We hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25
This first week of Advent is all about hope. O Come, O Come Emmanuel points to the hope that we have in Jesus. We often can get off track and put our hope in things that can’t save us. I pray that this Advent season we will direct our hope to the one who truly can save.
As the stage was set for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem all those years ago, God’s people were in a rough spot. God had called Abraham and told him that he would make a great nation out of him (Genesis 18:18). After that time God’s people ended up in slavery in Egypt where Moses needed to bring them out. When they finally received their promised inheritance, they had become entitled and wouldn’t obey God’s judges, prophets, or kings. The Israelites (God’s people) were eventually attacked and pulled from their land. They were allowed to return to the promised land and rebuilt their temple after 70 years in exile. Many years later they were under harsh Roman rule and hadn’t heard directly from God in hundreds of years. They were clinging to the hope of a Savior, one who would restore Israel.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel has a haunting melody. It makes us feel the Israelite’s yearning and hope for the coming Savior. Read through the lyrics and as you do, think about the longing the Israelites must have felt all those years ago and think about our longings as we wait for Christ to come again and make everything right for all of eternity.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear,
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Adonai, Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
The old testament has plenty to say about the promise of Jesus. The names of Jesus that start out each verse point to the promises of Jesus coming to save us from our sins.
Emmanuel – God with us (Isaiah 7:14)
Thou Rod of Jesse – Promised King from the line of David (Isaiah 11) (Matthew 1)
Thou Dayspring – The Sun rising or a new era (Luke 1:78)
Thou Key of David – The authority and power of David (Isaiah 22:22) (Revelation 3:7)
Adonai – My Lord –Hebrew name for God
Jesus came to suffer and die for our sins so that we can be made right with God. When he came to earth, he walked with men and when he left for heaven he gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us. As a result of Jesus’ coming, God is with us as we walk on this earth. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecy from the Old Testament. He came through David’s line and he holds the power and authority of David. His coming ushered in a new era and we know that he is our Lord. All of the hopes God’s people had in the Old Testament are wrapped up in Jesus. All of the hopes that we have today in salvation and forgiveness of sins are wrapped up in Jesus.
Jesus is our ultimate hope then, now, and forever. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Journal Prompts:
1.) What are your hopes this holiday season?
Read Psalm 33:20, 33:22, 42:5, 62:5, Jeremiah 14:22, Micah 7:7, Romans 4:18, 5:2, 5:5, 12:12, 15:12-13
2.) In what areas are you misplacing your hope?
Dear Heavenly Father,
We praise your name for the amazing rescue plan you put into place before the foundation of the world. We are so thankful for the gift of Jesus (Emmanuel, Rod of Jesse, Dayspring, Key of David, Adonai). We are thankful that we have a hope that will never be snuffed out. We pray that you would prepare our hearts and minds this advent season to remember Christ’s offering and to ready ourselves for his second coming. We want our hearts to be in obedience to you. Please help us to not be distracted this holiday season but to be in worship of Jesus, our only hope.
We pray this in Jesus’ name,
Amen