Christmas Absence

Karen and I enjoyed the recent warm spell last week (even getting a bike ride in!)  We left the bedroom window slightly open while we slept, but what a difference it was from those high energy evenings of summer. In the summer the crickets play their ochestra of active legs, the birds sing till late night, the trees are full of leaves singing that so familiar rustling song as the night wind blows through them.  Summer nights are full of life, but in the winter there is no noise. Its absence is so evident.
The Bible has a truth somewhat like our winter and summer night sounds. There are some things obviously missing and boy can you tell it.  I think of the angel Gabriel. Have you ever noticed that we've had no further encounters with this awsome message carrying angel? His absence tell us that there is something greater.  Mary and Joseph needed the angel to give them their message for direction, but for us today, we have everything we need in Christ and His provision for us.  The absence of Gabriel reminds us that now we have the totally fulfilled word in Christ and through the Holy Spirit.  We don't need the angel today.
Think about Moses.  God said He would send a deliverer...well Moses certainly would be a great guy for that.  He parted the sea, brought all those plagues to humble a nation, got water out of a rock more than once, destroyed the finest Army, tamed a desert, got God to send manna and quail, and he spent 40 days with God face to face. Man, the guy had a great resume. But Moses' time passed away.  His absense is a sign that there is something greater.
Then there's Elijah, the greatest of prophets. He stopped the rain over Israel for 3 yrs, called fire down from heaven,  destroyed hundreds of idol priests, was fed by ravens and prophesed the demise of a King and his wife Jezebeel.  He raised a child from the dead, made oil to never run out, even after filling container after container, which assured a faithful prophet's wife of financial security and sustenance. Wouldn't he be the perfect person to be the deliverer?
Yet God allowed these powerful men of faith to pass thru history.
But think about it reader...would you rather have the law, or the love shone mankind through Jesus?  The sight of Mt. Sinai is nothing but despair, God was revealed in flaming fire and bellowing thunders, but what was there to save the soul? Sinai brought judgment, vengence and punishment to the sinner..and will never surpass Calvary! Think of Elijah.  He prayed and the false prophets were destroyed, but which of us would prefer a slayer of priests to the Savior of men?

You know, there are people who prefer the Moses and Elijah types.  These people are like the people that Elijah exhorted, "If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him,"...they are stuck between a man and Jesus our Savior, still not able to clearly distinguish who to follow. I would like to remind you that there never was a door of salvation to enter into with Elijah. And Moses could part the sea only with the help of God.....they, and many like them, passed away because there was somone greater...Jesus.  Merry Christmas.