DECEMBER 26, 2023

 “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

It is noteworthy that the clearest promises of the Messiah’s coming have been given in the darkest hours of history. Immanuel is the light of life. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isa. 9:2) When Judah was in great distress in the days of Ahaz; when she was over-matched by her two powerful enemies, and no other ray of comfort could be found, light came through the promise of the wondrous birth of Him whose name is “God with us.” God alone would be the Deliverer of Judah! God would dwell among men: He would wear their nature in the person of The Virgin Born.

Had prophets been otherwise silent about the Coming One, they found their voice in the dark days. At such times the Spirit made them know that the coming of God in human flesh is the lone star of the world’s dark night. It was so in the beginning, when our first parents had sinned and plunged the race into darkness and were doomed to leave the Paradise of delight. Before they went out, there fell upon their ears the prophecy of the Deliverer who would be born of woman. “The Seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head.” How bright did that promise shine amid the surrounding darkness and gloom. Truly, those who walked in darkness saw a great light in the original promise. One would, “in the fullness of the time,” be born of the virgin, whose name is Immanuel – God with us!

As we once again celebrate Immanuel’s birth, may our great joy be that He is the true light that is come to illuminate this world of darkness. Behold the Incarnate Son of God born of Mary at Bethlehem! What can this intend for us but grace? If the Lord had meant to destroy us, He would not have assumed our nature. If He had not been moved by mighty love to a guilty race, He would never have taken upon Himself their flesh and blood. It is a miracle of miracles that the Infinite should become an infant; that He who is pure spirit, and fills all things, should be wrapped in swaddling clothes, and cradled in a manger. He took not on Him the nature of angels, though that would have been a tremendous descent from Deity, but He descended lower still, for He took on Him the seed of Abraham. “He was made in all things like unto His brethren;” though “He counted it not robbery to be equal with God.” This one miracle speaks greater comfort to our souls than all tongues of men and angels combined could ever express. The birth of Jesus proves the goodwill of God toward men. Of this, the great heavenly host sang to poor shepherds, as “the glory of the Lord shown round about them.”

We have comfort in the fact our Lord was truly man. He was born as other children are born, save that His mother was a virgin. He was fed as other children were fed upon curds and honey, the food of a pastoral country. He had to be developed physically, like all children. He grew from childhood to youth and from youth to manhood, passing through phases of human weakness, even as we have done. He was obedient to His parents as all children should be. He is really and truly a man; and this fact is a bright and shining star for the eyes of sinners.

We must all tremble with dread before the Majesty of Deity; but in Christ, we see how compassionate He is, and how sympathetic, in that, He has become of near kin with us. This wonderful truth is especially comforting to us, when we remember that, unlike us, He, though “in all points tempted like as we are,” was “yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15) He came “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” except for the sin. He is God; but He is God with us. He is bone of our bones, and flesh of our flesh, a brother born of adversity. Even the most trembling soul may be at rest. God in our nature is the grand prophecy of salvation for sinners. Why has He come down to us, but that He might bring us up to Him?

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DECEMBER 21, 2023

“So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.” (Judges 7:5-6)

At this point in the book of Judges, Israel was being oppressed by the people of the land of Midian. Gideon, Israel’s current judge and military general, gathered a host of 32,000 men and camped near a river where they waited to attack Midian. This number might seem significant but it is a relatively small army compared to what Israel might have raised. Gideon believes it is too small but God says the number is too large. He trimmed the host down because He knew the people who would boast in themselves and not in Him. Often, God achieves excellent things by few hands in order to bring glory to His name. So, 22,000 of the already small army are turned away.

God then says that the new amount is still too many. He and Gideon quell this in two ways:

First, all the men are encouraged to examine themselves, and if they count themselves as nervous or fainthearted, they should be dismissed from service. They were now encamped on an over-looking mountain where they could see many enemies, making it easy for the men to become fearful. Without God’s direction, Gideon probably wouldn’t be on board to diminish his already small army. Still, He knew that cowards would be as likely as any to take the honor of the victory from God, and therefore, God wouldn’t give them the opportunity. Sin stared these men in the face, and because of this, they could not face death. We should note that fearful people are not fit to be employed for God because they may come face to face with their fear while working for the Lord.

Secondly, God determines again that there are too many. Gideon is ordered to bring his soldiers to the nearby stream and observe how the men drink. Most would kneel on their knees to drink and put their mouths to the water like animals would. Others would not make such a formal business of it, choosing to cup a handful, lap it with their tongue, and continue walking. Just 300 men drank in haste like this, and God tells Gideon that by these men alone, He would destroy the Midianites. None were retained but hearty men – men resolved to do their best for Israel; men who were hardy and could endure prolonged fatigue. Hasty men, who didn’t think it would be long until they were engaged with the enemy but, instead preferred the service of God and their country before their own refreshment.

Gideon likely thought the remaining men too few, but God is taking a course to lessen them so that He may be exalted in His strength; showing that God’s thoughts and actions are so far above men’s. The people God chooses to employ are zealous for the work. When living for the Lord, we must be like those who lap the water. We must not put everything else on hold while we indulge ourselves. Like these men, we should quickly drink and continue on our way, not worrying about the amount we consume.

DECEMBER 19, 2023

 “Then Jesus answered…bring him hither to me.” (Matthew 17:17)

When our Lord Jesus was on earth, his ministry was so extensive that it touched the realms of both heaven and hell. We see him at one moment up on the mount discoursing with Moses and Elijah, both of whom had long been in the glory world, and then, in a few hours, we see him confronting an evil spirit from the regions of the damned.

It was a long journey from the top of the “high mountain” where He was transfigured, down; down to the place where the multitude was waiting. Spiritually, it was a long descent from conversing with glorified patriarchs and prophets, to commanding demons and devils of the infernal pit. Yet mercy prompts Him and power supports Him so that He is equally glorious in either place. How glorious He was in His awful humiliation! How glorious He is now! How far His goodness reaches! Truly, He has dominion that reaches the extremes of human condition. Our Lord and Savior hears with joy the victorious shouts of a believer when he has vanquished his enemy; and at the same time, He inclines His ear to the despairing wail of a soul who has given up all hope except in His mercy.

Our Lord’s transfiguration did not render Him either unwilling or unable or too sublime or spiritual to grapple with human ills, and cast out demons from torn and miserable souls. Therefore, even now, as He is in heaven at the right hand of the Father, the glories of heaven do not turn His attention from the miseries of earth. From there, our blessed Lord hears the cries and sees the tears of desperate souls who cry out to Him in this valley of tears.

The case of the deaf and mute demoniac, which is the context for the Lord’s statement in our text, is a remarkable one. All sin is the evidence that the soul is under the influence of Satan. All who are unconverted are really possessed of the devil in a certain sense. He has established his throne within their hearts, and he reigns and rules the members of their bodies. “…the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2) is the same that Paul identifies as the Prince of Darkness. But, as seen in the case here, satanic possessions are not all the same. Jesus acknowledged to His disciples that this was a particularly hard case. As Mark puts it, the spirit “taketh him.” (Mark 9:18) As one captured and carried off by Giant Despair (The Pilgrim’s Progress).

This extreme case has a loving father at his wit’s end. “…there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire and oft into the water, And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.” (Verses 14-16) Thank God, the failure of the disciples did not render the case impossible! “Jesus answered and said…bring him hither to me.” Even the devil must obey the Word of the Son of God.“Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.”

Perhaps even now someone reading this is experiencing great anguish of soul. All looks hopeless! You feel desperate, even as Job, when he cried in his agony, “I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” Jesus can say to you exactly what He said to the anxious father of this possessed boy: “Bring him hither to me.” He can always calm our fears with the very words of assurance that He spoke to His disciples when they were disturbed over “hopeless cases,” “With men this is impossible; but with God, all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26) You can be very sure that He Who has the ability to change the hearts of men like the Rich Young Ruler, is able to handle your case, no matter how seemingly hopeless. Whatever your particular burden, Jesus can say to you, “Bring (it) hither to Me.”

DECEMBER 12, 2023

 “He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.” (Psalm 147:9)

It is said by credible authorities that the raven feeds his young ones in the nest until they are well-fledged and able to fly, then he thrusts them out of the nest. He does not allow them to abide there but makes them provide their own living. As soon as the young ones are able to provide for themselves, they must fetch their own food. As they are not allowed to return to their original home, they must wander, and necessity makes for industry.

Now, when the young ravens are faced with this necessity, while yet lacking in ability, who provides for them? According to our verse, it is God their Creator who comes to their aid. Of course, it is He Who provides for all His creatures, whatever their circumstances, but the text suggests something more, some special intervention as He responds to the cry of the young, desperate raven who has only recently acquired its feathers, and who wanders for lack of food.

Lessons are to be learned from God’s creatures, especially how He provides for them, often through their own instincts and industry. Solomon sent the sluggard to study the ant. He himself took lessons from badgers, greyhounds, and even spiders. We can be sure that we need of the same lessons that others have learned from nature. Let us therefore go to the raven’s nest for some schooling.

Our blessed Lord once derived a very powerful argument from ravens, an argument that was, like our present texts, intended to cheer and comfort anxious souls. “Consider the ravens,” He said, “for they neither sow nor reap…and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” Using the Master’s logic, let us consider “the young raven when they cry,” with harsh croakings that call attention to their wants. Just like a loving mother hears the cry of her infant child when it is feeding time, God hears the cry of the young ravens. Now, let us again apply Jesus’ logic: does our heavenly Father hear the cry of ravens, while turning a deaf ear to the desperate cries of His children? Are you not much better than them?

What is it that you have been crying out to God for? Perhaps someone has been crying out for mercy but, as yet, has not received the answer. Perhaps you have been in agony for a long time, and yet have not known the way of peace. Your sin is still dragging you down, you still sit in darkness, and no light has dawned upon you. Has God forgotten to be gracious? Does He not hear your cry? Satan tells you that your case is hopeless, and God will not hear you. You must not listen to the devil. You must, instead, cry yet more vehemently than ever. Come to the cross, lay hold of it, and vow that you will never leave its shadow until you find the blessing that your soul desires. Make Jacob’s vow your own, and say, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” (Gen. 32:26)

Here, then, is the question at hand: Since God hears the young ravens when they cry, will He hear you? The answer is that He will, and the reason (at least the chief reason) is that you are much better than a raven. The raven is, after all, only a raven, an unclean bird that, should it die, along with a thousand others just like it, would cause no great gap in creation. The event would not occasion any great grief or sorrow. You, however, are an immortal soul, created in the image and likeness of God. When the raven dies, its life is over – it is no more. But when your present life is past, you will not have ceased to be. Once life was begun, and you became a living soul, you were set on a course that shall never end – a course that, unless God hears your cry, will be one of everlasting misery.

Think not that our gracious and merciful God will hear the cry of a raven and refuse to hear the cry of one who is made in His own likeness.