Project 119: Heaven and Nature Sing | Isaiah 7
| Project 119
Reading for Sunday, November 29: Isaiah 7
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, O Come, Emmanuel"
The Christmas season is when we gear up for family and friends to come our way. Nothing excites us more than the prospect of sharing the holidays with those who are special to us and spending time together with them. Unfortunately, such gatherings have been suspended far too frequently in these past months because of COVID-19 fears. We long for things to return to what we always have cherished most.
That same sentiment marks this most familiar Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” which draws upon the sorrows and uncertainty of God’s people, as they faced a daunting threat in the Assyrian nation. What would their future hold? Would they be able to celebrate their promising future with one another? These questions were on their mind and the prophet Isaiah sought answers from the Lord.
God’s response was a most hopeful one: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 NIV). When all hope appears lost, God promises to show up in miraculous fashion to save the day with His presence.
As the hymn suggests, our reflection on how God draws near to His people in their time of need leads to great rejoicing. Our present sorrow will be changed to joy. Our sense of loss will be replaced by great gain. The Son of God is soon to come our way and there is nothing in this world that will be able to keep Him away.