Israel's Strength and the Desire of Nations
Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
The words from this second stanza are strung together from two biblical references, Haggai 2:7 and Luke 2:25.
“And I will shake all nations, so that the treasure [or “desire”] of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:7
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” Luke 2:25
The Exile and God's Promises to Israel
The Haggai passage comes after Israel had returned from their exile in Babylon. If you remember the story of Israel, God promised to send his blessings to all nations and all people on earth through this one nation. But the problem of the Old Testament is that Israel failed to be faithful to God, and as a result, did not receive his blessings. They couldn’t be the instrument of God’s blessings to other nations if they themselves were so enslaved to sin. As we read in week 1, because of their sin, the Lord sent them into exile so that they might repent and return to Him.
During the sadness of the exile, God made spectacular promises to Israel about the future. God would bring them back to the land that was promised and set up his Kingdom. He would pour out his blessings on them in a new and amazing way\! But when Israel finally *did* return to the promised land, there was still much hardship. The Book of Haggai shows Israel’s discouragement. The prophet Haggai brought a message that the Lord still held a glorious hope and future for them. Haggai gave them a picture of the nations streaming into Zion to bring their treasures to the house of Israel\! The word for “treasure” can also be translated “desire,” and as Christians looked back on this Old Testament passage they saw it as a prophecy about the coming Messiah, the greatest treasure and true desire of every heart.
Simeon's Patient Faithfulness
That brings us to Luke 2:25. Hundreds of years later, Israel still waited on the fulfillment of God’s promises. One man, Simeon, was already very old but still waited for “the consolation of Israel.” Many devout Jews must have felt like they needed consoling after so many centuries of hardship and waiting. But Simeon still clung to the promise of God, the promise of hope and comfort. The Lord rewarded him for this patient faithfulness by allowing him to see the newborn Jesus, the Promised One, before he died (Luke 2:26-29).
The lyrics to this Christmas hymn capture well the story of God’s people waiting and longing for the fulfillment of his promises. And it wasn’t just Israel either\! The words of the song tell us how God’s plan was for his people Israel *and* for all nations\! The hope of the earth, the desire of every nation, and the true longing of every person is for God Himself, revealed in the person of his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. Advent is a time when we remember the waiting of his old covenant people, and we still long for the gospel to come to every nation and our Savior to come again for us.
Daily Advent Questions for Reflection
Day 1: What are some things that discourage you most? How can you find comfort for this discouragement in the promises and plan of God?
Day 2: What are things that you hate waiting for, and where it is difficult to be patient? How can you remind yourself that God is patient with you and will be faithful to fulfill his promises in his own time?
Day 3: What are the greatest desires of your heart? What do you long for most of all? How can you relate these desires to God Himself, the source of all our longing and desiring?
Day 4: People in difficult situations often say that hope is what keeps them going. What are some biblical promises of hope that can help sustain you today in difficulty?
Day 5: Simeon, as an old man, desired to see the coming Messiah before he died. What are some prayers and requests you can make of the Lord to see fulfilled in your own life before you die?
