Is it really that bad if history repeats itself?

-
Matthew 2.

So that’s it, right? God did some strange and wonderful things before and He did it once more by causing a virgin womb to be with child. Remember all those barren wombs in time gone by? But here He is, Jesus is born, grows up and we are saved, right?

No. History repeats itself. Precisely, God showed us in time past what He would do now.

Reminiscent of creation in Genesis, a star captivates the hearts and minds of men and they come to worship. In the pattern of Exodus, the hateful king kills male children. Joshua and Jesus share the same name (Yeshua) and the people continue in their sin pattern as they did in Judges. Jesus is the Davidic King, only without an earthly throne—do you see where this is going? The prophets are quoted constantly by Matthew that the Jewish readers would not mistake who Jesus is—they should recognize Him! For all who pay attention, there is a play-by-play already written on the life of Jesus in the OT! His birth, life, death, resurrection, glorification were all recorded long before He actually came--Matthew takes great pains to show us only some of these things--it should have been no surprise that He would come.

Let us briefly consider how people react to all of this. God was acting and people had to react. Joseph quietly and quickly obeys. Magi move mysteriously out of love for their King while the heathens rage and the nations are in an uproar (Roman occupation of Israel) while others do homage toward the Son (See Psalm 2).

Why do we look so far out to see what God is doing? Why do we think that when He acts it will be an unheard-of miracle? God is acting right under our noses, sometimes doing the same thing He has always done. The problem is, can we recognize it?

Popular posts from this blog

The Smooth-flowing Life

-
Image
Legend has it that the astronomer Ptolemy (1st century A.D.) suggested that falling stars were caused by the gods moving in the heavens, thus knocking stars out of their places. Somehow people reasoned that that if the gods were moving, they must be getting close to earth so they would lift their "prayers" or "wishes" (literally, "desires") whenever they saw the stars falling in hopes the gods would notice and grant a favorable answer. But how does one wish on falling star? Once you see it, it's gone before the wish or prayer can be made! The answer is simple: meteor shower. That's how to get your wish. Mrs. Ann Hodges had a wish fall right into her lap. Sort of. In 1954 Mrs. Hodges was sleeping on the couch when a 8 1/2 pound meteorite fell through her house and into her living room where it bounced off the radio and struck her left hip leaving her with a bruise. Not sure what she was wishing, but that's not how to do it. Epictetus hel
Read more

A Reflection in Plato’s “Republic” Book 2

-
Image
Early in Book 2 of Plato’s “Republic,” the discussion turns into the story of a man named Gyges who finds a ring that makes him invisible. Using the powers of the ring, he reports to the court of his king, seduces the queen “and with her help conspired against the king and slew him, and took the kingdom.” What would happen if there were two rings, one worn by an unjust man and the other by a just man? The story attempts to make the case that a just man will act unjustly if given the opportunity to think he is doing right, if only by himself. But what if he doesn’t? What if there was no ring, and what if there was a perfectly unjust man and a perfectly just man and both had everything they needed in life? The unjust man must cover his steps in order to be distinguished and succeed. In the eyes of others, he appears to be just. But what about the just man, who appears to be unjust?    “They will tell you that the just man who is thought unjust will be scourged, racked, bound-will have hi
Read more