We’ve got your daily encouragement, written by Travis Pate.
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Bible Reading:
Prophecy
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”
Genesis 49:10 ESV
Fulfillment
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:1-7 ESV
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law…”
Galatians 4:4 ESV
Word:
In the prophecy that we read today, we find that it comes from the Old Testament story of Jacob. Jacob is on his deathbed and he calls in all of his sons. Jacob is called Israel, and he has 12 sons, of whom the tribes of Israel will be named. One by one he tells them what the future holds for them. When he gets to Judah, he tells him that the scepter will not depart from him. The birth of the Messiah would be a part of his lineage. We see this confirmed in Matthew 1:2-3, when we read the lineage of Jesus.
Jacob told Judah that a king would come through his blood. I’m sure that raised a lot of questions in Judah’s mind. However, he would not live to see it fulfilled. In fact, it would be almost 1700 years from Jacob’s death until the birth of Christ would occur. There were 14 generations until King David was born. There were another 14 generations until captivity by the Babylonians. And 14 more generations until the birth of Christ. I don’t know the significance of the number 14 here, but God, in his familiar cadence of cycles, shows us that things happen on His time.
Our fulfillment of the prophecy today is taken from Luke 2. This is probably the most read account of the birth of Jesus. Luke goes to great lengths to document what was taking place historically, so that we would be able to verify that these events took place. From who was in charge to why they went to Bethlehem, Luke lays out the “Christmas story”.
Imagine what it’s like to wait on something that you really want. It’s hard, isn’t it? In today’s world of microwaved food and Amazon 2-day delivery, things just can’t get done fast enough. But in the story of Jesus, we see 1700 years pass by. Then at the right place, at the right time, to the right parents, a child is born, who is Christ the Lord!
Prayer:
God, we thank you for the gift of your son. As we celebrate his birth, help us to rest in the fact that your timeline is often different from ours. Help us to know that your timing is perfect and that you know what is best for us. Help us to accept the waiting and to not lose faith in you. It’s in his name we pray, amen.
Skillwork:
What have you prayed for that God has not answered yet? Make a list of these things and ask that God would strengthen your faith in the waiting.
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