An unknown journey to Eternal Peace; a series of Old Testament Prophecies. (# Two) of four.)

An unknown journey to Eternal Peace; A series of OLd Testament Prophecies.  (# Two).

The call of Abraham was not so different from other prophets, but through his loins the Son of God was sent to us.  The need to begin salvation by God is found here, through the descendants of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.  Advent is exactly that, a journey through the Old Testament that becomes alive in our hope towards the coming of the Messiah.  (see Gn 12: 1-3)

 The Lord spoke to Abraham Saying; “I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing-all this because you obeyed my command.”  (Gn 22: 17 - 18).

Herein we find the home of Israel as an earthly community that to this day has become a land of strife and the defense of which too many want to remove the Jews from the face of the earth.  

From Matthew’s genealogy it is easy to find the progeny from Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, to Ruth, Jesse, and King David.  From King David, the Son of God is called the Son of David.  David was the most astute king and Jesus became his descendant to the throne of God.  (Mt 21: 9).

As we enter this second week of Advent, be reminded that hope was interjected to the Jews by Abraham and that same hope is renewed here as war has taken hold of Israel, again in history. Without our prayers to save the beginning and ending piece of land in the Middle-east given by God, we may see the destruction attempted by his enemies

A holy week of hope as we await the Incarnation of Christ’s entry, taking on humanity.  This fulfills the words given to Abraham;  “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.  All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”  (Gn 12: 2 - 3).

If these words given to Abram by God appear to be hyper-bole, remember there is never a promise by God that just happens to be by chance.  God shall fulfill each promise spoken by all the prophets in the OLd Testament, and the very words Jesus spoke as well will become truth.

Words from God that must penetrate our allegiance to Christ as he will become the one to give comfort to God’s people.  “A voice cries out; In the desert prepare the way of the Lord!  Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!  Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low;  The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley.  Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all mankind shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  (Is 40: 3 - 5).  The promise of God that rescinds throughout Advent.   This is what we celebrate these four weeks before Christmas. 

Ralph B. Hathaway