God sends His messages daily; all you have to do is watch and listen.
We know from historical and Biblical record there was a time in the world when nobody wanted to hear it. God’s message, that is. People had gotten a taste of what living a no-boundaries, no-guilt life was like. They decided always having nosey prophets and preachers around shaking fingers at them was archaic. They declared themselves and their culture a no-rules zone.
Yeah, come to think of it. They were a lot like too many are now. The only way anarchists ever get their way is when good, solid, caring people let them.
That’s what happened in the world, back when the Israelites said they’d had enough of those Ten Commandment types always ruining the party by mentioning God and his outdated ‘rules’. They began putting hits on His prophets and trying to ruin the rep of any preachers daring to tell God’s side. And it worked for awhile.
“NO GOD! NO DECENCY! NO TELLING US WHAT WE CAN AND CAN’T DO! ZERO RULES!”
And God said, “All right.” For 400 years they got their way. The Israelites were supposed to show the rest of the world what a nation and people committed to God could be and do. When they balked and sneered at God and His trying to work through them, that example was erased.
The Israelites said, “We can run our own affairs. We don’t need no stinkin’ God tellin’ us what we should and shouldn’t do, because others are watching us and our ‘witness‘ . . . ” What business is it of theirs what we do? It’s not bothering anyone else, and we’re getting along just fine!”
And the entire world found itself morally, socially, intellectually adrift. That’s what happens when God’s people decide to become more like everyone around them instead of keeping their eyes on him through His Word’s guidance. They begin a slow drift that’s always farther away . . .
It wasn’t a good time in Earth history. For longer than the United States has existed, there was no mention of God or of His revealed plan for the world and people He created.
And it showed. Antifa hoodlums trying to disrupt? ISIS plants killing and destroying? Amoral career politicians with soulless eyes and auctioned souls openly defying those they supposedly ‘serve’? Gangs operating freely in the nation’s largest cities, killing any or all for any imagined offense?
They’ve nothing on what Israel looked, sounded, and smelled like during those 400-some years God let the fools be in charge.
And then? “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” Romans 5:6, NLT.
Fast-forward to now. “Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been too weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway . . . But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.” Romans 5:6-8, The Message
You know by now I always try to tie my heading into these posts. Nobody knew for sure what to expect at the first Advent. Everyone from high priest and sociopolitical leaders on down had spent so much time bloviating about what THEY thought no one was listening to anyone else. So when Jesus came the first time, it was enough to stun everyone.
Something tells me this second Advent – whenever it occurs – will happen the same way. That ‘something’ is the Bible.
Yep. “That again.”
Adventage Jesus.
© D. Dean Boone, December 2019