Advent

THE STORY OF ADVENT

2012

Once upon a time the Most High made the world. This world was a house. God made man and put him in a garden in this new world. Man stayed in the garden but he was to move out and be master of the whole house.

God gave house rules to the man. He gave man a name, Adam. Adam was to walk with God in the garden and follow His rules. Adam was to tend and defend all that was in the garden. God new that man was alone and that it was not good so he put Adam in a deep sleep. He took Adam's rib and made women with it. She was a helpmeet for the work God had given Him. Her name was Eve and she was the mother of all things.

There was a great dragon in the world. He was wicked and hated the Most High. He had started a war with God and God cast him out of heaven. He wanted to rule this new world. He sought to destroy Adam, who was the King of this new world. He wanted man to be at war with God too. This dragon was subtle and deceitful above all.

There were trees in the garden for food for Adam and Eve. They could eat of all the trees but one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was one of the house rules and if they ate of this tree, they would surely die.

The dragon came to the women in the cool of the day and tempted her. She listened to the dragon. Adam did not kill him like he should of. He did not defend the garden or his wife. The dragon led Eve to the tree that was forbidden. He told her that she would be like God if she ate the fruit. Eve believed him and she ate. She gave it to Adam and he ate it.

God came to them and found them hiding. They where ashamed because they where naked. They had broken God's house rules. God judged them for the wrong they had done. Life would be bitter because they had followed the dragon and disobeyed his rules. The war between God and the dragon now involved the man and the new world. Man had plunged they whole world into darkness. He was far from God and his life would be full of fighting.

Adam and Eve had to leave the garden. They had to enter the wider world. But they where not ready. Their training in the garden was not yet complete. But they transgressed God's rules and had to go. God promised them that he would make right what they had done. He would send a second Adam to the world and he would come save them from their darkness. He would end the great war and crush the great dragon. Man would again walk close to God because of this new Adam.

Adam and Eve became fruitful and had children. They filled the world up with people. But these children followed the serpent as well. The thoughts of man where continually wicked. God found only one man who loved Him and followed his rules, his name was Noah. So God had Noah build a boat and fill it with animals because God was going to destroy the world and make a new one. Noah was to be a new Adam. Noah, his family and all of the animals that he spent his life collecting and caring for, entered the ark. God filled the world up with water.

After Noah we find that man continued to disobey God's house rules. But God never forgot his promise to fix what was broken. God was working his promise to end this war by crushing the dragon. God found a people for himself and he put his name on them. They where to be his special people who would follow him and keep his rules. Abram was the father of these people. He became a new Adam.

Abraham had a son and his son had sons. Jacob was the younger son of Isaac and he had twelve sons that became a mighty people. They became the Hebrews. The Hebrew people ended up slaves in Egypt. After 400 hundred years of slavery God delivered his people out of the hand of the Egyptians. He promised that he would give his special people a land flowing with milk and honey. He promised that they would inhabit cities that they did not build and eat grapes that they did not plant.

The Hebrews become the nation of Israel. But they were a stiff necked and rebellious people. God gave them new house rules and gave them a new house, the Tabernacle, where they could meet with him daily. They were to follow these rules so that they could be closer to God and receive his blessings. But if the rules where broken, God would judge them. These rules pointed ahead to the new Adam that was yet to come and be the true King that would rule the world.

After the Tabernacle is built and the law is given, God's special people forget him. He never forgets however and he kicks them out of the new house. They go into exile again and again for their disobedience. When they humble themselves call on the name of the Lord, God saves them from their troubles and restores them to peace with him. But this pattern is one that continues for thousands of years. They forget God's rules and follow the dragon's rules instead. They delight in listening to the Deceiver rather then following hard after God. The cleave to fake god's and forsake the law of the Lord.

God never forgot his promise in the garden.  In all of the Old Testament stories we see God preparing the way for the new Adam. He will come in glory and He will be the brightness and fullness of the Lord Most High. He will be lowly, coming on a donkey to reclaim this house for the Lord. He will come to listen and obey the rules of the Lord. He will come to defend and care for the world that Adam plunged into war. He will come and save the lost and restore fellowship with the world and God. He will crush the head of the Dragon of old. He will be given a new world like Noah but he will rule it in wisdom and this kingdom will have no end. It will be the beginning of a new way. It will be a new house, a new world and he will rule it well. All peoples, nations and tongues will follow this new way. The world will be full of the knowledge of the Lord. And at the end of time, heaven and earth will joined together when the knowledge of the Lord fills this house. The joined houses will remain forever and ever and will live in sweet fellowship, joining the chorus the angels sing, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

2000 years ago we find Israel under Roman rule. The Romans do not know the Lord and they do not follow him. They are harsh to the children of Israel. Israel is waiting for the promised King, the new Adam. They have cried out to God in their exile and are waiting to be delivered.

The Song of Mary

46 And Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from theirthrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

I wrote this for the kids.  I am turning the above story into Advent books that we will use for our morning advent reading.  I am leaving room for the kids to draw because if you are a Farley you need to illustrate the story!  Unless you are mama Farley who cannot even match Malachi in skill level. I am super excited to use this for Advent.  One of the most striking things about advent for me is the way it begins, not with Mary but in the garden of Eden.  Advent is the story we find on all pages of Scripture.  I wrote a super brief summary of Old Testament History so that my children will understand the whole story of Advent.  I want them to see how Jesus was anticipated, promised and looked for for thousands of years.  Jesus is a big deal.  He is the big deal.  I want my children to see Jesus on every page of Scripture.  I end my little book with the Magnifcat.  My goal is to have them memorize this over the advent season.  It is not super long and they memorize much longer at school.  But the reality of doing all of this before school.....we will see!  But the point is that Jesus came. God came as a man to crush and conquer and fulfill all of God's commands.  He came as a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and he came as the true King.  He was longed for, hoped for, promised, and we meet him as a son to Mary and Joseph born among the animals.  All of the miracles of His story should hit us like a train every year.  It is a wonder that we ever lack faith when we meditate on this awesome story.  God is doing far more then we could imagine or deserve.  It is all grace because of Christ.  And it all started in Bethlehem.