Advent 11

The Second Thursday of Advent, December 11, 2008

Isaiah 7:1-9 

While Ahaz son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram with Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, marched on Jerusalem, but could not force a battle.  

Have you ever heard of such a thing?  An attacked people refusing to be drawn into war? 

When the Arameans and the Ephraimites decided to make war on Judah by attacking Jerusalem, the prophet Isaiah went to King Ahaz and said, “Keep calm; do not be frightened.”  He then told Ahaz that the attackers would not succeed, that in 65 years they would not even be a nation.  Simply have firm faith, Isaiah told Ahaz. 

We no longer live in or near walled cities where we can take shelter from attackers.  Armies no longer attack with arrows and battering rams.   

But how would the world look today had the US sought God’s wisdom after 9-11?  Instead of listening to the beating of war drums, what if we had heard a national call to repentance, a call to come together for a time of quiet waiting for a word from God?  What if for one week there had been no White House press releases, no media enthusiasm for war, no talk show hosts urging revenge? 

One week of national prayer and reflection, quiet time deliberately spent in Yahweh’s presence.  What would Americans have heard?  We’ll never know. 

But possibly we’d have heard, “Be calm; do not be frightened.”  Possibly we would have heard, “Wait.  All will be well.” 

This Advent we are looking for the child who is to lead us to God.  This child will never be king, prime minister, or president of any country. 

He will be the Prince of Peace.