Devotions
Emmanuel
God with his people
(Yup, that black rectangle there is Israel)
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
If there was a hymn that deserves the title of black sheep song for the Christmas season, it would be O Come O Come Emmanuel. Almost every other Christmas song is sung in a cheery positive key, and then there’s this bummer of a song; slow, draggy, depressing, dismal.
It’s the perfect Advent song. A couple of things you might like to know. Prior to Jesus’ arrival the region of Israel had a long and aching history of conquest and subjugation. Poor, tiny, backwater Israel, built geo-politically speaking on an active volcano. Tucked away on a narrow strip of land between perennial powerhouse empires: The mighty Egyptian nation to the south, and whatever people was latest in power along the Fertile Crescent (modern-day Iraq), be they the Babylonians, the Assyrians, or the Persians. They could never sleep soundly, mighty kingdoms were always at their doorstep, waiting to swallow them up.
Israel was not a politically advantageous or defensible land, but God put them there to learn dependence and trust. So long as they lived under God’s law and obeyed his commandments, they would be God’s precious protected people, safe from any danger, secure from any foreign armies. But as they turned away from the Lord…
“Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.” (Jeremiah 11.10-11)
The most tragic moment in Israel’s history was when the Lord withdrew his presence because of their repeated rebellion and disobedience. What punishment could be worse than to have God turn his face away from you? Suddenly, instead of God’s favored nation, they were a nation in ruin. And, soon a nation in captivity.
When Jesus Christ comes onto the scene, Israel had been under Roman captivity for a few centuries. It was not peaceful. At times, it was bloody. Was this it? Has God given up hope on us? When he rescued us out of Egypt, he adopted us as his people, his treasured possession, and his holy nation. Is that all over and done with now, and we are fated to wallow in our miserable sin?
No, because God promised that he would return to us. He would forgive us, comfort us, and end our hard service. He would be with us again. Here’s the second thing you might like to know: “Emmanuel” means “God is with us”. This was the promise of Jesus Christ. This was his title, that he would be Emmanuel, that when he came to us, God would return again to his people and they would once again be in his gracious favor.
This is the meaning of Advent. When, O Lord? Come, now please. We need you. We want to be yours again. End our bondage and bring us freedom under you once again.