The Promised Child

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

After writing my previous post on Saturday, the last few words of this verse echoed in my heart--"for He who promised is faithful." Those words continued to resonate in my mind as I went through my day to day all weekend. Sunday night at church they gained a new meaning to me.

I am not sure what the official title of the sermon was on Sunday, but I think it could've easily been called "The Promised Child". Our pastor spoke about the prophecy in Isaiah 11. He started with background of the sad state of affairs Israel was in. Isaiah was called to be a prophet who bore terrible news about the current heart of Israel--the kings they had so desperately pleaded with God for were selfish and power-seeking and had led their nation astray. The people themselves continued the pattern of old, turning from God and turning to idols or other men to lead them. Isaiah was called by God to deliver the tough truth to the Israelites, to point them back toward God. So when Isaiah speaks of the "shoot" that will "spring up from the root of Jesse", he speaks of deliverance to a nation in desperate need of hope.

Isaiah 11 continues on to prophesy the many ways Jesus will offer healing to His people. He will be led by the spirit, He will delight in fear of the Lord, He will see beyond what is seen with His eyes. He will defeat the wicked. He will be clothed in righteousness and faithfulness. He will bring peace. And then verse 6 arrives: "and a little child will lead them". Isaiah is promising deliverance, He is promising hope, He is promising salvation and all of these promises will come through a child.

The pastor then went on to describe the 700 years between this prophecy and the day Jesus was born. Those 700 years were bleak and oftentimes the people of Israel were without any new word from God. They were called to wait, to wait watching for the Promised Child. I just think of how many generations passed with no visible word or sign from God. They looked for signs of who He had promised but they weren't able to find any. They were asked to believe that "He who promised is faithful" because they had seen just that over and over again in their nation's history. They were asked to put faith in the character of God as so clearly demonstrated in the past, not in the seeming absence of God as perceived by the events of the present. Was God absent? Of course not! But the promise was seemingly absent and I can imagine that it would have been diffcult to not feel hopeless in those moments, no, eras, of waiting.

But then, oh then, Jesus arrived in Bethlehem! The Promised Child had come to fulfill each piece of Isaiah's prophecy! After 700 years of waiting, Jesus arrived, the Prince of Peace was here! Rejoice! "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased!" The promise was so gloriously, so miraculously fulfilled! He who promised was indeed faithful!

The pastor closed by discussing the importance of the darkness, the 700 years of waiting, in knowing the true hope that was born that day in Bethlehem. What if the Israelites weren't living in captivity? What if the Israelites were thriving and growing with the Lord? Would the need for a savior, for the Promised Child, have been so great? Would the joy of the birth of our Redeemer have been as powerful? What need do we have for Hope--for the anticipation of what is unseen and yet to come--if what we have is perfection? Where is the need for Hope if our life is full of light? It is only in the absence of light, in the anguish of this world, that we know how much we need the Promised Child.

I have drawn many parallels between my life and this sermon over the past few days. Not that Isabelle's birth will ever rival that of Jesus, but she is a promised child. I believed for many years that God had called me to be a mother. I knew this was part of His design for me, and after we lost Hope I began to question that calling. I think about the darkness I wandered in after losing Hope, I think about the captivity that was doubt, I think about the deep reassurance I had that He who promised was faithful. Some days I just had those words--God is faithful--but no more than that. I was asked by God to wait 8 months for fulfillment of His promise, and I am choosing not to dwell on the poor job I did of that when the Israelites were asked to wait 700 years.

Instead I'm choosing to focus on how much joy this promised child is bringing me. I think the anticipation of the arrival of Isablle has opened my eyes to even a glimpse of the anticipation that must have been felt by the Israelites 2000 years ago. The Promised Child brought light into the darkness, redeemed the anguish experienced in the waiting, resonated the faithfulness of the Father. Isabelle certainly resonates the faithfulness of the Father in my life!

So this Christmas season I sing with new understanding of how precious the gift of Jesus was on that night in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. I am so grateful for the promises God fulfills. And yet again, I rejoice and profess my Hope without wavering that "He who promised is faithful."