On the sixth day of Christmas… Dec. 30, 2013

“Remember to obey the Law of Moses, my servant—all the decrees and regulations that I gave him on Mount Sinai for all Israel.
 ⁵ “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. ⁶ His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”                  –Malachi 4:4-6 (NLT)

Let’s step back a bit and consider the times we speak about.  After God’s prophecy through Malachi, Heaven was silent for 400 years.  Prophets who spoke God’s Word directly to the people of Israel disappeared from the scene.  Had God forgotten them?  Would God fulfill his promise and bring salvation to Israel?  A lack of specific direction or encouragement from God left the Israelites with only one option.  They had to trust that God was working in their own era, just as he had in the past. 

God would finally break his silence with the coming of John and Jesus.  But by this time had the people become lax in their waiting and watching?  No one responds in excitement to the shepherds; only with wondering.  Did anyone really believe them?  We need to praise the working of the Holy Spirit here because seeds were planted and now it was in God’s timing to bring them to fruition. 

Scripture does not tell of other visitors to the Christ Child either out of curiosity or worship; not even a visitor from Jerusalem only 5-6 miles away.  It would be interesting to know if the reputation of shepherds had something to do with it.  After all these years the message came through angels to shepherds, not the chief priests; through the lowly, not the exalted.   

It was only seriously considered 30 years later that God had taken action in Bethlehem to raise up a King for the throne of David.

Eventually, for some, fear would no longer reign and hope would be fulfilled.    [WORSHIP FULLY]

Word of God, speak into our lives and open the ears of our hearts.