Advent Day 25 – Shepherds
If you are doing an Advent Log, Light candles 1-25
Shepherds
Shepherds
Simple working folk.
Mostly unlearned.
Oddly enough, King David was a shepherd boy before he was anointed to become King.
The Messiah was to come from David’s lineage.
Jesus is the good shepherd, such as Psalm 23 describes.
So, who else would deserve the first proclamation, other than his brethren, in his ancestral home?
These shepherds heard the news and ran…to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
But first – they were scared out of their wits!!! A nice, quiet night out with the sheep. The usual stars in they sky (or they would have noticed), and everyone was settled in to watch for the night and suddenly! or in KJV speak:
Lk 2:8-9
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
https://youtu.be/X4kAQs7KAHM
Silent Night options
Pentatonix
Celtic Woman
silent Night
Luke 2:15 & 25
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
~
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Those they told just wondered. It doesn’t say that they went to see.
Go Tell it on the Mountain
Big Daddy Weave
MercyMe
Cloverton
Pentatonix
Now, granted, the shepherds heard it from angels – the townspeople just heard it from, well, shepherds.
These people were the lowest of the low – the “rednecks” of the community, illiterate, dirty, animal dwellers. They were not tradesmen, they were just, well, shepherds.
My take away? Would I drop everything and run? Do I despise the messenger?
The first part – would I drop everything and run to see – if I was met with by an angel?
The immediate thought would be yes, and yet, I know that I would probably hem and haw around.
The second part – would I despise the messenger?
This has more to do with those to whom the shepherds proclaimed the news of Christ’s birth.
In the Bible, God used a donkey to tell Ballaam not to go curse Israel. Ballaam just beat his donkey. Then an angel appeared, from whom the donkey had been protecting Ballaam. So, Ballaam decided to return home, and follow the Lord, right? Well, no. He just found a way around God’s commands.
Just seeing an angel doesn’t mean that someone will obey. In fact, the Bible talks about the fact that angels are often where you least expect it – you are unaware. Hebrews 13:2
It’s not usually going to be the perfect angel that proclaims the message of God.
More likely, they may look like a donkey.
The key is, am I waiting to hear that voice that the Lord is in this place?
Is my heart open to hearing the message, and my ears keen to hear His voice, no matter the mouthpiece?
I pray that I will –
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19
O Come All Ye Faithful
Casting Crowns
Celtic Woman
Pentatonix
More Advent Devotions
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
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