Day 5: The King Who Is Also a Priest

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 110

The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
    after the order of Melchizedek.” - Psalm 110:4

The King Who Is Also a Priest

Separation of Powers is one of the hallmarks of the U.S. Constitution. Now, before your eyes glaze over and you start sweating over bad memories from your high school government class, stay with me: The Constitution has been successful for over 225 years because power is kept out of the hands of any single person or group of people. Three branches of government with their checks-and-balances ensure limited and just government, at least as much as any human constitution can.

What does this have to do with the Bible and Advent? Well, James Madison didn't invest the idea of Separation of Powers and checks-and-balances. God did. In the Old Testament law, God established three anointed offices: Prophet, Priest and King. Each had its own role and responsibilities. Most importantly, the priest and the prophet were both empowered by God to hold kings accountable to God's law. Israel was to be ruled by God's law, which sadly rarely happened. 

Key to God's system for Israel was this: No one man could hold all three offices. Most importantly, no one could be both king and priest. Some kings were also prophets (David), and some priests were also prophets (Jeremiah), but no king could act as priest. Uzziah tried and was struck by God with leprosy as a punishment. Why the restriction? Because no mere man could ever be entrusted with such power. 

Yet there is a man in the Old Testament who is both king and priest. His name is Melchizedek, and he makes a brief appearance in Genesis 14. Melchizedek was the King of Salem, that is Jerusalem. He was also priest of God Most High. His name means King of Righteousness and his title, King of Salem, means King of Peace. He was greater than Abraham for he blessed Abraham. Most importantly, hundreds of years after Genesis 14, God announced in Psalm 110 that He would send another King who would also be a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

How could any man be both priest and king? How could any man be a priest forever? (see Hebrews 7) Clearly, this is no ordinary man! God's promised Messiah would be so much more than a mere man. He would be God incarnate, perfect in righteousness and holiness and the only One who could ever be entrusted with absolute authority in the kingdom of God.

Today's Advent lesson is to ponder and wonder at the unique authority of Jesus, our Prophet, Priest and King. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Anointed One who saves and rules forever! Glory be to His name alone!

Heavenly Father, save us from ever placing our hope and trust in fallen and failing men, who disappoint us again and again. Lift our eyes to focus on Jesus, the Great Prophet, High Priest and King of kings! Amen.

  

Day 4: The Suffering of God's Anointed King

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 22

For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots. - Psalm 22:16-18

The Suffering of God's Anointed King

Honestly, have you ever been disappointed with God and His decisions? If so, you're not alone.

Here's the thing we need to realize about God: God refuses to meet our expectations. He cannot and will not stoop that low. If we believe that the world (including our flesh) is in rebellion against God, and that the ways of the world are opposed to God and His ways, we should not be surprised if God's ways of accomplishing His purposes are very, very different than what we'd expect.

Yesterday, we saw that God proclaimed the enthronement of King Jesus over all the nations hundreds of years before He was born. Now, if we were able to make our son the King of the World, how would we go about doing this? Would we choose to have Him born to a lower-middle class working family, a carpenter and his young bride? Would we choose to have Him born in poor obscurity and laid in a manger? Would we have society's outcasts to be the first to see him and to know of his birth? Would we choose to have him rejected and despised, betrayed and killed, all as the pathway to his eventual kingship? If you think like a normal human being, your thoughts regarding all of these questions are no, no, no, no! 

Psalm 2 tells us the fixed reality of the kingship of Jesus over all the nations. Psalm 22 tells us how He gets to that throne, and the pathway is marked with suffering and death. Together with Isaiah 53, which we will study in a couple of weeks, Psalm 22 paints an incredibly accurate picture of the suffering and death of King Jesus. Written by David a thousand years before Jesus was born, Psalm 22 describes things David never experienced:

1. Being surrounded by a company of gentiles.

2. Being so thirsty that his tongue clings to the roof of his mouth.

3. Being so violently jarred as to have his joints dislocated, and yet to have none of his bones broken.

4. Being pierced in hands and feet. (Crucifixion, the only form of death to use these tactics, would not be invented for hundreds of years.)

5. Being an object of public scorn and ridicule in a state of physical suffering.

6. Having people divide up his clothing and gamble for the last garment.

David never suffered like this, though he certainly did suffer. Only Jesus experienced these kinds of sufferings. This is why Jesus cried out on the cross, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachtnani?" - "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (see Matthew 27:46) He was quoting the opening line of Psalm 22, pointing people to the Scripture He was fulfilling on the cross. 

Yet here's something we sometimes miss when we read Psalm 22: This psalm doesn't just foretell the Messiah's suffering, but it also foretells His deliverance: 

You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! - vv. 21-23

This part of Psalm 22 is quoted in Hebrews 2:12. Even when God the Holy Spirit was inspiring David to write Psalm 22 about the future destiny of God the Son, He foretold His glory after His suffering. God establishes this pattern for Christ and for His people: Glory comes only after suffering. The morning comes only after the darkness of night. When we get to Isaiah 53, we'll spend time pondering why this must be the case, but for now, we need to see that it is.

God's ways are not our ways. They are so much better! We see suffering and we imagine failure and despair. We long for glory and imagine an easy road to get there. God sees glory at the end of our suffering and suffering as the only right road to get us there. Today's Advent lesson is to trust God's greater purposes in the midst of our worst disappointments. Our deepest failures are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory which far outweighs them all! (see 2 Cor. 4:17) 

Heavenly Father, we must confess that we do not always understand our welcome your ways. We do not see how You are working in our pain, disappointments and apparent failures. Yet if we believe in You, we can know that You are working. We can know that You are good, even when we cannot understand how Your will is truly working for our good. Show us how to walk by faith and not by sight. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

 

Day 3: God's King on Zion

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 2 

God's King on Zion

“As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.” - Psalm 2, ESV

Have you ever tried really hard to do something only to fail miserably? Whether it's making a cake, working hard to succeed at a sport, trying to build a career in your chosen field or something else, it can be frustrating to invest many hours or even years into something only to have it fall apart, despite your best efforts. Sometimes it can even look like something is working for a time, only to have it collapse in disaster.

Of all the futile efforts in the history of humanity, none can compare to the world's ongoing rebellion against God. Humanity's desire to overthrow God's rule is unmatched in terms of length of struggle, amount of effort invested, degree of apparent success achieved and ultimate utter futility. For centuries, the world has been trying very hard to deny that God exists, to live as if He didn't, or to re-shape Him after our likeness and preferences.

Psalm 2 opens with a description of this world-wide, ages-long rebellion against God. It then presents God's response: Laughter and derision. God is amused by the futility of mankind's efforts and replies with an absolute declaration: "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." Fallen humanity is marked by one core desire: Each of us wants to be our own king, our own ruler. But God says He has already enthroned His king.

Psalm 2 is a prophecy. Written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, God had not yet enthroned Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. Yet in the eternal decree of God, Jesus' enthronement was already an accomplished reality.

Hundreds of years later, when Jesus was born, King Herod represented he plotting of Psalm 2 when he schemed to destroy Jesus. He failed, of course. Years after King Herod the Great, Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate were used by the Sanhedrin as tools to destroy Jesus again, this time on a cross. They appeared to have succeeded brilliantly. Some observers even took Jesus' final words, "It is finished," as an admission of defeat. They were wrong. He meant "accomplished" as in "paid in full."

Our Advent lesson for today is simple and powerful: God's plans and purposes may be opposed, but they are never frustrated. God never fails. His decrees are so certain He can issue them publicly hundreds of years in advance. His power never dims, His wisdom never falls short, His arm is mighty to save and establish His kingdom forever!

So, how do we respond? We need to heed the invitation that closes Psalm 2, that we may receive the blessing promised:

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.     

Heavenly Father, may we hear the gracious call to serve You with fear and trembling, for You are HOLY. May we answer Your invitation to kiss Your Son in honor and worship. May we find the blessing of refuge in Him and Him alone! In Jesus' name, Amen. 

One of my favorite songs based on Psalm 2 is "The Kings of the Earth." Here's a clever video of the song, starring Disney villains:

   

Day 2: A Star Will Rise

I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
    and a scepter shall rise out of Israel - Numbers 24:16, ESV

In 1967, in Deir Alla, Jordan, archaeologists uncovered a text that had been buried for thousands of years. The text has been determined to be the oldest piece of Aramaic literature in the world, and it tells of a famous prophet of the gods, "Balaam, son of Beor." Thus, we have external archaeological confirmation of our second Advent prophet, who was not an Israelite at all.

Balaam was a gentile prophet hired by another gentile, Balak, the king of Moab, to curse the Israelites as they made their way through the desert wilderness toward the Promised Land. Balaam was reluctant to do so, but he had made a practice of selling his prophetic services for money, and so he went. 

On his way, God enabled Balaam's donkey to speak to him, to warn him and save him from God's judgment. Perhaps this was a way to humble Balaam and remind him of his place. He was famous throughout the Near East, so it would have been natural for him to have a big ego. Yet if God could speak to him through a jack-ass, what did that make him as God's mouthpiece? 

Three times Balak asked Balaam to curse Israel, and three times Balaam had blessed them instead, faithfully speaking the words of the Lord. After these three reversed curses, King Balak was very angry with Balaam, but Balaam said:

“Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’? And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.” - Numbers 24:12-14, ESV

Then Balaam prophecies of the glorious future of the people of God, including the coming of a great ruler over God's people in verse 16. 

Here's a question: How did the wise men from the East know to look for a star to indicate the birth of the great King of the Jews? Could it be that they had a copy of Balaam's prophecy? 

Today's Advent lesson is that God often uses unexpected people in unexpected ways to accomplish His purposes for His people - like a carpenter and his young fiancee, a shepherd-boy overlooked by his own father, and a gentile prophet-for-hire who was given a glorious glimpse of the coming of Christ. Never underestimate your own usefulness in God's kingdom, because it's not about you but Him. On the flip-side, if God has used you to bless and speak to others, don't overestimate your value, because it's not about you but Him!   

Father, Thank You for being so great and so gracious that You use the most unlikely people to accomplish Your purposes. Thank You that Your kingdom is all about Your power and Your glory, which You gracious give to Your people. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Day 1: The Scepter for Judah

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

Until Shiloh comes,

And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." - Genesis 49:10, ESV

Our first Advent Prophet lived almost 1900 years before the birth of Jesus. So our Advent reflections begin with an old man leaning on his staff in the land of Egypt. He had lived for 147 years. He had been known as a cheater and a schemer, having been driven from his father's house by his angry twin brother. He had worked hard for over 20 years in a foreign land, earning two wives and becoming a wealthy man. He had also seen his household torn apart by the consequences of his polygamy, as his children had fought with each other. For years, he lived thinking his beloved Joseph was dead. Finally, toward the end of his life, he had been reunited with Joseph, as his whole family had been saved from famine in the land of Egypt. 

Jacob the Hebrew, son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham "summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come." As the Spirit of the Lord empowered Jacob to prophesy, he foretold the destiny of each of his still-quarreling sons. 

Many of the sons of Jacob heard hard and sobering words from their father's lips. Reuben was cursed because of his gross sexual immorality. Simeon and Levi would suffer the long-term consequences of their endless violent feuding. After hearing the harsh words for his older brothers, Judah must have been anxious when Jacob said, "Judah . . ." But the words of Jacob's prophecy foretold greatness for the line of Judah:

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. . . 
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." - Gen. 49:8, 10, NASB

These words would echo down through the centuries, until 900 years later, when a shepherd-boy from the line of Judah, David the son of Jesse, was anointed king by the prophet Samuel. So, it took 900 years for the words of Jacob to have any kind of fulfillment, and it would be another 1,000 years after David before they found their ultimate and true fulfillment in the coming of Shiloh, the Sent-one of the line of Judah.

Though it took 1,900 years, Shiloh came, and to Him indeed has come the obedience of the people, the honor of the nations. This Advent season, we're waiting for the return of Shiloh. We have been waiting for almost 2,000 years. As we wait, we know the promises of God never fail. Centuries come and go, powers rise and fall, but the words of God never fail, and the prophecy of Jacob reminds us of this beautiful truth today, at the beginning of Advent. 

Heavenly Father, Thank You for your faithfulness. We have grown so accustomed to politicians who break their promises, and so we can be cynical. Give us the grace to wait for the coming of Jesus with faith and patience and not with cynicism. Let us long expectantly for His return, knowing that You are always faithful to keep Your promises. In Jesus' name, Amen.     

Gospel Advent 2017 Launches on Friday - The Prophets Foretold Him

The Prophets Foretold Him

This Friday, Nov. 24, we will launch Gospel Advent 2017, which will include new Advent devotionals posted each weekday, Monday-Friday, through Dec. 22. This year's theme is "The Prophets Foretold Him" and our new devotionals will be going through Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah.

Here's the schedule for the 21 days of devotionals:

Date		Scripture
Friday, November 24, 2017	Day 1	Gen. 49:10
Monday, November 27, 2017	Day 2	Numbers 24:17
Tuesday, November 28, 2017	Day 3	Psalm 2
Wednesday, November 29, 2017	Day 4	Psalm 22
Thursday, November 30, 2017	Day 5	Psalm 110
Friday, December 1, 2017	Day 6	Psalm 118
Monday, December 4, 2017	Day 7	Isaiah 7:14
Tuesday, December 5, 2017	Day 8	Isaiah 9:1-2
Wednesday, December 6, 2017	Day 9	Isaiah 9:6-7
Thursday, December 7, 2017	Day 10	Isaiah 11:1
Friday, December 8, 2017	Day 11	Isaiah 11:1-10
Monday, December 11, 2017	Day 12	Isaiah 40:3-5
Tuesday, December 12, 2017	Day 13	Isaiah 50:6
Wednesday, December 13, 2017	Day 14	Isaiah 53, pt. 1
Thursday, December 14, 2017	Day 15	Isaiah 53, pt. 2
Friday, December 15, 2017	Day 16	Isaiah 53, pt. 3
Monday, December 18, 2017	Day 17	Isaiah 61
Tuesday, December 19, 2017	Day 18	Jeremiah 23:5
Wednesday, December 20, 2017	Day 19	Daniel 3 - Furnace
Thursday, December 21, 2017	Day 20	Micah 5:2
Friday, December 22, 2017	Day 21	Malachi 3-4