He Makes the Nations Prove-Advent 22, 2021

He rules the world with truth and grace
and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness
and wonders of His love

I’ve always thought this verse of “Joy to the World” was particularly powerful. The Lord “makes the nations prove”…kind of a hymn equivalent of “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone are deliverance and strength. ‘” All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But all the descendants of Israel will find deliverance in the LORD and will make their boast in him.” (Isaiah 45:22-25)

Only the Interlude makes clear that the birth of a baby is nothing to fear, but He was a revolutionary, nonetheless. His appearing changed the entire course of human history by what He would do in 33 short years of His life and ministry.

Returning to the theme of the destruction of the Temple for a moment, Jesus foretold it and it happened. What people did afterwards is the beginning of proving to the nations that idols are useless. ‘In the LORD alone are deliverance and strength.’ Until the moment of His return, there’s still time. But soon the nations will rage in vain.

Haaretz recounts what the Jewish people did after the Messiah’s Advent and God destroyed the Temple (using Romans).

“This [sacrificial system] ritual abruptly came to an end in 70 C.E., when the Romans put down the Jews’ Great Revolt and destroyed the Temple. At this point, what remained of the Jewish population in Judea had to decide how Passover would be celebrated.

(Time out. Read that last sentence again in view of the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God.)

Continuing…

“The task of adapting Judaism to its new Temple-less reality fell to Rabban Gamaliel II, head of the Jewish Assembly – the Sanhedrin. With regard to the Passover sacrifice, Gamaliel decreed that the sacrifice should continue in family homes, with each family sacrificing its own goat or sheep.

(DIY)

However, other rabbis believed that the Passover sacrifice, like all the other sacrifices, could only be conducted by the priests in the Temple and that, like the other sacrifices, should not be conducted until the Messiah comes and the Temple is rebuilt.”

Questions for further thought:

Aren’t these the ways we deal with things? Try to find a substitute to keep traditions going? OR throw in the towel? Give up? Take a one-way-ticket to Quitter’s Field?

Haaretz continues by saying “ Within about two generations, the practice ceased when the anti-sacrifice camp assumed control and threatened to excommunicate those who practiced it. So, sometime in the second century C.E., Jews stopped the practice of sacrificing baby goats and sheep on Passover. Until recently, that is.”

The Jewish government has been actively stopping any attempt to resurrect the sacrificial system because of fears it will trigger a “Holy War.” The article goes on to blame American Evangelicals for funding fringe Jewish groups trying to resume the sacrifices to usher in the Apocalypse. Good grief. (Is it that easy to get Jesus to come back?)

What right-minded evangelical thinks that a return to animal sacrifice is needed after Jesus’ crucifixion?

God will make the nations prove by first removing anything depended on as traditions and rituals…in place of Him. In the Interlude, God wants us to turn to Him and be saved. What is God removing in our culture to make the nations prove, the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love?

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Advent 2021 began Sunday, November 28th and continues to Friday, December 24th as we explore the multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King. By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Interlude” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

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Last year’s Advent Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.