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Gleanings From The Word

Tag: Bible reading

  • Silent Night – Only it wasn’t – the heaven’s rejoiced

    Silent Night – Only it wasn’t – the heaven’s rejoiced

    There will be no Gleanings over the next few days. We’ll return on  December 27th. There are hundreds of back issues on our website https://gleaningsfromtheword.com if you want a devotional during that time.

    One of my favorite Christmas Carols is “Silent Night.” 

    Silent night, holy night!

    All is calm, All is bright

    Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child

    Holy Infant so Tender and mild,

    Sleep in heavenly peace,

    Sleep in heavenly peace.

    Silent night, holy night!

    Shepherds quake at the sight!

    Glories stream from heaven afar;

    Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia!

    Christ the Savior is born!

    Christ the Savior is born!

    Silent night, holy night!

    Wondrous star, lend thy light!

    With the angels let us sing

    Alleluia to our King!

    Christ the Savior is here,

    Jesus the Savior is here!

    Silent night, Holy night!

    Son of God, love’s pure light

    Radiant beams from Thy holy face,

    With the dawn of redeeming grace,

    Jesus Lord at thy birth;

    Jesus Lord at thy birth.

    It’s beautifully simple, a classic favorite. The tune portrays a serene, quiet scene on the night of Jesus’ birth.

    The problem is that night would have been anything but quiet. Here’s what the Bible has to say…

    And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn Luke 2:4-7 ESV

    Mary gives birth, something that doesn’t happen quietly. The child is laid in a manger, so there were animals, most of whom would likely have been disturbed by what was going on around them. Again, highly unlikely to be quiet.

    And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 ESV

    That caused the shepherds to fear, and likely the sheep as well. Once again, no quiet.

    And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!

    When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:13-20 ESV

    The heavenly host appears, speaking into the night. The heaven’s rejoiced

    The shepherds excitedly go into town to see the child and tell everyone what they saw. The shepherds may have even taken their flocks with them (the Bible doesn’t tell us what they did with them). If so, the noise and commotion would have been even greater.

    The community would have been abuzz with excitement. The heaven’s rejoiced

    A holy night? Absolutely.

    Christ the Savior is born? Without question.

    Something to celebrate? Unquestionable so.

    Silent? Maybe for a moment here and there, but mostly, not.

    Let’s celebrate the King’s coming with singing and praise like the shepherds, angels, and heavenly host.

    Merry Christmas to you all. May the Lord bless you afresh with an understanding of His incarnation and great love for you.

    Praise God for His love gift.

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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  • A long but vitally important list

    Most of us have our Christmas wish lists. Santa Claus has his  naughty and nice list, but the Bible has its own lists.

    The Gospel of Matthew starts in what might seem, to some, a weird and/or boring place. We often skip reading it.

    The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. 

    And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

    And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

    So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. Matthew 1:1:17 ESV

    For most people, this long, painful list of names seems irrelevant, so why would Matthew start there?

    The primary reason was to show Jesus’ lineage through His earthly father, confirming prophecy about the Messiah.

    There is also a sense in which Matthew wanted us to see the fullness and inclusiveness of Jesus.

    There are kings and great leaders listed… David, Abraham, and more. Peasants and royalty make the cut. Saints and sinners show up. Jew and gentile are on the list.

    There are women on the list, which is uncommon in the ancient world.

    Some of the names are well-known, others are almost totally obscure.

    One commentator observes, “Some observe what a mixture there was of good and bad in the succession of these kings;… wicked Roboam begat wicked Abia; wicked Abia begat good Asa; good Asa begat good Josaphat; good Josaphat begat wicked Joram. Grace does not run in the blood, neither does reigning sin. God’s grace is his own, and he gives or withholds it as he pleases.”

    The lineage of Jesus includes a good sampling of people, which is apt as He can to redeem all people regardless of gender, nationality, cultural background, social standing, or sin.

    He came for you, me, and our neighbor. He came for that person we hate (although we shouldn’t) and that family member we are desperate to see saved. 

    Jesus keeps a list called the Lamb’s Book of Life. Through faith in Him, we can get our names on that list.

    That’s the miracle we celebrate this time of year. The child was born to love the unlovable and save the unworthy (that includes us)

    Let heaven and earth rejoice.

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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