Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Ladies Bible Study


Christmas ABC’s

by Mrs. Rick Jackson
 
 Luke 2:14 – Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

This is the third installment of our new study – Christmas ABC’s.  We have now covered A is for Angels, B is for Bethlehem, C is for Christmas, D is for Dreams, E is for Elizabeth, F is for “Fear Not,” G is for Glory, H is for Holy Spirit, I is for Immanuel, and J is for Jesus.   Now we’re ready to begin our next set with . . .

K is for King

For Americans, a King is not a familiar occurrence.  Our country was founded in order to be free from the tyranny of monarchy.  But for most of the world, it has been a familiar part of their political reality.  Kings are not elected, but assume their throne by hereditary right (or by force) and the position of a monarch is generally a lifelong commission. The king is sovereign, having the power and authority to rule and must be obeyed.

 Israel’s experience with kings was not consistent.  They were both good and bad.  When the nation of Israel clamored for a king because all the nations around them had kings, God warned them through Samuel the prophet in 1 Samuel 8 –

 

11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us.

 However, the prophets of Israel foretold of a coming King, from the line of David, who would epitomize the qualities of royalty that had not been seen in the kings of any kingdom on earth.

Isaiah 9:6 & 7 – 6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” 

Micah 5:2 – “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

This King comes from the line of David, yet, this King is eternal, “from everlasting.” He will bring peace, justice and judgment and “the government shall be upon his shoulder,” meaning HE alone has the authority to reign!! And who is this King? “A child is born – a child is given!” That would be Jesus, right!!

 
I remind you again what we have seen before, what did the angel tell Mary?  In Luke 1:30-32, 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour
with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:” (Who sits on a throne – the King!)

Look again in Matthew 2:1 & 2 -- 1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.  As we know, the wise men were looking for and eventually found and worshipped, a King!

Only Jesus has the right to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Revelation 19:16 – “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

L is for Light

We realize that an important part in our celebration of Christmas is the lights.  Most of us will hang lights inside AND outside our homes.  My youngest daughter likes to hang strands of lights all over her small apartment! Many of us will drive around to view the displays that others have made of Christmas lights both small and large.  What does light have to do with the Christmas story?

Lights are more than just decoration.  Remember I told you that at the time that Jesus was born, the world was living in fear and spiritual darkness? Matthew 4:16 describes it this way – “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”  This actually quotes Isaiah 9:2, The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” Jesus said of Himself in John 12:46 – I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” So at Christmas, as we see the lights, let us be reminded that they point to Jesus, the light of the world! 

Do you remember Zechariah, after John was born, and his tongue was loosened, he praised God in prophecy in Luke 1:76-79 saying,

 

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

 
Don’t you think Zechariah knew his Scriptures? Doesn’t that remind you of the verse we just read in Isaiah?  Even Simeon said of Jesus at the temple, in Luke 2:30-32, 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” We read in Psalm 36:9, “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.”  And 1 John 2:8 reminds us,

Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.”

This Christmas we should look at the lights and remember that we have believed on the True Light.  We have responded to His Call.  Now we are reminded of 1 Peter 2:9 – But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”


M is for Manger

Now we can talk about a baby in a manger!

What is a manger?  It is a feeding trough for animals!  We read in Luke 2:7, And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” We know it was unusual for this to happen.  I mean, who wants to put their newborn in a feeding trough, right?  But the angels told the shepherds they would know they had found THE Christ Child by this sign, “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (verse 12) The shepherds seemed to know where to find the Child because verse 16 says, “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”

What did it mean for Jesus to be born and laid in a manger, a feeding trough? I think it speaks to the poverty of the family who was entrusted with His care.  Here was the King of Glory being brought from Heaven to become a human without even a home or a bed to call His own! It also reminds us of the humility of Christ.  Here was the King of Kings becoming man.  Surely He could have demanded a grand home and better accommodations? But He did not! Paul says in Philippians 2:6 & 7 – 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

N is for Night

In a way, N ties in with L.  L is for Light, right?  What do we need in order to see the light? NIGHT! What do our children eagerly anticipate each day during the Christmas season? For night to come so they can turn on the Christmas tree lights and see all the colors sparkle!! Without the light, we cannot fully appreciate the night.
In the Christmas story, we are reminded that the shepherds were going about their business, taking care of their sheep.  In Luke 2:8 we’re told, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night."

It was at night they were doing their duty, and suddenly their whole world changed, didn’t it?

Sometimes, we need the night for protection. Go back with me to Matthew 2:13 & 14 – 13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt.”  After the wise men came to visit Jesus, and Herod was seeking to kill Him, God told Joseph to flee to Egypt.  They had to leave at night in the cover of darkness for their own protection. 

There are times when we are afraid and it is in the night when God seems so far away.  But God is just as close and as real at night as He is in the light! His work continues always.  David put it this way in Psalm 139:  11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.  

And Psalm 91 reminds us, “2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.”

O is for Opened

This last point is simply what we think of Christmas. We often think of presents, don’t we? We read in Matthew 2:11 – “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”  As we move in to the Christmas season, may we be reminded that the gifts were originally those given to the Christ Child.  Let us not give just to be giving.  Let us keep in mind the reason for Christmas and give of ourselves, trying to share Jesus as we give – Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” (Acts 8:35)

Matthew 2:2 – Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
 
 
 
 
 

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