When You’re Waiting on God’s Promise
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Photo by annie spratt via unsplash
For well over a millennium before His birth, prophets foretold the coming of Jesus, the Messiah.
In 1450 BC, Balaam prophesied about a “star from Jacob” who would destroy Israel’s enemies (Numbers 24:17)…
In 930 BC, Nathan prophesied about a descendant of David who would reign on his royal throne (2 Samuel 7:13-14)…
In 700 BC, Isaiah prophesied about the birth of a child who would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 7:14)…
In 520 BC, Zechariah spoke about a righteous king who would come on a donkey and “proclaim peace to the nations” (Zechariah 9:9-10)…
Then, for over 400 years—silence.
As the centuries stretched on and the prophets remained mute, Israel’s time of waiting for their Savior must have felt infinite. Yet, in His perfect time, God sent His Son.
WAITING ON GOD’S PROMISE
Can you relate to the Israelite’s time of waiting? Maybe God spoke a promise to you but so much time has passed that you’ve started to wonder if it will ever come to pass. If so, I want to share something that I hope will encourage you.
It’s a piece I recently had published on iBelieve called Waiting on the Promise: 4 Perspectives on the Messiah. In it, I imagine how the arrival of Jesus and the consummation of the ancient prophecies might have been experienced by four Israelites: Zacharias, Mary, a Shepherd, and Simeon.
Some of these people doubted God’s Word; some were confident. But regardless of their struggles, God was faithful to fulfill His promise.
As we celebrate Jesus’ birth this Christmas, we can find hope in the truth that just as He kept His covenant with the Israelites, God will be faithful to us!
You can read the first part of the piece below, then follow the link to read the rest. (Or click here to go straight to the full article now).
Wishing you a very merry Christmas full of God’s love, peace, and joy! And as always, you are in my thoughts and prayers, and I’d love to hear from you! You can contact me here or through the comment section below.
In purpose and faith,
Waiting for the Promise: 4 Perspectives on the Messiah
1. Disappointed Zacharias
I’ve inhaled knowledge of God since infancy. As a member of the priesthood by birth, it was bred into my bones and embedded into my everyday life. I’ve always known about the Messiah. I’ve always served God and done my best to do right—to honor God, Whom I cannot see, yet I choose to believe.
Despite my confidence in His existence, I can’t say I’ve never felt disappointed. Though I’ve faithfully observed God’s commands, my righteousness failed to earn me one of my deepest desires: a son.
One day, when I was very old, I was chosen to go into the temple to burn incense. I had been waiting my whole life for this day, but what happened when I entered the Holy Place was beyond my expectations.
While inside, an angel appeared!
“Zacharias,” he said, “Don’t be afraid. For I have come to tell you that God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son! And you are to name him John. You will both have great joy and gladness at his birth, and many will rejoice with you. For he will be one of the Lord’s great men. He must never touch wine or hard liquor—and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from before his birth! And he will persuade many a Jew to turn to the Lord his God. He will be a man of rugged spirit and power like Elijah, the prophet of old; and he will precede the coming of the Messiah, preparing the people for his arrival” (Luke 1:13-17, TLB).
This was more than I could believe.
Did I want a son? Yes, more than anything! But I was too old! And so was Elizabeth. The curse of time had taken its toll; I’d given up on that dream long ago.
And the Messiah? I still believed in the Messiah—I’d never given up on Him. He would surely come someday. But that he was coming soon? And that my impossibly miraculous son would have something to do with it? This I struggled to believe.
Yet everything the angel said came to be. Any doubts I had about the imminence of the Messiah’s coming were laid to rest six months into Elizabeth’s promised pregnancy when our niece Mary appeared at our door bearing Good News.
Though I doubted, God kept His promise…
Click here to read the rest!
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