Advent Journey: December 17th

© Michael Livesay-Wright

Questions and Reflections

QUESTION: What does the word "repent" mean?

To repent is to "turn away from" -- specifically to turn away from sin. All throughout the long years of Israel's history as a kingdom, God's people continued the pattern of all of humanity. Time and again they returned to their sin. They sought their own way instead of obeying God. Jeremiah 5:3 states, "They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent" (ESV). The call to repent was a call to turn back to God's way. It's more than just feeling guilty or saying "I'm sorry." Instead, repentance is an active movement back to obedience, back to God's leadership. The call to repent often is paired with talk of judgement, and this is not to be shied away from. The judgement of sin is just and inevitable. But (and this is important), the call to repentance is really one of hope. I love the words of God through Joel the prophet, "'Yet even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and your garments.' Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster" (Joel 2:12-13, ESV).

QUESTION: When the people of God were forced to leave their homeland, this was called exile. Why did God allow this to happen?

God had promised this land to His people and it had taken them many many years to make it their home. But God had also been very patient with His people. They complained against Him after He rescued them from Egypt (from that very first moment when they were scared by the Red Sea). They complained in fear when they were afraid to enter the promised land. They complained because they didn't have a human king. And then, when they had human kings, most of these kings chose a path of evil. Time and again we see in the Old Testament the words "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" either in reference to the king or to the people themselves. They continued to disobey and ignore the very God who had time and again saved them and showed them His power. But God isn't temperamental. He doesn't simply say, "I've had enough" and storm off. No, God gave His children so many opportunities to repent (hence the prophets) and they ignored and even mistreated these prophets and continued to do what they wanted. And so, though it must have broken God's heart, He allowed them to experience something that was heartbreaking but just might help them to see sin's consequences rightly. So the kingdom of Israel was attacked by a foreign kingdom and they were defeated. The beautiful temple was destroyed, and many people were taken captive to live in a foreign land. Sometimes when people time and again reject God, it would seem that God gives them what they want -- the opportunity to experience life outside of His presence. Of course, He isn't gone and He still loves His people, but He longs to save them from their own sin.

QUESTION: What is the role of a prophet?

Though I am no Old Testament scholar, I would say there are two roles of these great men and women raised up by God to bring His message of steadfast love to His people. One is to deliver messages of warning and calls to repentence, "Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention" (2 Chronicles 24:19, ESV). But also, they also spoke of God's future plan. I love this passage from Hosea, "And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, 'You are my people'; and He shall say, 'You are my God.'" (Hosea 2:23, ESV). This passage hints that God is going to call people from outside the nation of Israel to be His people, that His children will multiply in a whole new way. And, of course, in one of my favorite passages the prophet Isaiah speaks these famous words about God's big plan, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this" (Isaiah 9:6-7). Isn't that wonderful. The zeal of God is going to do all this -- His great love for His people is going to do all of this! GOD IS COMING!