Here is a broad story line leading to the coming of our King and also how we hope as a family to remember God's story...given to us:
- He was in the beginning...
- God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) created the Universe
- God created Adam and Eve
- Adam and Eve sinned against God--forever sinful offspring deserving judgment/and death resulted (THE FALL)
- God foretold the coming of Messiah even in the Fall. The One through whom deliverence of our sin would be offered.
- Adam and Eve's sinful offspring multiplied the earth and all people were wicked.
- God sent His judgment over the wicked through flooding the entire earth, but He spared Noah and his family.
- Noah's three sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth multiplied the earth (Shem was blessed for honoring his father even when Noah sinned).
- God commanded the people to spread out and fill the earth. The people sinned against God and tried to remain in one place. They built a tower in order to make a name for themselves. God confused their languages forcing them to spread out and fill the earth as He originally commanded.
- From the east God chose Abram (a descendant of Shem) to be the man through whom He would send the Messiah.
- God called Abram to leave his homeland and family and move to a strange land which God would give him. He promised to bless him with many offspring and give him the land. Abram and his wife Sarah were old.
- Abraham believed God and his faith (belief and obedient response to his belief) was credited to him as righteousness...evidence that salvation has always been by faith in the Living God through grace.
- God kept His promises and Abram (Abraham) and Sarah had a son Isaac.
- Isaac had two sons: Esau and Jacob
- Jacob was chosen by God to be the family through whom He would send the Messiah.
- Jacob's name was changed to Israel.
- Israel's sons were
- Reuben
- Simeon
- Levi
- Judah (At the end of his life, Israel blessed Judah foretelling that the Messiah would come through him.)
- Issachar
- Zebulen
- Dan
- Joseph
- Benjamin
- Naphtali
- Gad
- Asher
- Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery. He went to Egypt. Through a chain of events Israel's family moved to Egypt...where they eventually became slaves for four hundred years as God foretold to Abraham.
- Israel multiplied into a large nation oppressed by Egypt. Each of the brother's families became large tribes.
- God delivered Israel through Moses (a Levite) and his family.
- God brought the Israelites through the wilderness. There God gave Moses the Ten Commandments (which are God's instructions for obedience to Him). The people sinned against God by worshipping an idol while Moses was Mount Sinai with God.
- God punished the people for their idolatry (something that is and always will be detestable to God).
- God reinstated the Ten Commandments and the Levitical law (the Levites became the priests).
- The covenant God made with Moses is reffered to as the Mosaic covenant. It is the covenant most call the Old Covenant.
- The book of Numbers is mostly about God's organization of the people to enter into and conquer the land which He promised Abraham.
- God sent spies into the promised land. When the men returned, only Joshua and Caleb believed that God could and would deliver the people from the current occupants of the land. Every other man doubted God and so did the people. God punished for their doubt and all of that generation perished in the wilderness. Joshua, Caleb, and the next generation lived to see the Promised Land.
- Moses re-gives the law to the new generation in Deuteronomy (hence the title...some say). He is addressing the families of Israel. NOTE: Jesus later quotes Deuteronomy when He says "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength."
- God instructs the people to build a Tabernacle...a place to meet with God.
- Joshua was given the role of leadership when Moses died (Moses did not get to enter the promised land because of an act of disobedience). God led Joshua and Israel into the promised land...the place through which the Messiah would come.
- Instead of wholeheartedly obeying God, the people repeated sinned and turned to idolatrous ways.
- The book of Judges recounts the cycle of disobedience and deliverence of God's people:
- S in
- W rath
- O ppression
- R epentence
- D eliverence
- God sent judges to deliver the people. Famous judges were
- Deborah (Who went in the place of Barak because he was too afraid)
- Gideon
- Samson
- The story of Ruth occurs during the time of the judges.)
- Then Samuel (who was a prophet and judge...the last judge). Israel asked for a king during Samuel's time. God gave them...
- Saul (But Saul did not follow God whole heartedly). God replaced Saul with David.
- David was of the tribe a Judah...the tribe through whom the Messiah would come. God established a covenant with David that his descendent would always be on the throne...the Messiah was His descendent...Jesus Christ. Like all people since Adam and Eve, however, David was a sinner and the consequences of His sin was a split kingdom.
- Many of the Psalms were written by and during the time of David...(but not all).
- Solomon, David's son took the throne after his father.
- God allows Solomon to build a solid Temple instead of Tabernacle. A place to meet with God.
- Many of the Proverbs were written by Solomon. As well as Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon
- God permantly writes His name in Jerusalem.
- Solomon's kingdom split after his death
- North (Israel)...all of whom were evil and idolatrous
- South (Judah)...some of whom followed God and some were evil and idolatrous.
- Most of the books of the prophets occur during the split-kingdom time period. They speak out against the people's idolatry and warn for centuries of God's impending judgment if the people do not repent. God pleads with the people to repent. He also foretells of the coming of the Messiah.
- Because of the idolatry of the people for generations, God sends both the North (captured by Assyria) and the South into captivity (Captured by Babylon). The Babylonians destroyed the Temple as God foretold would occur if His people were idolatrous.
- The Persian Empire ruled after the Babylonians just as God foretold through the prophets.
- Through Divine intervention God's people were allowed to return to their land through King Cyrus.
- The Book of Esther occurs during the Persian Empire.
- In the Book of Ezra the Temple is rebuilt.
- It is believed that Ezra wrote 1 and 2 Chronicles (orininally one book) to remind Judah of its history.
- In the Book of Nehemiah the wall around Jerusalem...God's city...was rebuilt. God's people are commanded once again to follow God with all their hearts.
- Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi prophesied during this time where they spoke out against the peoples rebellious heart and the coming of the Messiah...
But God always keeps His promise. His promise to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Israel, to you and me...God surprised sent the Messiah...His eternal Son...just like He said...out of Bethlehem.
Then the Gospels (Good News) begin...the Messiah has come! The King is here! Fully God..Fully Man...miraculous...as a baby. born in a barn. Mother and adoptive father travel to Bethlehem for the census...they were of the tribe of Judah. And Jesus is born in Bethlehem.
"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David." Luke 2:4
Scripture is so rich with infinately more details than what I mention today. Tonight Nathan and I will read Luke's account of Christ's coming...the Messiah. We read it every year together to remember God's story...the story He's allowed to be ours. We've always read it together on Christmas Eve in the past. But now that we are parents, and we will be with extended family on Christmas Eve (a time we cherish), we are going to begin having this family devotional time before we leave to go out of town.
Another family tradition that we've decided to include starting next year (even though Baby will only be about six months old) is the Jesse Tree. I first heard about the Jesse Tree from Laura Beth Moore. I've included a link to her blog which shares details about the tradition. Here's the link if anyone is interested. You can also just Google "Jesse Tree." I'm so excited about it because it is a way of celebrating the Advent season through a December overview of the story of the Old Testament leading up the birth of Christ. Each night the family decorates an ornament which represents an Old Testament Bible story from Genesis leading up to Jesus' birth. Exciting find!
Don't worry...I totally plan to include all of the imaginative, enchanting fun that the season brings to children...so does Nathan. He already says that if his kids want Christmas lights outside...they get them...even though none of our neighbors could see them from the road :)...but in the midst of the enchantment...we're praying that we all fall more and more in love with the Messiah...Jesus Christ...the one who has come to save us from our sinful nature. And that we remember the story...our story.
Merry Christmas!!!
