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The Time is the 8th
century before Christ’s birth. The place is Judah, which was commonly
referred to as the Southern Kingdom. Assyria had arisen as a world military
and political power. In fact, Assyria had successfully invaded the Northern
Kingdom, Israel, destroying homes, families, villages and cities—taking the
surviving people off into exile. From Israel, the Assyrian army moved
southward, into Judah and executed several campaigns there. The Assyrians
wanted to expand their empire right into Egypt.
The people of Judah were living under
a dark, menacing cloud. The future looked bleak. As the war went on, more and
more people were killed, homes and possessions destroyed, family
relationships broken. The people of Judah, so they thought, were on the brink
of destruction. In the midst of this situation, God sends a prophet named
Micah. Micah criticized Judah’s moral and social decay. In his sermons, he
railed against the worship of idols—warning the people of the tragic
consequences of their apostasy. In addition to this, however, Micah promised
that God still loved his people and offered them hope for the future.
It is this theme of God’s love and
hope that we focus on now. In the midst of the people crying out in despair,
“there is no hope, there is no tomorrow for Judah! We are lost and doomed!”
Micah comes preaching a message of Good News—offering Judah God’s love,
hope and deliverance. Sitting on the ash heaps,
covered with soot and smoke from the smouldering homes and burned dreams,
Micah the prophet came sharing hope. He said, “From Bethlehem shall
come forth a king who is to be the ruler of Israel, whose origin is from of
old, from ancient of days.” The people of Judah had
seen many kings crowned and anointed, and all of them had become corrupt and
had failed. 1
“So, will
this new king of the future be any better? And besides, it might be too late
for a king anyway—since it looks as if the Assyrians are going to destroy us.
We’re doomed! What hope do we have against such a powerful enemy?” Such was
the line of thought of many people in Judah.
But Micah is saying of this king:
“And he shall stand and feed his flock, in the strength of the Lord, and they
shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.” He
tells the people that they will go into exile for a time. However, he also
tells them that the exiles—the remnant of Israel will return and join their
other Israelite kindred back in the homeland.
Micah is
saying, “Yes, we do have to face some dark and difficult times ahead of us.
However, it is only a matter of time. There is still hope for us in the future
and God’s love will prevail. No matter how grim our present situation looks don’t
lose hope for the future; don’t forget that God still loves us.”
Micah is saying: “Even while you
experience and face the greatest darkness, God is working to provide a
better future for you and for your nation. God will send you a Deliverer. He
will come from the least-expected place, from the tiny village of Bethlehem.
He will seem like the least likely sort to rule over you. Yet, it is he who
shall be the Shepherd and Messiah-King. You shall be given your freedom.
He shall deliver you from your enemies, protect and feed you. He shall usher
in his perfect kingdom, where everyone shall live in perfect peace and
security. Keep your hope in him alive, don’t forget that he will act to
demonstrate his great love for you.” Newspaper
columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office
full of hatred toward her husband. “I do not only want to get rid of him, I
want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has
me.” Dr. Crane suggested an
ingenious plan, “Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him
how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your
way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare now efforts
to please him, to enjoy him. Make believe you love him. After you’ve
convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then
drop the bomb. Tell him that you’re getting a divorce. That will really hurt
him.” With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Beautiful,
beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!” And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting
“as if.” For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving,
reinforcing, sharing. When she didn’t return, Crane called. “Are you ready
now to go through with the divorce?” “Divorce?” she exclaimed.
“Never! I discovered I really do love him.” Her actions had changed her
feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not
so much by fervent promise as often repeated deeds. 2
This, too, is a message we need to
hear and take to heart. Even in our darkness or despair; our experiences of
living in exile; of struggle to see hope for the future and God’s love in the
present—we trust that God is working out a new and better future for us, and
that his love will not let give us up. We may have to face the full
consequences of our defeats and exiles—just as the people of Judah did in
their day. Nonetheless, we are an Advent people. We are people of hope and
love. In being touched by God’s love we can love others; in remembering God’s
people of old, we trust that there is hope for us too. Just as Micah promised
a coming king of Israel who would “be great to the ends of the earth;” so we,
like the people of Judah, wait for this coming king, Jesus our Messiah. One of the most beautiful
stories in literature is the French classic, The Little Prince. There
are 2 lines that have an Advent and Christmas message in them. The fox says to
the Little Prince at one point, “If you come at four o’clock, I shall begin
to be happy at three o’clock.” This is the story of Advent. That is also
where the expression, “The Happy Hour” came from, not from 60 minutes in
which to get intoxicated before dinner. It is the happy hour of waiting in
hope and expectation (remembering God’s love for us and the world by sending
us Jesus). 3
That is what Advent involves. Happily
waiting for our Lord and Saviour, knowing that he is coming. This message
of Advent hope and expectation; of God’s all-embracing love is for
everyone. It doesn’t matter how old or young we are. It doesn’t matter
what our situation is, God gives us hope and bids us rejoice this happy
hour of Advent, as we expectantly wait for Jesus Christ coming to us and
spread his love around to everyone we meet. Amen. 1 Cited from: James H. Bailey, The Happy Hour (Lima, OH: The C.S.S. Publg. Co., Inc., 1985), p. 30. 2 This story comes from J. Allan Petersen. 3 Cited from: James H. Bailey, The Happy Hour, p. 34. [ Home
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