messages from the prophet was to keep going and not give up. God has plans and purposes. God made this promise; it’s verse 9 in chapter 2: “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former”, says the LORD of hosts. And remember: God keeps his promises. Like most prophecies, this was fulfilled gradually, and the final fulfillment is still to come. In the Gospel of John, in chapter 2, Jesus connected the Old Testament temple with himself: once God met his people in the temple, now God meets us in Jesus Christ. And the final temple, the greatest and best, is described in the last book of the Bible, in Revelation 21. John wrote, “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is

2 Kings 22 When we think of prophets in the Bible we generally think of men, yet there were many female prophets; one such prophet was Huldah. Like most of her fellow prophets, the word Huldah was given to share was that the people had not lived in accordance with the will of God and would now experience disaster as a result. Yet she also had good news for King Josiah: because he had been faithful, his future peace was assured. The birth of Jesus, as the angel who spoke to the shepherds that night proclaimed, was Good News because his birth meant that humanity’s future peace is assured – not because humanity had been faithful but rather because of the faithfulness of God. The angel was not uttering a prophecy but was announcing its fulfillment. God has spoken through the prophets of old, both men and women, calling for faithfulness to God’s will, yet to little affect. Most often, bad kings went on being bad and the people went on practicing idolatry and other forms of sin. Christmas p

Isaiah 40 Isaiah the Prophet had an impossible task. He was instructed to bring a message brimming with life and possibility amid deep despair. He is told by God, “Cry out!” and his answer echoes hopelessness, wondering what he can possibly say to a people destined for the grave- “The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people is grass.” In the face of societal and individual decline, the prophet must not fill his people’s ears with platitudes and empty promises. The words which poured out of Isaiah’s pen, undergirded by the power of the Spirit, have spoken life into every subsequent generation. Isaiah declared, “the Word of our God will stand forever”. The One whose coming was foretold by the prophet is the living Word of God. This Word conquers death. This Word shines in darkness. This Word rescues us from despair. This Word enables the weak to be strong, the weary to shake off their malaise, the fearful to stand tall, the oppressed

Hosea 1-3 The story of Hosea is hard to hear (it’s kind of risqué), but it’s incredibly basic to our life as Christians in relationship with a Merciful God. A metaphor integrates the invisible world with the visible. Metaphors help us see things that are otherwise unseen. For example, what is sin against God? Well, we could say that sin against God is simply sin against God. That’s just what it is. Or, we could say that sin against God is when a woman is married to a husband who is a good man, a husband who loves her and cares for her, and yet this woman leaves her husband, abandons his love, and she goes to sell her body on the streets…and she does this because…when love and things are weighed in the balance…one is often more tangible, or understandable. From our couches, dinner tables or beds – wherever we’re reading these devotions, we question Gomer and why she would stray from the comforts Hosea provides. And, then you think about comfort foods…or staying in bed (or just at home)

1 Kings 17-19 In the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, Elijah appeals to the Lord for the deceased child of the widow. The child had fallen sick and the sickness grew worse until the child stopped breathing. Elijah stretched himself out upon the child three times and called out to the Lord, “Lord, my God, let the life breath return to the body of this child.” The Lord heard the prayer of Elijah and the life breath returned to the child’s body and he lived.” Elijah served as an intermediary between the child and the Lord, the giver of life. When we compare this to when Jesus brought back to life someone who had died, the divine nature of Jesus is revealed. Jairus, a synagogue official, humbles himself before Jesus and asks him to help his daughter who is near death. Before they arrive at Jairus’ home there is sad news that the child has died. Jesus tells Jairus, “Do not fear; just have faith.” In the home of Jairus, Jesus takes the child by the hand and says, “Little girl,

2 Samuel 7 & 12 Have you ever had to deliver bad news to someone? When I worked as a manager in corporate America, I had to fire people. It was a miserable job – particularly when the employee had worked on improving their performance without yielding the necessary improvement! Sometimes they ignored the signs of the impending “separation” and were caught unaware by the news of their dismissal. Those were the days that Pepto-Bismol was my drink of choice. Nothing that I experienced could compare to the prophet Nathan. He was the mouthpiece of God during the reign of King David. Unfortunately, he was given the job of putting his finger directly on the great sin of David’s life: adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. No Pepto-Bismol could settle Nathan’s stomach that morning! The King was God’s man – and had to have his sin brought out into the light, repented of and atoned for. We only know limited details of their fateful meeting, but most importantly, we do k

Out of the four types of official leaders, this is the last one that shows up. God saves this one for a little while, but it’s important all the same. A prophet is someone like Moses, someone who passes on messages from God to the people. Deuteronomy 18:18 says, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I commanded him.” The fundamental job description of a prophet is that he’s someone to whom God has given words to speak. God puts words in his mouth. Later in the Bible, one of these prophets, Jeremiah, takes that image and puts it even more vividly; God tells him in Jeremiah 5:14, “I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.” A prophet doesn’t give vague impressions like a horoscope. He doesn’t look at tea leaves and take his best guess at what God might think. No, a prophet speaks the very words of God. And that’s why God urg

Judges 13-16 One of the more famous judges, the story of Samson is often taught in Sunday school where strong-man Samson is a hero, and the savage Philistines are the enemy. That’s what we think we know. What you may not know is that he was born miraculously, announced by an angel of the Lord, and that he was dedicated to the LORD as a Nazirite. But, eventually he grew into an adult, where he presents himself as a stereotypical meathead. He’s cocky, driven by selfish urges, and generally disobedient to the LORD and the calling on his life. For all of his heroic potential, he abandons his holy calling to lead God’s people and remain faithful to his Nazirite vows. The lust, the flesh, the eyes and the pride of life get the best of him. We shouldn’t spin this to make Samson anything more than the mess he was. I mean, we can be glad that “God still used him” as we sometimes say, but look at the body count! Look at what he left behind, and look at the fact that he never managed to lead God’

Judges 11:1-12:7 The Old Testament book of Judges includes a few familiar characters: Deborah and Gideon and Samson. There are far more unfamiliar characters. Jephthah was a judge who is somewhere between familiar and forgotten. His story is a stunner. He was a mighty warrior and effective leader who delivered God’s people. And he made a rash vow that cost him his daughter. If we read his story and “play a movie in our mind” of what happened, our jaws drop. He did what? Jephthah was a flawed man, an imperfect leader. But God used him to lead and deliver, and he was famous for his leadership and faith. When the prophet Samuel recounted a short list of leaders whom God sent to save his people, Jephthah made the list. The New Testament book of Hebrews includes Jephthah in chapter 11 and what we might call the “Hall of Fame for Faith”. It seems we do well to remember Jephthah and to learn something from his life. God uses flawed people. And we are all flawed. We need his grace in our lives

Judges 6-8 Suffering is never easy, especially when it lasts for years with no relief in sight. For seven years, crippling poverty, oppression, and tyranny were the reality for the Israelites. Their rebellion against God had landed them in this spot, but in spite of their rebellion, God would once again rescue them. This time God would choose Gideon to lead the rescue of his people. Gideon’s response when he learned of God’s plan? Disbelief and questioning if God’s so good and powerful, then why had God’s people experienced the hardships they were experiencing? And when God pushed back on Gideon, Gideon told God every reason Gideon was unqualified to do what God had called him to do, concluding with the fact that Gideon was an unimpressive person from an unimpressive family. But God was undeterred. He used Gideon to bring about a decisive victory in battle. Gideon reminds us God’s not bound by our pedigrees and accolades, God’s not bothered by our questioning, and God’s able to accompl