DAILY READING
REFLECTION
O come, O come, Emmanuel
by Ken Dillman
In his great wisdom, Solomon wrote, “There is nothing new under the sun” and “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done.” (Eccl. 1:9)
Our world seems to be caught in the proverbial hamster wheel; one in which we perpetually do the same things over and over, expecting different results. Many entrust themselves to the belief that money or success or possessions or experiences or somebody else will bring them ultimate satisfaction and create a perfect world for them.
Ancient Israel had the same problem; in today’s text, Isaiah captures the predicament of Israel as they were living under the judgment of God…again. Israel’s king would cause the people to turn away from God and worship foreign gods and idols; God would bring judgment, the people would lament and repent, and return to God, only to repeat the same thing over and over under different kings.
Isaiah describes the emotional/spiritual pain of the Hebrew people attempting to create their own perfect world, equating it to a woman in labor, but only giving birth to win—nothing. We live in a world where people are constantly striving for utopia, yet apart from God, often turbulence is all we seem to be able to produce.
Christmas, and the season of Advent is our annual reminder that the human heart longs for something greater, something more perfect than itself, a longing that can only be filled by Jesus Christ.
Isaiah looked far into the future and encouraged the Hebrew people to sing for joy of the coming time when the dead shall live and their bodies rise; the hope of resurrection made possible because of the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah.
That’s the hope of this season of Advent for us today and we too can sing for joy as the great Christmas hymn declares…
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
The Church celebrates the fulfillment of ancient Israel’s expectancy of her Messiah, knowing the Messiah arrived as a babe in a manger, Jesus. The Church also looks forward to the second coming of the Messiah, when he will create a new heaven and a new earth, a true utopia and reign as king eternal.
PRAYER
Our Father,
Help us to continue to live in the hope of Jesus, your son, as we look forward to celebrating his arrival into our world to save us from sin and self. Would you give us opportunities this Advent season to share the true meaning of Christmas with those who have never known it. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KEN DILLMAN
My wife, Karen and I have been attending UALC for 6-7 years and enjoy God's presence in our gatherings. We live in Hilliard; our three adult children live in Central Ohio. I am a retired Chaplain and Pastor, and enjoy writing, walking, jogging, and listening to live music. I appreciate the opportunity to write for the church’s devotionals.
Thank you, Ken!
Really enjoyed your insight. Old story, but always need reminding.