oil

 This morning we begin worship with:

1 Samuel 16:1

The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have

rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will

send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among

his sons.”

Why oil?  Nine times in the Old Testament oil was used to anoint someone for service.

But in the New Testament we find something different:

James 5:14
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Why then was oil used during healing?  When elders pray over someone who is sick, God may heal them supernaturally and immediately, heal them through the skills of the doctors and the design of the human body, or God may have decreed that this illness would be fatal.

In all cases, we are commanded to anoint them in faith for service.  Heaven will be another opportunity to serve our God.

wait

We start worship this morning with:

Psalm 130:5-8

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

    and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord

    more than watchmen for the morning,

    more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!

    For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

    and with him is plentiful redemption.

And he will redeem Israel

    from all his iniquities.

Those on watch know the middle of the night is the most dangerous.  As the light of day breaks, the danger abates.  They would greet the cock crowing with delight.

The Psalmist was waiting for "redemption" (pᵊḏûṯ).  Job too was waiting:

Job 14:14-17

If a man dies, shall he live again?

    All the days of my service I would wait,

    till my renewal should come.

You would call, and I would answer you;

    you would long for the work of your hands.

For then you would number my steps;

    you would not keep watch over my sin;

my transgression would be sealed up in a bag,

    and you would cover over my iniquity.

But we don't have to wait!  

Isaiah 51:11

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return

and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

they shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

On this blessed Advent Sunday, let your dark sorrow flee away as with the dawn, for our Redeemer has come!

salvation

 This week we begin worship with:

Psalm 149:1, 4

Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a new song,

    his praise in the assembly of the godly!

For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;

    he adorns the humble with salvation.

When we hear the command to "praise", we often don't look far enough for the reason why.  We receive praise at work or at home when we do something good.  In verse 4, the Psalmist declares the two reasons God should be praised.

Psalm 149:4a

For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;

The first reason, is what rescued Job from his depression:

Job 14:14-15

If a man dies, shall he live again?

    All the days of my service I would wait,

    till my renewal should come.

You would call, and I would answer you;

    you would long for the work of your hands. 

Job realized that God loves us.  That He longs (kāsap̄) for us.  That not even death would keep us apart.  That God would solve the problem even if Job could not.

Psalm 149:4b

    he adorns the humble with salvation.

The Psalmist calls us to praise because God wraps with salvation (yᵊšûʿâ).

STOP.  Go back and pronounce that Hebrew word!  Yes, you now know why we should be praising God:

Matthew 1:21

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

God solved that problem in Jesus, whose Advent is soon upon us.

joyful

 This week, the week we celebrate the Annunciation, we begin worship with:

Psalm 98:4

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; 

break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Recently, I laughed to myself uncharacteristically, and when questioned, I explained that some joy had slipped out.  Today of all days, we should let our joy slip out!

Jesus, the King and Head of the Church, 

the Prophet and Revealer of God,

our Creator and Sustainer, 

our Redeemer and Sanctifier,

our High Priest and Intercessor,

our Judge and Redeemer,

our Shepherd and Healer,

our Teacher and Advocate,

our Saviour, is coming!!!