The prophecy

Many months had passed since Mary, her brother and Joseph had left on their return trip to Nazareth. Even though Zacharias could still not speak it did not stop him from thinking about all he had heard Mary tell of the incredible things the angel Gabriel had told to her. He pondered   how the power of the Holy Spirit had overshadowed her and she became pregnant. So as it came time for Elizabeth’s son to be born, Zacharias kept himself busy studying his collection of ancient scrolls. Pouring over each scroll, Zacharias searched for the long awaited promises of God concerning the Messiah-King that was to be born.

In the dim light of the oil lamp, Zacharias poured over the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Although his heart was pounding, it filled with joy upon reading the text 7:13-17 that foretold of the birth of the coming Messiah “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Zacharias marveled at the fact that his own niece, Mary, was carrying the promised Child Isaiah had foretold would be born! Then as he unrolled the scroll further, he continued reading at Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace their shall be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and Justice from that time forward, even forever.”

As the hours passed, Zacharias also remembered what Joseph had said the night they had arrived. After dinner the dishes were properly cleaned, put away and they settled down by the hearth fire to tell story. When it was discovered that she was pregnant, Joseph revealed the fact that he was going to flee Nazareth with Mary to save her from public judgment, humiliation or something worse. He explained that as he was planning their escape, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream and said “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

The very next day Elizabeth’s time came to deliver and her son was born. All the neighbors asked if she was going to name him after his father, but she shook her head no, as Zacharias motioned for a writing tablet and scratched out “His name was John!” He had been mute for nine months but now immediately after writing the child’s name his voice returned.

Six months later and seventy miles to the north in the village of Nazareth, Elizabeth’s niece Mary was also getting very close to the birth of her baby. Mary lived with her mother, father, brother and two sisters. Joseph lived just outside of town near the main road that led to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. His father was a carpenter who built wagons, carts and repaired broken wheels for a living. The nearby road afforded a steady stream of customers to his shop.

Today, Joseph had promised Mary that he would take her for a wagon ride through the vineyards and olive groves that covered the hills and mountains to the north toward the sea. Joseph was sitting up front on the buckboard with Mary snuggled around a pile of pillows in the back of the wagon. She was eight months pregnant but was willing to endure any discomfort to ride through the beautiful Nazarene countryside. Soon after they left the outskirts of town, they spotted a Roman legion about a half mile away marching towards them. Joseph pulled the  wagon off the road into a turn out as the officer in front looked them over and motioned to the centurion to inspect the wagon. After a thorough inspection, the centurion informed Joseph that Caesar Augustus had decreed that a worldwide census was to be taken. He said they had orders to visit every village in Galilee where they were to post the decree. Later, they would be making a return trip to verify that all citizens had complied and registered in their own home city.

The baby kicked Mary as the Roman legion filed past them kicking dust into the air. Joseph turned onto a back road and returned home to begin preparations for their trip to Bethlehem of Judea. They had taken this same trip just six months earlier, visiting Elizabeth and Zacharias. Joseph knew that the trip would be dangerous for Mary and the baby and that he needed to make preparations to get them to Bethlehem before the baby was born. He had been around many births before, but it was the women who assisted with the delivery so the thought of him having to deliver a baby on a rocky road did not appeal to him.

The next morning, Joseph hitched the donkey to the wagon, and loaded food and supplies for the trip. Joseph helped Mary get into the wagon and positioned several pillows around her swollen belly. Everyone was there to ask God’s blessings on them and to say goodbye. Joseph planned to head south towards Beth Shean, avoiding travel through Samaria. As the wagon creaked and bumped along the roadway, Mary closed her eyes and pondered all these wonderful things; a baby who was to be their future king and coming Messiah.

“The prophecy” is part two of a three part short story that will be published during the month of December. Hitch a ride next week with Mary and Joseph as they travel to Bethlehem and encounter the very first and very large holiday shopping crowd.

 

 

The announcement

Zacharias and Elizabeth lived in a very modest home nestled in the hill country just south of Jerusalem. Zacharias was a priest in the service of the Most High God at the temple in Jerusalem. He was one of thousands of priests, each of whom served a total of two weeks during the year. This was going to be a special year for Zacharias because, as a priest, he was allowed to burn incense in the temple once during his lifetime and this year the lot fell to him. It’s interesting to note that, in addition to Zacharias being from the priestly line of Levi, Elizabeth was a direct descendant of Aaron, the very first high priest of Israel and the brother of Moses.

Elizabeth and Zacharias were both well advanced in years as Elizabeth became pregnant with her first child. She had been barren all her life but now God had sent the angel Gabriel to announce to Zacharias, while he was standing near the altar of incense, that his wife would bear him a son. Zacharias was shaking with fear as the angel Gabriel, who towered over him, said “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”

The news was just too much for him and he doubted that this could be true, implying that God could not accomplish this great miracle in his life. Once more, Gabriel spoke to Zacharias who must have fallen face first onto the ground, “But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time”. As the great, thunderous voice ceased, Zacharias peeked through his hands that had been clenched tightly around his face. The large angel was nowhere to be seen as he got up. As he exited the temple he faced a growing crowd of curious onlookers who could not get one word out of his mouth but they tried just the same.

Six months later and seventy miles away, Elizabeth’s relative Mary was also greeted by the angel Gabriel “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women! Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” Mary stood still in the dim light.

As the last word left the magnificent angel’s lips, the Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Highest overshadowed her and she immediately became pregnant with the Son of God! Gabriel went on to inform Mary that Elizabeth and Zacharias would also have a son even in their old age. And it was that, as the glory of the Lord began to diminish, the angel Gabriel departed with these last words “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Mary would cherish these words sent from God as well as reflect on them many times before Jesus would be born into the world.

Mary’s father and brother saddled the family’s donkey so that she could set out on the 70 mile journey to visit her relative Elisabeth who lived in the hill country of Judah. Mary longed to verify and witness the miracle that the angel Gabriel had prophesied to her concerning Elizabeth’s conception. Mary, her brother, and Joseph set out in haste towards the hill country south of Jerusalem to visit Elizabeth. The road was rocky and the long trip took the trio several days to complete.

As Mary neared the village her heart began to pound as she remembered what the messenger from God had imparted to her. She knocked and then pushed open the door to Zacharias’ house.  There, sitting near the fireplace warming herself, was Elizabeth. Mary hurried to greet her with a joyful “Shalom” and kissed her on each cheek. It happened that as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the baby leaped in her womb; And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary and Elizabeth encouraged each other with the wonderful news God had delivered through the angel Gabriel, however Zacharias was still unable to speak to anyone.

Mary chose to stay and help Elizabeth with all the day to day chores by cooking, cleaning and washing clothes. She stayed three months with her until it was just time for the arrival of her son. Then Mary returned to Nazareth with Joseph and her brother.  However, the trip back took much longer because she was now further along with her pregnancy.  As they traveled through Jerusalem, the morning sun illuminated the gold doors of the temple as the baby kicked inside her womb. Soon she would be back in her own quaint village of Nazareth awaiting the birth of the blessed Son of God!

“The announcement” is part one of a three part short story that will be published during the month of December. I would like to invite you to travel along with Mary and Joseph as they follow this same road to their ancestral city of Bethlehem, enduring many trials on their way to registrar for the Roman census.

 

 

Trials turned to gold

During the months of November and December I usually take a couple of detours, departing from my book by book study of the Old Testament. Eventually, I get back on track walking step by step through the entire bible. As we left the book of Deuteronomy, we said goodbye to Moses at the edge of the desert and watched as Joshua takes the reins from Moses and leads the people into the land of Canaan. God fulfills His promise to the patriarch Abraham that the nation of Israel would arrive at the Promised Land; however, the nation of Israel is not completely obedient to God’s direction and therefore suffers the consequences.  The book of Judges, depicts a nation who looks more like a yo-yo, repeating a cycle of being blessed by God through revival, becoming complacent, stubbornly going their own way, suffering trials and tribulations only to cry out to God and start the cycle all over again. This dramatic cycle was completed thirteen times during the leadership of thirteen judges who were to guide Israel for the next 350 years.

The problem was that the inhabitants of the land were idol worshippers who worshipped creation rather than the Creator. They carved wooden idols and set them on the high places, ultimately sacrificing their own children on altars. God knew that if these idol worshippers were not removed from the land, that eventually the foreign women would bring their influence into Hebrew households causing them to turn and worship their gods of wood and stone. In Judges 2:1-4, the Angel of the Lord reprimands the nation of Israel for not obeying His instructions and  gives them over to their own lusts and desires. “But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’”

Have you ever noticed in your own life that, when things are clicking along perfectly, our prayers and worship to God begin to slow down or gradually become nonexistent? We prefer to do things our own way, taking credit for all of our own successes. They are like sand castles that we have built with our own hands standing for only a short time. Its only when the tide begins to turn and the waves begin to pound against our world that we realize our need for God.  When a family member troubles us, a debilitating disease befalls us or a financial calamity hits us, ever notice how quickly we feel the loss of control and cry out to God?

King David is the classic example of this as he would occasionally stumble and sin, fall into trials, only to call upon the name of the Lord who would answer him. Although God always answered him, David would have to carry the heavy burden resulting from his sin. Personal loss, dysfunctional relationships and the loss of his kingdom were just a few results from sin. So why did God refer to David as a man after His own heart? It was David’s habit of always crying out to God for forgiveness and help! In Psalm 51:16, 17 David speaks to God “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. These, O God, You will not despise.”

When we come to God humbly and ask for forgiveness He always forgives us. When we repent, we choose to turn around from our selfish direction and begin walking with God in the direction He is going. That’s why it is truly all about a relationship with God and not just sacrifice. Just like the nation of Israel, we go through cycles where we sin, cry out for help, receive blessing, walk with God for awhile only to forget Him and begin the cycle all over again. What God really wants from us is our lives in obedience to Him. He wants us to surrender our own will, yielding to His will, thereby allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us through life.

So it truly is our trials and tribulations, passing through the fires of life, that turn us into the most precious gold. It’s also like carbon, when it undergoes extreme pressure and heat turns into a diamond! If you are looking for a short verse to sum it all up how about reading what the prophet Micah wrote in the book by his own name, Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good  And what does the Lord require of you  But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.”