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The Old Testament certainly isn't the place most people would look for the Christmas inspiration; and even if some did look there, they would likely look to the prophecies of Isaiah (See Isaiah 7:14), or perhaps even Hosea or Micah (See Hosea 11:1, Micah 5:2), or even 2 Samuel (See 2 Samuel 2:12-13). Some might even look to the first mention of Jesus in Genesis (See Genesis 12:3, 17:19; 28:14; 49:10). There are, after all, many prophecies of Jesus' birth throughout the Old Testament.
What if I were to suggest, however, that we can find many parts of the Christmas story in more obscure places? Places like ... the miracles of Elisha? The prophecies of judgment recorded in Zachariah? The faith of a little girl stolen from her home in Israel and forced to serve the enemy?
And it is exactly these places that we will be focusing on in this three-part series as we glean important and valuable pieces of the Christmas story from unusual places!
Today's Christmas lesson comes from the Prophet Elisha... While many prophets were about predictions, Elisha wasn't about predictions at all. He was all about ... miracles! Elisha didn't just perform miracles, either. His record never included him simply lifting his arms or speaking and the miracle happening. Elisha's miracles all involved doing something. Let's look at just a few samples:
1. The day Elisha is called, he bid his parents farewell, built an alter, broke up his plow as wood for the alter, and slaughtered his cows as a sacrifice to the Lord: "So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them, and cooked their meat with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he got up and followed Elijah and served him." (1 Kings 19:21 NASB)
2. For his first miracle, Elisha: "...took the coat of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters, and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over." (See Vs. 14)
3. Elisha was immediately confronted with a problem: The water source for the city of Jericho was bad. True to his pattern, Elisha did something: "Then he went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it.” (2 Kings 2:21 NASB)
I could go on and on, but each and every miracle of Elisha involved him doing something. Sometimes this even involved having the miracle's recipient do something! In the case of the Syrian general, Namaan, the general was required to do something! He had to dip 7 times in the river Jordan!
Why? Because there is power in the doing! This is because faith is what pleases God (See Hebrews 11:1). It is faith that is required to move the mountains that need to be moved: "But he must ask in faith without any doubting..." (James 1:6a NASB), and "faith without works is dead." (James 2:26b NASB). When we do something, we are taking a stand in faith that God will be true to His Word. It proves that we are not just saying fancy words, that we truly believe!
What does any of this have to do with the Christmas season?
In a couple of weeks, we will be gathering to celebrate the greatest birth in history: The birth of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let's back up for a moment, however. Why did God send Jesus in the first place? We understand that God had to find a solution to the sin problem; but why didn't He just speak the word, eradicate the devil, destroy the wicked and start afresh? A new Adam? A new Eve?
The answer to this lies in 2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is ... not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance." (NASB). God doesn't want to start afresh! He wants—us! He wants to give each member of human kind the chance to turn from his evil ways and come to Him!
Unfortunately, the laws of the universe require a blood sacrifice for the remittance of sin: "... according to the Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22 NASB). Unless the sacrifice was free of sin, however, there would be no lasting forgiveness. This is why the blood of animal sacrifices wasn't good enough: "For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:13-14 NASB)!
In the face of all these laws, laws created by God Himself, there was only one option: God had to do something: He had to send Jesus to be born on this earth, to grow up, to face all the temptations that we all face, yet without sin (See Hebrews 4:15).
Yes, God's miracles require an element of faith, and our actions are proof of that faith. Yet God would never ask us to do something unless He Himself is willing to do something!
That, friends, is love! God loved us enough to do something, something drastic. He sent Jesus!
And that is the lesson we learn from the prophet Elisha. In this time leading up to Christmas, let's spend some time meditating on this great love, the love that did something very drastic in order that you and I might be saved, the love that we will celebrate!
Please join us next Saturday for "In the Vow: Christmas and the Prophets, Part 2"!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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