Christ Gives Birth to Light
The light of Christ still shines brightly in man's darkest days. That is the hope of the gospel. During this Christmas season, we reflect on the promise of God's greatest gift to meet man's greatest need—the birth of Christ which was foretold long ago in days cloaked in overwhelming darkness.
The 8th century BC was a tumultuous time for the entire land of Israel, not to mention the rest of the world from east to west. During the latter half of the century, the northern kingdom of Israel was plummeting toward its demise. Jehu's dynasty had lasted four generations but ended abruptly with the assassination of Zechariah, just as the LORD said (2 Ki. 10:30 15:12). His murderer, Shallum, faced the same fate only one month later. To live by the sword is to die by the sword. In total, four of Israel's final six kings were assassinated by usurpers. "Dynasty" yielded to new "dynasty." The two kings who did not meet such a fate both groveled before the devastating intimidation of Assyria, now sweeping through the world with dizzying destruction. They bought some more time with their nation's gold. Assyria would come back to take the rest by force. There was convulsion within just as much as there was chaos without. Instability and fear ruled in Israel. By 722 BC, the northern kingdom would finally collapse under the merciless Assyrian juggernaut, just as the Lord decreed.
In Judah to the south, during Israel's final days, Ahaz sat on David's throne with a front row seat to the Lord's promised deliverance of his southern kingdom, in part through Israel's destruction. Israel, under the guillotine of Assyrian aggression, was incensed that Ahaz's Judah was not joining their coalition with Syria to repel the incursion. In response, they attacked their southern siblings in a desperate attempt to set up a sympathetic king who would aid their cause (Is 7:6). In this way, Ahaz faced an existential crisis of his own. But the Lord called Ahaz to believe that he would divinely deliver him by shattering Israel and Syria (Is 7:7-9). But despite the word of the Lord, fear and faithlessness ruled Ahaz, too. It was during these tumultuous days that God promised to this faithless king an even greater deliverance than the removal of the Israel-Syria threat. God's deliverance from Israel and Syria served as a sample of a greater plan he had decreed for his people before the ages began, not for their destruction but for their salvation. God's own Son would become the son of the virgin Mary, divinity taking up humanity to become Emmanuel, God With Us (Is 7:14; Mt 1:23). And when God is with us, who or what shall we fear? In the words of Ahaz's forefather David, "I will fear no evil for you are with me" (Ps 23:4).
Ahaz didn't believe that psalm; he rejected the faith of his father David, looking to Assyria for security by bribing them to do his bidding. Nevertheless, God made good on his promise; Samaria and Damascus fell hard and fast leaving Ahaz a front row seat to behold what exile looks like, what the consequences of forsaking God's covenant looks like: Sin gives birth to death. For this very reason Israel plummeted to her demise: She forsook the Lord. But so did Ahaz. Why didn't the southern kingdom face the same fate (at least not yet)? Furthermore, why was David's dynasty still intact in Judah? The lineage of David had been providentially preserved whereas Israel was plagued with nine dynasty changes.
The destruction of Samaria was intended to be a big warning to a bad king. On the positive side, God gave enormous promises at the same time to promote faith in his awesome power and gracious care. All Ahaz had to do was believe. But he did not listen, and Ezekiel pronounced Judah's similar fate of exile: "You have gone the way of your sister [Samaria]; therefore I will give her cup into your hand (Ezekiel 23:31-34).
Examining Ahaz, we can be confident that God did not preserve David's line due to a series of faithful kings. Rather, God was working out his promises despite the sinfulness of man for the very purpose of saving sinful men! Century after century by means of prophet after prophet, God had been revealing his plan to save a sinful world through a prophet greater than Moses, a king more righteous than David, a shepherd greater than Amos, a missionary greater than Jonah, a servant more devoted than Isaiah, a priest greater than Ezekiel, a glory better than the former glory, a king even younger than eight year old Josiah. God's Deliverer would be the son of a virgin, the Son of David as well as the Son of God, David's son yet David's Lord (2 Sm 7:12-14; Ps 110:1), king at his birth, heir of the nations, Savior of the world. And because God had covenanted to bring Christ our Deliverer through David's line, God had mercy on the lineage of David time after time just as he said.
"Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies" (Ps 89:35-37).
This Christmas season, as you bustle back and forth with the busyness of the season, perhaps the low-lying sun of winter will remind you that light still shines in the darkness—God's Son reigns forever since he has said "his throne [shall endure] as long as the sun before me." But maybe you are not feeling optimistic. This season also can induce feelings of exhaustion, mourning, or painful reflection. At times like this, we chronicle the events of another year gone by. There are highlights: babies have been born and weddings have united loved ones; we've watched kids grow and graduate and bring joy; salvation has dawned and sanctification has pressed on. And then there are things we wish had never happened, and we pray they never will again. We are poignantly reminded, often with empty seats around the Christmas table, that we still live in a land steeped in darkness. The sun has set on another year.
As I write, it is the solstice, the darkest day of the year, the longest night. Perhaps you will leave your office, as I will today, already feeling like it is the middle of the night. Where is the sun? May you look to the night sky, however, and see the moon glowing with the glory God has endowed it as God's "faithful witness" that he would set his Son on David's throne forever.
The solstice also means that the sun will be rising higher and higher from here. God's glory in Christ still shines brightly in man's darkest days. Tumult will give way to peace "because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Lk 1:78-79). "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone" (Is 9:2; Mt 4:16).
Through thick and thin, may we get to the end of our lives able to say with the same confidence that Simeon had, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel" (Lk 2:29-32).
