18 | To the Jew First
views, Isaac could still write and sing about JOY! In 1718, Isaac
Watts looked at Psalm 98 and recognized that true and ultimate
joy would come with the arrival of the Lord. His lyrics speak far
more of the Second Coming than the first.
And though I love cute babies as much as the next person, we
must never forget that the cute baby Jesus in the manger is the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords. One of the great passages of
Scripture that puts this all together is found in Isaiah 9:6-7. The
baby that would be born of the virgin is now described by a
number of different names. He is called the Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. And this
divine child will sit on the throne of David forever!
The infant, whose birth we celebrate, is coming again soon as our
all-powerful King. In that day, there will be no doubt about the
relationship between Hanukkah and Christmas. When He comes,
He will deliver His people and rule over all those who embrace
Him as their Sovereign Lord.
The Promise of a People
God chose Abraham and promised to create a nation that
would bless the nations of the world (Genesis 12:1-3). He made
the same promise to Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. And in order
for that nation to fulfill this divine destiny, it would need to
be protected and preserved by the mighty hand of God. The
prophet Jeremiah affirms this same promise when he writes in
Jeremiah 31:35-36,
Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the
fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who
stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His
name: “If this fixed order departs from before Me,” declares the
Lord, “then the offspring of Israel also will cease, from being a
nation before Me forever.”
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