A Year on a Boat

Sitting here, writing this, it is raining outside...again.  We have had a lot of rain over the past few months.  Not too long ago, just a few years, we were in what seemed like a cycle of drought.  No more.  Yesterday, driving to work at the pie shop (which my voice-to-text translates as "pot shop", much to my friends' amusement), I noticed in one spot that the water nearly was over the roadway.  Most of us north GA locals are not pleased.  We post memes about how tired we are of all this rain.  Our discontent is nothing, compared to the year+ which Noah's family spent on the Ark, I'm quite sure!

Today, we are going to look at how long the biblical Great Flood lasted.1  The Bible gives a great deal of specificity as to the timeline, and it's quite interesting (or, at least, I think it is).
Let's start with Genesis 7:10-11 (Berean Study Bible):

10And after seven days the floodwaters came upon the earth. 11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12And the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

The rain began to fall (it had never rained on the Earth prior to this) and the great "fountains of the deep" were broken open, when Noah was 600 years old.  We can infer that Noah had entered the Ark 7 days prior, the week during which all the animal pairs were sent to him.  (We can only imagine the organization that went on during that week...)
When I was a child I had this little plastic statue that sat in my bedroom window.  There was this little woebegone figure holding an umbrella, and printed on the base of the statue were these words:  "Into each life some rain must fall, but this is ridiculous."  I think of that as I think of the ferocity of the Flood.  I wonder if Noah's family believed they would survive it?  During this time, continents actually broke apart and new oceans were formed.  The Earth was completely reconfigured!2
Genesis 7:19-24 (BSB):

19Finally, the waters completely inundated the earth, so that all the high mountains under all the heavens were covered.

20The waters rose and covered the mountaintops to a depth of fifteen cubits.b 21And every creature that had moved upon the earth perished—birds, livestock, animals, every creature that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind. 22Of all that had been on dry land, everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah remained, and those with him in the ark.

24And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.

Sometime between the 40th day, when the rain stopped, and the 150th day, the flood waters reached their highest point, which was at least 20 feet above the highest mountains on Earth.  They then began to recede.  By the 150th day (Genesis 8:4), the Ark had found ground, coming to rest somewhere in the mountains of Ararat.  (Notice this is not the same as today's Mt. Ararat.  More on that in the next Genesis post)

74 days later (Genesis 8:5), the tops of the surrounding mountains were visible, as waters continued to recede.  This puts the timeline at Day 224.  40 days after that (Day 64) (Genesis 8:6), Noah sent out a raven to explore the surrounding area.

5And the waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains became visible.

After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth.

Genesis 8:5-6 (BSB)

Then, Noah sent out a dove, which returned to him as it could find no landing place.  He did this again 7 days later, and again 7 days later, at which time the dove did not return.  264 + 21 = Day 285, the day the dove was sent out the last time.  (We can infer there were seven days between the raven and the dove's first flight because in Genesis 8:10 the text states Noah waited "another 7 days".)

29 days later (Day 314) on "the first day of the first month", Noah removed the Ark's cover, where he discovered the surface of the land was dry.  (Genesis 8:13).  57 days later (Day 370), God commanded Noah and his family to "disembark" (that is, leave the ark), because the Earth was dry and once again able to sustain life.  They emerged, to find the physical world tremendously changed.

13And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.

14And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

Genesis 8:13-14 (BSB) 

So, the inundation lasted approximately five months and the waters returning to their places another five months, with an additional two months or so required to dry everything up, cause plant life to re-grow, etc.  Amazing, isn't it?!

5Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever.

6You covered it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

7At your rebuke they fled; at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.

8They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which you have founded for them.

9You have set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

Psalm 104:5-9 (King James 2000)

Sources:

1  https://answersingenesis.org/bible-timeline/biblical-overview-of-the-flood-timeline/

2  https://answersingenesis.org/geology/plate-tectonics/noahs-lost-world/

"Kind" Of...

In Genesis 7:4 we learn that the assembling of The Ark's animal menagerie was accomplished in seven days.  I find it interesting that the entire creation of "all that is" was accomplished in six.  The preservation of that creation by its being gathered into The Ark took seven.  Noah needed one more day than had God.  What about that! (a little tongue-in-cheek humor there...)

Now, obviously, water-breathing animal life did not need to be brought on board The Ark, nor did marine vegetation.  Some theologians1 believe that, literally, two of every existing, air-breathing species were brought onto the boat.  It certainly had a lot of room, one source saying enough to house 125,000 sheep (and most animals are smaller than a sheep).  In today's zoological classification of animals, the term "species" is the lowest, most specialized tier, and there are (conservative estimate) 1 to 2 million animal species on Earth today.  "Well, there certainly was not room for all that!", you say.   True, but we must remember that a sizable number of those animals are/were not air-breathing, but were instead water-breathing.  Another unknown is whether there were that many animal species in Noah's day, or not.  If NOT, then it is possible that two of every species were brought on board.

Others, such as the Answers in Genesis group, believe that only representative pairs of "kinds" were brought aboard, these containing in their genetic make-up the material to diversify over time, and that animal kinds became more diverse as centuries followed and kinds adapted to their environments.  A synonym for "kind" on the taxonomy chart is "family".  For example, dogs are in one family; cats are in another, and humans in yet another.  The next rung down from family is genus; each family contains several genera.  For example, in the cat family (Felidae), you have Felis (small cats and domestic cats), Panthera (tigers, leopards, jaguars and lions) and Puma (panthers and cougars) genera.  And, as previously noted, the lowest rung, the one below genus, is species.

But, what IS a "kind" as it is referred to in the Bible?  The word occurs in both Genesis 1, during creation, and then again in Genesis 6 and 7.  Would it correspond to our modern-day terms "species" or "genus" or "family"?

Remember that (at the risk of stating the obvious) our zoological classifications did not exist in Noah's day (Duh!).  In the older translations, "kind" was used to translate the Hebrew word "מִין" (Min) which means "an entity distinct from other entities".2  Every time this word appears, it is used in a taxonomical context. 

Here's perhaps an easier way to understand it.  God brought onto the Ark a representative pair of animals/plant life that could interbreed with others in that "kind" to form the biological diversity we see today.  For example, a dog and a dingo could interbreed and produce offspring, because they are of the Canis family (kind).  So, only one breeding pair from that family would have been needed. 

What we see having happened over hundreds of years since the Flood is that within the zoological designation of family (kind), much variation has occurred as animals adapted to their environments.  Hence, you have the arctic hare, the pygmy rabbit, the jackrabbit, etc.  This is not evolution.  Evolution has never been actually observed to naturally occur outside the zoological designation of family.  For example, a dog cannot breed with a cat.  A human cannot breed with a cow.  Etc.  (Thank God!) . Further, God in His infinite wisdom has closed some doors so that, even within a family, certain species cannot interbreed successfully to perpetuate the line.  An example of this would be a horse interbreeding with a donkey, producing the sterile mule.

Why does this matter?  It matters because atheists use this point to attack the veracity of the Bible.  Scoffing, they ridicule creationists by claiming that the Ark story could not have occurred, as the boat was not big enough to contain enough "pairs" to repopulate the Earth.  However, it certainly occurred, and here we are today.

In addition to the above points, we must embrace as Christians that the Great Flood was a supernatural event, never to be repeated (rainbow promise from God, remember?  Genesis 9:13).
And, nowhere in Scripture does it say Noah went out and found these pairs of animals.  God sent them to him (Genesis 6:20).  Christian, is it preposterous to believe that God could load the Ark up with all the "seed" necessary to repopulate the Earth, when He created it all in the first place?  Why is it some can believe the creation account, but not the flood account? 

Well, I "kind of" think this post has gone on long enough.  If you want to study this point further, check the sources below. 

Sources:

1    http://www.ldolphin.org/cisflood.html

2    https://answersingenesis.org/creation-science/baraminology/what-does-two-of-every-kind-mean/

Windows, Yet Door

"One door and only one, and yet its sides are two?  I'm on the inside.  On which side are you?!"1

Why do you suppose there was only one door into the Ark?  Pictured above is the representation of Noah's Ark found at The Ark Encounter, in Williamstown, Kentucky.

16Make a roof for the ark and finish it, leaving 18 inches from the top. Put a door in the side of the ark, and make lower, middle, and upper decks.

Genesis 6:16 (NET)

The "cubit" of space between the top of the Ark and the roof allowed for windows of light and ventilation, but it was not enough space to permit water to overwhelm the Ark during the many tempestuous days of the Great Flood.  The windows figured prominently in determining when the judgment was concluded.  (See Genesis 8:6-12.)

There is little we actually know about the door of the Ark, other than God commanded Noah to set it in the side of the large boat.  However, it would make sense for the door to be located "on the middle deck".  In The Ark Encounter photo, you can see a ramp that extends diagonally up the side of the Ark, to a door in the middle deck.  There were so many animals to load, though....why only one door?

We see, further, in Genesis 7:16 that the Lord shut the door to the Ark, sealing inside all the human and animal and plant life.  This is significant.  Why mention the shutting of the door at all?  Or, why did Noah or his sons not shut it?

When we think of a miracle, what comes to mind?  We need to remember that not all of God's miracles were miracles of healing or of restoration.  Some, as in the case of the Flood, were miracles of judgment.  The Flood was not just some "natural disaster".  This was a supernatural judgment of God (and a foreshadowing of the work of Jesus Christ).  How else could this overgrown boat, albeit impressive, have survived such catastrophic upheaval, where the very "fountains of the deep" burst open? (Genesis 7:11)

God Himself shut the one-and-only door to keep the living inside safe through the year-long cataclysm.3  In Revelation 3:7 we read that when God opens a door no man can shut it and when He closes a door, no man can open it either.

There is a symbolic meaning in the Flood judgment.  As He did in the case of the Ark and the Flood judgment, God provides a way for people to escape eternal judgment through Jesus Christ.  Jesus referred to Himself as "the door", in John 10:9.  In that specific instance, Jesus was referring to the door or gate of the sheep pen, but the principle is the same.  He is the one and only way God has provided to "enter in" and receive salvation, eternal life.

The italicized quote at the top of the page is from a song I learned as a child.  It asks the question, "On which side of the door are you?".  Have you entered through the Door into God's Ark of eternal security?  If not, please enter in today!

Through the writing of the apostle John, Jesus uses the "door" metaphor again, in a slightly different way.  Open the door of your heart to Him today!

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20 (ESV)

Sources:

1    http://www.digitalsongsandhymns.com/songs/7817

2    http://www.alfredplacechurch.org.uk/index.php/sermons/genesis/71-16-the-lord-shut-the-door/

3    https://answersingenesis.org/bible-timeline/biblical-overview-of-the-flood-timeline/

Gopher Wood

Many ancient earth cultures have flood legends in their oral and written histories.  You can read some of them here:  https://answersingenesis.org/answers/magazine/v11-n4/bible-culture/worldwide-flood-legends/
Scientists tend to dismiss a worldwide flood as causal factor for much of what we observe in the fossil record today.  However, if it did not happen, why would there be so many legends from all parts of the world testifying to its occurrence?
Furthermore, why would there be so much observable evidence for a "young earth"?

As Christians, our authoritative source is neither observable evidence, nor ancient literature.
We are going to look at the Ark as it is described in the Old Testament scriptures, since the Bible is our supreme authority as Christians.  Let's start with Genesis 6:14 NET) - -

Make for yourself an ark of cypress wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and out.

The Hebrew word translated "ark" here is "tebah" and is used only 28 times in the Old Testament.  Every time, it is used to refer to either Noah's Ark or the woven basket used by Jochebed to house Moses, when she (his mother) set him afloat in bullrushes along the edge of the Nile River (Exodus 2:3 and Hebrews 11:23).
There's a reason I chose the NET translation of the preceding verse.  Translators of this version have extrapolated to say "cypress wood", whereas most older translators/translations say "gopher wood". (Gopher wood bears no relation to the prairie rodent pictured above, far as I can tell!)

Gopher wood no longer exists today.1  It was apparently so well known in the antediluvian world Noah knew what it was.  The Hebrew word translated "gopher" is used only once in the Bible, and that is here in Genesis 6:14.  The NET translators used "cypress" because it is a very hard, durable wood that could theoretically withstand brutal winds and rain.  But, bottom line, none of us knows beans about the wood used to create the Ark.

There are other speculations.  One is that there was a scribal error made in that word, between the Hebrew letters translated "g" and "k", because both look very similar to a backwards "c".  If the "g" was supposed to be a "k", then the resulting word "kopher" means "pitch", and the passage would read, "Make for yourself an ark of pitched wood."  In that case, it could have been any of several types of wood, as long as they were treated inside and out with pitch.

Still other scholars believe the word refers to the processing of the wood, that the planks were squared off with some sort of lamination process applied, in order for the planks to accommodate the dimensions of the overall structure.  We tend to assume that life before the flood was terribly antiquainted; I think that is a mistake.  It is very likely that antediluvian world was actually more advanced than is ours.

Isn't that something?

Moving on . . .

15This is how you should make it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16Make a roof for the ark and finish it, leaving 18 inches from the top. Put a door in the side of the ark, and make lower, middle, and upper decks.

Genesis 6:15-16 (NET)

If you have not visited the Ark Encounter in Williamston, KY, you should really go.  The replica of Noah's Ark they have created really brings to life this part of human history.  No longer must we imagine the scope of the Ark, because we can see a replica of its dimensions, before our very eyes.  As you pull up to the Ark Encounter complex, you can easily spot the massive boat,  perched on a hilltop in the distance.  The unit of measurement in the Hebrew text is "cubit".  No one is totally sure what the length of a cubit was, as there is some discrepancy between the Egyptian royal cubit and the typical OT cubit, which was about 3 inches shorter.  Using the Egyptian measure, the Ark would have been close to 512 feet in length; using the OT cubit, it would have been closer to 437 feet in length.

The dimensions of the Ark were a ratio of 30 x 5 x 3.  (Did you know that, according to ship-builders, this is the optimum ratio for stability of a vessel in rough seas?2  Furthermore, it was not until the late 1800s that a post-Flood sea vessel of this size was attempted.)

Even going with the shorter cubit, the Ark could have held the equivalent of 569 railroad boxcars.  If you use as an average that each animal was the size of a sheep, the Ark could have held over 125,000 animals.  We will examine passengers and cargo in an upcoming post.

Before we leave these verses, however, we will, in the next post, examine the roof vents and the door of the vessel.


Sources:

1    https://www.gotquestions.org/gopher-wood.html

2    http://www.ldolphin.org/cisflood.html

Ruined

What does it mean when something or someone is "ruined"?  Not a pleasant thought, is it?
Today's text is Genesis 6:11-13 (ESV).  Notice the word "corrupt" in this passage, because a more accurate translation of it would be "so corrupt that it was totally ruined".1  (The NET version, in fact, uses the word "ruined".)  We've now returned, here in the blog, to the book of Genesis!

11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,^c for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Some of us question God's actions in this story, because we cannot fathom how "bad" things were.  Surely, we reason, things could have been turned around or repaired.  After all, the Bible is filled with other stories of how God took the most extremely sinful people and the most horrible, seemingly-irredeemable circumstances and did miraculous spiritual transformations.  But, to make this wrong assumption is to demonstrate misunderstanding of how bad things actually were.

In their lust for knowledge and power, mankind had "sold out" to the fallen angelic beings who had come to live among them, after their expulsion from Heaven, after their failed rebellion against Jehovah Sabaoth, (the God of Angel Armies, the Lord of Hosts).  Being thoroughly evil, these beings had intermarried with humans, thereby ruining the human bloodline of every family making that irreversible choice.  And yes, they had a choice.  We see this from the deliberateness of the phrase "had corrupted their way".  The Fallen surely provided a strong temptation, but God never leaves Man without a choice.  (It was the exercise of free will in the Garden of Eden that started this downward spiral, after all.)  The legacy of the "ancient aliens" (to borrow the title of a popular TV show here in America), the demonic Nephilim, the gibborim (Genesis 6:4), was complete, pervasive violence.  They were not a benevolent group of entities.  No, they were hell-bent on destroying the human race, in order to prevent a pure human bloodline through which Messiah would be born.  And, they very nearly succeeded.

Satan and his minions (thankfully, the major architects of the pre-Flood world's ruination are currently locked up tight in Tartarus....2 Peter 2:4) are today still at work, trying to convince us that we are all hopelessly ruined.  Perhaps you have felt that way.  I know that I have . . . and, from time to time, still do.

There is good news, though - - such incredibly good news!  Because of Jesus, and His finished work, NO ONE is hopelessly ruined.  As long as there is breath in the body, there is the potential for God to turn things around, to redeem the broken. There is only one sin which cannot be forgiven2 , and that sin is a deliberate decision on the part of the person who willfully commits it.  (If you don't know what that unforgivable sin is, click on Source 2 below, because it is a whole blog post, in itself.)

When we feel hopelessly, irrevocably ruined, the best thing we can do is to look at the Word of God and cling to His promises.  Here's one of them, that the Lord brought to my mind just now.  Perhaps it was meant not only for me today, but for you also.

12What do you think? If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.

Matthew 18:12-14 (NET)

And, one more....

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

1 Cor. 10:13 (NASB)

Yes, God IS faithful!  In the next post, we will examine Noah's Ark and God's promises to Noah, which still apply to us today.

Sources:

1    https://biblehub.com/commentaries/genesis/6-11.htm

2    https://www.gotquestions.org/blasphemy-Holy-Spirit.html

A New Moon

The truth is . . . I had to drag myself here this morning.  As the extended hiatus I've been on since just before Christmas stretched on and on, each day made me less inclined to return to this blog and write.  There are a couple of reasons for my absence, well, three if I'm honest.
The first is that my last child left home and I have been trying to adjust to that new void.
The second is that my house was (I felt) physically in such disarray I could no longer cope by ignoring it.
The third is that I have been, quite honestly, in a state of spiritual funk, where I just felt there was no point, that I have nothing worthwhile to say, etc.
Taken altogether, these kept me away, as I walked through the recent days of both growth and grief.

If God gives you the grace to be an "emptynester", there is some adjusting to do regarding how quiet the house becomes.  You realize that your job, as parent, is largely done - - at least, you realize that if your children are as independent as mine.  That is a sobering and saddening thought.  You acknowledge you should be giving thanks for all God has done in your life and the life of your children.  Knowing something intellectually, however, does not equate to feeling it in real time.

On the bright side, my laundry room, pantry, home office and more generally the rest of the house has been restored to some semblance of order and peace.  I'm not a fastidious housekeeper, preferring usually to do things of more "value" (a deeply personal construct).  It gets to a point, though, where the disorganization is overwhelming.  I reached that point just after Christmas.

Don't ever make the mistake of looking at anyone and believing that they have it easy or "all together".  I am supremely grateful to "giants of the faith" like Charles Spurgeon, who was open about his emotional struggles.  I've not been doubting my faith, although God forgives even that.  I've just been sad in my deepest heart of hearts, and I'd appreciate your prayers about that.

Well now, after that rather lengthy (and probably distracting) introduction, let's examine some Scripture together.  Presently, we will return to the book of Genesis in this blog's ongoing exegesis.  However, today is not that day.

19He made the moon to mark the seasons;

the sun knows when to set.

Psalm 104:19 (BSB)

Earlier this week, leaving the house after nightfall, I spotted the new moon in the night sky...just the tiniest sliver!  Some have compared the people of God to the moon.  This is because, although there are times the moon is not visible, yet it is still there.  Some nights are "dark as night" as a result; others are nearly as bright as midday, when the moon is full and in close perigee to the Earth. 

The Jewish calendar(s), {and of course, there is debate about which "one" is "the one"}, share this feature in common.  They are lunar calendars, whereas the Western, Roman calendar is a solar calendar.  And, the beginning of each month is marked by the spotting of the new moon, Rosh Chodesh.  However, in the more ancient times, Jews would search the night skies for that sliver of hope, that new moon, to declare a new month had begun.  "In ancient times Rosh Chodesh was declared by the beit din (Jewish court) only after two credible witnesses would testify that they had seen the new moon. Since the fourth century, however, it has been determined by a preset calendar."1

This week's most recent new moon has ushered in the Jewish month of Shevat (or Shvat).  Although it occurs in the dead of winter, it is seen as a time or rebirth and new beginnings - - a harbinger of spring.  Thanks be to God that the days are gradually "getting longer"!

If you feel you are wandering in the dark today, look for the new moon.  If you are a Christian, you are not immune from apogee and perigee.  There will be times you will feel like you are stumbling in darkness, others when you are dancing in the light.  God, your Father, Christ, your Savior, and the Holy Spirit within you are no more "with you" or "far from you" at either time.  His presence is not dependent upon your cares or your moods or even your legitimate life circumstances.

He has promised to "be with you always", if you have accepted and trusted Him as your one and only Savior.  On that His children can always depend.

Source:

1
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1928828/jewish/What-Is-Rosh-Chodesh.htm

A Favorite Christmas Ornament

18Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately. 20When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23“Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.” 24When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, 25but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NET)

Do you remember when you found out you were going to be a parent?  I remember that pregnancy test home kit, and seeing the blue check mark.  But, most of all, I remember my husband's reaction. Basically, he was so overwhelmed with emotion at the prospect he was "zombie-fied" for about 3 days.  I imagine that is how Joseph must have felt:  a carpenter who dreamed of the birth of God.1

Today, Christians talk about Jesus' return, and we say we believe this to be a certainty.  I'm sure that the Jews of Mary and Joseph's day felt the same about the coming of Messiah.  But, I'm equally sure they felt that "someone else" would be chosen to be His earthly parents.  What a shock this must have been!

The mystery of the Incarnation.  I can't wrap my mind around it.  A friend of mine wrote a Christmas song in which she tried to express the unfathomable fact that Mary gave birth to the One who had created her, who had known her before her own birth.  "We Have Met Before" :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u568DbaOyZc

"Newborn Son, yet Ancient of All Days"...

God the Father gives to us God the Son.  This is the essence of Christmas:  God gives us the only path to soul salvation, His very own Beloved One, His Only Begotten. 

Do you have a favorite Christmas tree ornament?  I do.  It is the subject of the picture at the top of today's post.  It is not a particularly beautiful ornament, in the aesthetic sense.  In fact, it looks out-of-place, nestled in the "front and center" of our tree.  The ornament is a long iron stake, a "nine-inch nail", if you will, suspended by a scarlet red ribbon.  What is the meaning there?  It symbolizes the culmination of Jesus' first Advent, the stake mimicking one that nailed his wrists or feet to the harsh wooden beams, the red ribbon symbolizing His precious blood, spilled for me.

This poignant ornament is there to remind me that Christmas was only the beginning of Jesus's earthly ministry. If He had only been born and then had lived a life marked by sinful choices, or if He had refused to fulfill His purpose here, there would be no spike ornament on my tree, nor would there be any reason for a Christmas celebration at all.

God With Us...Immanuel.  You can't take the Babe without the Broken and Suffering.  You can't worship the Newborn without embracing the Triumphant King.  There is no worship of Jesus apart from embracing His finished work on the cross and His earth-shattering emergence from the borrowed tomb.  He loved us ... to death, and back again.

Even after He returned to Heaven, to sit at the right hand of our Father God, He did not leave us comfortless.  Through His Holy Spirit, God is still with us, with those of us who have believed and confessed, "I am His and He is mine."

As he lay dying, the renowned 18th c. Methodist evangelist John Wesley is said to have uttered these words:  "The best of all is, God is with us."

Amen and amen.

Thanks be to God, for His indescribable Gift!  2 Corinthians 9:15

Source:

1 Voskamp, Ann. The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas.