#22 The God of History and the Nations

Advent, from the Latin, means coming, from which we also get the word adventure. So for the church, Advent is the season when we celebrate two comings: Looking back on His birth and forward to His coming again. One is without fanfare and noticed by only a few and the other in full view of all.

The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.” [Micah 5:2]

This ruler will come from the line of Judah. “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff between his feet until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.” [Genesis 49:10] Jacob’s last blessing upon Judah.

Every 50th year, all people should move back to their original tribal towns (so that the Messiah would be born in the proper place). “Consecrate the 50th year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.” [Leviticus 25:10]

Israel was not faithful during all her years of judges and kings so God made the Babylonians remove Israel from the land to make up for all the years it did not celebrate the Jubilee. [10] “This is what the LORD says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. [11] For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” [Jeremiah 29:10-11]

For 400 years Israel lived under foreign rulers: first the Median-Persian Empire, then the Greek Empire, and finally the Roman Empire. They evidently did not celebrate the Year of Jubilee even then, because Mary & Joseph were living in Nazareth, not Bethlehem during her pregnancy.

“The Lord works out everything for His own ends.” [Proverbs 16:4a] One of the miracles we neglect to recognize at Christmas, is that God shows He is in charge of all nations, and His purposes will be fulfilled. God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. God used Caesar to get Joseph and Mary to Nazareth!

In the 400 years since the Exile to Babylon, the educated people of the world now all spoke common Greek besides their native language; the Romans had built a network of roads to be used not only by the military, but commerce and personal travel, so the Gospel would spread out to the whole world in a common language.

[1] “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. [2] (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) [3] And everyone went to their own town to register. [4] So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. [5] He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. [6] While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, [7] and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” [Luke 2:1-7]

This was no “accident” but the combination of God’s sovereignty and human free will. God’s will is like rain on the mountain: no matter how many dams or blocks we make, that water will make it down to the rivers and the sea, just as He intended and yet we all still have our free will.