December 3rd
Thousands of years before the baby was placed in the manger, God was dropping hints of the coming Christmas Day. Nearly 2000 years after God told Adam and Even that someone would come to crush evil, God was slightly more specific with the news He gave to Abraham and Sarah.
The first birth announcement was that this special person would be a descendant of Eve. But that could have been anyone other than her husband, Adam! The second announcement was that it would be a descendant of Abraham’s son, Isaac. Okay. Now we’re getting somewhere.
It’s like watching a mystery movie. The goal is to find the “who” in the “who-done-it.” As the movie unfolds, you narrow down the possibilities. Every piece of information sheds more and more light on where the story is going and who the “who” is.
For thousands of years, God gave pieces of information. Every one of these details shined more and more light as to where the story was going. Let’s look now at another clue God gave His people. This detail is given in the form of a family blessing.
It was common for a father to speak words of blessing over his children. In Genesis 49, we read where Jacob (the grandson of Abraham and the son of Isaac) blessed his sons. One of his twelve sons was named Judah. In verse 10, we are told that Jacob said to Judah:
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. Genesis 49:10
That was another important detail in the coming Christmas story.
In Abraham’s story, we learned that someone from Isaac’s family was coming to do something very special. In Jacob’s blessing, we realized that this someone would be from Judah’s part of the family tree. Judah was not just one of Isaac’s grandsons. Judah was the one who would carry the promise of an everlasting covenant.
As the years would unfold, Judah’s people would settle in what would become the southern kingdom of God’s people. This location would be known as Judah. So, according to this blessing, the One that was coming would come out of Judah.
Keep in mind that we are reading the blessing on Judah with hindsight. Most likely, Judah had no idea that his blessing was a part of the greatest story ever told. This is another example of God taking a common moment and creating a miracle.
It’s safe to assume that Jacob did not realize the significance of the blessing he spoke over his son, Judah. Maybe, for him, it was just a common blessing. This is a powerful reminder that some of the greatest miracles are birthed out of simple moments.
Take a moment now to thank God for the simple moments. The ability to think. The ability to breathe. Another day to live. Food. Shelter. Christmas lights. Hot chocolate. Hope. Maybe the best gift you could give this year is the gift of gratitude. Gratitude for the simple things. Place that gift at His feet and see what happens.