Draft notes
God made a promise to David: 2 Samuel 7
The Lord declared to you that the Lord will make you a house…and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.
God keeps his promises – In His Way
Mary asks: How can this be?
All would ask the same, after 1000 years of waiting “how can this be?” How after all this time? How, in this way?
This is not how anyone would have expected the promise to be kept. They would have looked for the story to pass from king to king, father to father, in an ever growing kingdom. What we find however is a weakened people, conquered slaves of another nation. How can they still have hope?
What is our response when forced to wait? Jesus says “watch” and “be discerning” and yet we have no more insight than Job’s confused friends. How often do we throw in the towel because we think it is clear what God is or isn’t doing?
We must always hope in the Lord our God. We may not turn aside from following him.
We are tempted to trusting the strength of another – tempted to rely on culturally accepted means. How would Mary be counseled today? Sarah turning to Hagar…
We are tempted to trust in our own strength, to take matters into our own hands. Sometimes what is needed is for us to step up to the plate. Desperation has a way of encouraging this. However, we must guard against recklessness. If we are to step up to the plate it is the plate of faithfulness, the plate of Christ’s righteousness. We must do as Mary and step up to the place of trusting in God with our all.
This is what Mary did in accepting Gabriel’s message. She took an enormous risk. What will Joseph think and do? We are not speaking of love but rather of everything. This is likely an arranged marriage. It is her means for life and sustenance. What will her parents and neighbors think and do. A desperate life is a distinct possibility. Yet, her thought is toward faith, “Let it be according to your word.”
God keeps his promises (in his timing)
2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, that that all should reach repentance.
God is not slow as some count slowness, lazy or uncaring.
God is, by our experience, slow. Patient to the point that all of his will will be accomplished. He will not jump ahead. He will not grow impatient. He will not give up, but what he has begun he will see through.
Want a work ethic to emulate. Look to the Father’s through the long history of creation. Look to the life of Christ. Look to the patience of the Holy Spirit as he’s dealt with the church through the ages.
In 1,000 years of slowness how may generations lived and died, how many suffered and endured hardships while they waited for the promises. How many sang psalms, heard the promises to David and awaited the promises of Isaiah? How many were taken into captivity, lost in battles with neighboring lands?
How long will God take to answer his promises to you? Do you want the good news or the bad news first? The answer is the same: As long as necessary.
How long will you suffer and endure before you through in the towel?
How short is your patience with life? Your wife, your husband, your children, your friends?
We promise God, “I’ll try this.” But, how long, how many times do we try? Once. Twice. All life long, even if the crucify you for it, even if you have to pray until you sweat blood. How long will you love?
Generations, periods of captivity, all of it to bring them to this point, where an angel would appear to Mary.
All of it to bring you to this point, where you would say, be it done unto me as according to your word.
Advent is about remembering the promises the Father has made. Remembering the quirky, mysterious, amazing, confusing, and surprising way in which he keeps them. Developing the patience to endure, to wait, to trust, to continue to believe and look to him. Repenting of the temptation to either rush ahead or fall behind. And, to once again, learn in all things to say, be it done unto me as according to your word. Thanks be to God.
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
