Haggai 2:6-7 :: December 19, 2021
Week #4: O Come, Desire of Nations
“Advent” means “coming.” Christmas is coming. Jesus has come and is coming again.
Our Advent Readings this season focus our minds on the titles ascribed to the Messiah in the beloved Christian hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
[LIGHT FIRST CANDLE AGAIN.]
Our first candle reflected on the title “Emmanuel” itself. “Emmanuel” means “God with us.” The Messiah would be called “Emmanuel” because God has never abandoned His people. Instead, Jesus came to ransom us from our sins.
[LIGHT SECOND CANDLE AGAIN.]
The second candle focused on the title “Dayspring.” Though our world has been darkened by sin and death, the Messiah will rise like the morning sun to dispel the shadowy gloom and spread the joy of His daylight in our souls.
[LIGHT THE THIRD CANDLE AGAIN.]
Our third candle named the Messiah as the “Wisdom From On High.” All of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are ours in Jesus Christ. He brings order to our chaotic lives and reveals to us the path away from folly and into knowledge.
[LIGHT THE FOURTH CANDLE.]
The fourth verse of the hymn calls the Coming One the “Desire of Nations:”
“O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease,
Fill all the world with heaven's peace.”
The origin of the title “Desire of Nations” is found in the prophecy of Haggai.
[READ HAGGAI 2:6-7.]
Although they may not realize that Jesus is the Deliverer for which they yearn, all of the peoples of the Earth desperately desire peace and salvation. One day soon, the Savior will arrive and fulfill all of our deepest longings.
May this fourth candle give us a vision of a joyful unified world when all warfare has ended because of the glorious reign of the coming “Prince of Peace.”
“Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!”
0 comments:
Post a Comment