Advent 2020 Reflection – Day Five

Day Five – Numbers 24 15-17

Balaam’s Fourth Message

¹⁵ Then he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
¹⁶ the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

¹⁷ “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls of all the people of Sheth.

Reflection

This week I had the privilege of being one of the limited number of people able to attend the funeral of a friend and neighbour. Whilst it was a sad occasion it was also a very uplifting experience. During the service the family shared with us their certainty of the assurance that Josie had gone to be with the Lord.The Lord who had been such an important part of her life.

Our passage today spoke to me in that context, where through faith we see and know Jesus in our lives and have that assurance that one day we will meet face to face.

The prophet declares that he sees, hears and knows the promise of God. That he can almost see, almost behold the star of David. Behold is a lovely word which, I am sure you know, means to fix the eyes upon; to see with attention; to observe with care.

Advent is a time when we fix our eyes upon Jesus and remember the promise that he will save his people, save you and save me. We share that assurance as we see the visions of Jesus come to earth, hear the Christmas stories afresh each year and experience his presence in our lives each and every day and on into eternity. So we are called to pay attention and observe with care the coming of our Saviour. Hallelujah!

Carol

Our carol today is There’s a light upon the mountain. this carol also spoke into these thoughts. When we lose someone from our lives we are assured that there is a light upon the mountain and that our loved one’s weary hearts have found rest.

They also resonate with our coming into the presence of God and finding his rest.

“There’s a light upon the mountains and the day is at the spring,
When our eyes shall see the beauty and the glory of the King:
Weary was our heart with waiting, and the night-watch seemed so long,
But His triumph-day is breaking and we hail it with a song.”

Prayer

Lord we thank you that in your coming we are able to see you up close and personal. Unlike the prophets of old, we do not need to anticipate your coming but can celebrate your presence with us. As we travel through this time of Advent help us to remember that, as we approach the stable, our coming into your presence is not limited to Christmas. You are ever present in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit and we keep our eyes and our ears open to hear your word to us. Gently guiding, comforting and encouraging us in our lives as disciples and followers of you.

We thank you that you are our inspiration and our guide. That you send us families, friends and neighbours who help us to stay focused on you. We pray for all who have been and continue to be important partners and supports on our Christian journeys. Particularly today we remember those who have passed to glory and join with the heavenly hosts giving their praise to God. Amen

Copyrights

All images today are from Pixabay.com free for commercial use no attribution.

Bible passage from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

There’s a light upon the mountain – Henry Burton (1840 – 1950) Public Domain

Reflection and Prayers: Chris Hancock

Hatfield Road Methodist Church CCLI: 4955 Streaming: 989812