Heeding the Prophets' Warnings

During this Second Week of Advent, we are reminded of the ministry of God's prophets, both ancient and modern. Since the earliest days of God's covenant with Israel, God has raised up men and women who have served as the mouthpiece of the Lord. These prophetic witnesses have been the source of inspiration and hope for God's people in the midst of famine, national disunity, and exile. The prophets have also been the voice of exhortation and admonition, calling God's people to account for their actions (or inaction as the case may be).

In the collect for the Second Sunday of Advent we recognize the importance of this prophetic ministry and pray for "grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins." What does it mean to heed the prophets' warnings? Throughout the history of God's people, the temptation to idolatry has been ever present. In the garden of Eden, the serpent taunted Eve with the promise of divinity; it was the idol of human pride that ultimately led to the "fall" of the human race. The prophets have consistently proclaimed a message of repentance and grace. The strong language of judgment and wrath found in the prophetic writings serves primarily to highlight the gravity of our sin and our need for repentance. To heed the warnings of the prophets is to acknowledge that apart from God we are nothing, to recognize our need for redemption and healing. To heed the warnings of the prophets is to see clearly the consequences of our sin, to have the eyes of our hearts opened to the reality of the human condition and God's promise of salvation.

Time and again, God's people have not heeded the warnings of the prophets; they have relied on human wisdom and, consequently, followed to much the devices and desires of their own hearts. As we prepare to hear once more the message of the Angels in Bethlehem, let us first hear once more the message of the Prophets, both ancient and modern, who call us to repentance and ammendment of life. Let us hear once more the call to seek the Lord, for in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confience shall be our strength.

Where is God calling you to a deeper place of repentance? Have you grown distant in your relationship with Christ? How will you draw near to his presence this Advent?

Prophets of Israel

The following illustration shows where the various prophets of Israel conducted their public ministries:

Map of Kingdoms

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The Promise of Salvation

As the secular world turns its gaze almost exlusively toward Christmas, the church begins the season of Advent, a time to prepare ourselves to hear once more the message of the angels, to go to Bethlehem and see the Son of God lying in a manger.

This Advent, we will be exploring the story of salvation beginning with the promises made to our spiritual ancestors. The story of salvation has its roots in the creation story, but the covenant that God establishes with Abraham marks the beginning of a historical narrative that leads ultimately to the birth of Jesus. God promises that Abraham will be the father of many nations and that through Abraham God will bless all the peoples of the earth. Specifically, it is through the offspring  of Abraham that God's promise will ultimately be fulfilled. This promise was the foundation for the history of the people of Israel. In the New Testament, we find Paul reflecting on this promise made to Abraham. For Paul, the offspring of Abraham is none other that Jesus himself (Galatians 3:16).

The promise made to Abraham and ultimately fulfilled in Christ was the source of great hope for God's people. A promise has the power to produce hope only when it is trustworthy and true. God's promises produce hope in the hearts of his people precisely because God is faithful, trustworthy, and true to his Word. In the New Testament, Jesus is called "our Hope" because he is the fulfillment of God's promise.

Finally, a promise implies waiting; a promise brings about encouragement and hope in the present as well as expectations for the future. God's people learned much about themselves and the nature of God through seasons of expectant waiting. Many of the well known biblical characters experienced the tension of spiritual waiting - the tension between promise and fulfillment. During seasons of spiritual waiting, God's people have, at times, rebelled and sought to "fulfill" the promise according to their own plans, but God, according to his faithfulness, continues to offer grace and forgiveness to his people. God never breaks his promise!

As we enter the season of Advent, may it be a time of reflection as we look back at the story of our salvation, as we contemplate the neverfailing promises of God. May this Advent also be a time of hope as we expectantly await the coming of our Savior.