Building Families
December 17, 2023Pastor Josh Starnes presented this morning's message, "Building Families." A video of the message is here.
Much like with Abraham, the texts are very quiet on why Mary was chosen from a personal point of view. But we do know that she met all the criteria that the prophets set forth in the Old Testament: right lineage (descendent of David, root of Jesse, etc.), she was from Nazareth and would return there to raise Jesus, she was engaged to a man whose lineage set up a trip to Bethlehem (City of David), she was a virgin, and she was a young woman of good character.
With Abraham, the Bible offers no reason(s) upfront for why he was chosen to be the father of the Israelites. It certainly turns out that he was of the right character, but this was not declared in the opening of the story. We know nothing but a bit of lineage about Abram (later Abraham) before God calls him to leave his homeland (Genesis 12).
Gabriel told Mary she would conceive and bear a son (Luke 1:26-33), and the baby's name would be Jesus, which means "Savior," from the Hebrew root meaning "the Lord is Salvation." Yehoshua (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ) is Jesus' name in Hebrew. It is also Joshua. Saviour, Deliverer, and the like are appropriate definitions for the word. Joshua, who led the Israelites on into the Promised Land after Moses died (see the Book of Joshua) is a deliverer of sorts, too. The word is a combination of JHVH (Jehovah, God's proper name) and yasha which means to deliver. A common version for Jesus' name heard in Messianic synagogues is Yeshua.
Using a rock (Josh's Matthew 7:24-27 reference) as a metaphor for God goes all the way back to the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:4, "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he."
As for building families centered on God and religion... Teaching children about God and religion (and Torah!) is directed early on. Deuteronomy 11:19, "You shall teach them [these words] to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up." In other words, teach your family all these things all the time.
Bonus
Third Sunday of Advent - Joy
For our purposes, Joy is the theme for the third Sunday of Advent. The candle lit on the third Advent Sunday is often the pink candle, sometimes refered to as the Rose of Sharon (see last week's bonus).
And once again, Joy is a theme shared in both the Old and New Testaments. There are at least 20 Hebrew words that get translated as joy. They also get translated as gladness, mirth, gaiety, cries of joy, joyful shout(ing), rejoice(ing), triumphing, joy of heart, and the like.
Simchah (שִׂמְחָה) is probably the most often translated as joy. It appears first in Genesis 31:27b, "Why didn't you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps?" This is Laban speaking when he catches up with Jacob who is fleeing from Laban, and Rachel (Jacob's new wife) has stolen some of her father's (Laban's) gods (idols) unbeknownst to Jacob.
"Simchat Torah" is an expression used to joyfully celebrate the completion of reading through the Torah each year (as is done in synagogues). I had my own little "Simchat Torah" when I completed my 100th Torah essay (here).
Sameach (שָׂמֵחַ) means rejoice, be glad, make merry, etc. It's used in Deuteronomy 16:14, "Be joyful at your festival..." (Festival of Tabernacles).
Teruah (תְּרוּעָה) refers to a blast of joy (or war or alarm) as from a trumpet. For example, the description of the Festival of Trumpets starts in Deuteronomy 29:1b, "It is a day for you to sound the trumpets."
Ranan (רָנַן) means to give a ringing cry of joy. For example, it appears at the end of the Song of Moses, Deuteronomy 32:43a, "Rejoice, you nations, with his people..."
It is interesting to note that joy is often associated with a great sound.
It's also worth noting that being joyful is often commanded in the OT, particularly in the Psalms. See 149:2, 14:7, 100:2, 32:11, 67:4, and 96.11. It's also commanded in the NT: Matthew 5:12, Luke 6:23, Luke 10:20, and Luke 15:6&9, 2 Corinthians 13:11, and more.
All told, these and other words in joyful meanings appear hundreds of times in the Old Testament. In addition, there are other words for happiness.
I ran across an article, "Bible Study on Joy: 7 Things You Need To Know," here.
Bonus2
O Magnum Mysterium
This is a rather ancient text originally from a Gregorian Chant with a first known setting in the early 1500s AD. Here's an English translation from the Latin:
O great mystery
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the newborn Lord,
lying in a manger!
Blessed is the virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear
the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
Just this past Tuesday evening we had the great privilege of hearing the Desert Chorale of Santa Fe perform Morten Lauridsen's (born 1943) setting of this text at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Chorale is made up of 24 of the finest voices in the country and they sang in this marvelous cathedral with amazing acoustics. Don't miss a chance to hear something like this.
Interestingly, the text harkens back to Isaiah 1:3 that talks specifically about an ox and a donkey and from there, somehow, animals became present at the birth of Jesus. However, there is no New Testament text that says any animals were present at the birth of Jesus. The closest the texts come is that Mary and Joseph did have a donkey with them that may have been present. Later, there is no mention of camels for the Wise Men either.
Of course, the lack of a mention does not prove there weren't any animals. In fact, in a stable it would be fairly safe to assume that animals would be present.
Listen to this 8-part composition by Lauridsen of O Magnum Mysterium and follow along with the score - here. Imagine it reverberating in a cathedral...