SILENCE

     In this first week of Advent, I am thinking of the four hundred years of SILENCE that preceded Jesus' birth.  When the Old Testament "closes" with Malachi's prophecies, God's words cease.  At this time, many Jewish people had returned to Israel after 70 years of exile in Babylon.  Under Nehemiah's leadership, the Jews had rebuilt the wall around their holy city, Jerusalem, as well as their sacred temple.  But, the Jews had also succumbed to intermarriage with pagans, neglect of God's law and moral compromise.  Malachi is the prophet who speaks to the Jews during this period:  "Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,"  says the Lord Almighty."  (Malachi 3:7).  With Malachi's words, a curtain drops between God and His chosen people.  He will never leave them, but they will not hear another word from Him until it is time for Jesus to enter the world as the long-awaited Messiah.

Four hundred years.  Our entire American history encompasses four hundred years.  The changes that have been are staggering.  From candlelight to electric light bulbs; from horse and wagons to jet planes; from Pony Express to FedEx.  In four hundred years, our country has gone from being a loosely joined group of colonies to become the strongest, independent, democratic nation in the world.

And so the four hundred years between the close of Malachi and the arrival of the Messiah were full of change.  In this time period, the Jews would experience their homeland being conquered by Alexander the Great, who brought Greek paganism to Israel.  The books of Moses would be translated into Greek by seventy Jewish scholars and be circulated outside of Israel.  After Alexander the Great's death, Israel would be ruled by a series of Greek rulers, most notorious of which was Antiochus.  Antiochus opposed the Jewish religion, destroying copies of the Torah and requiring Jews to worship the Greek god, Zeus.  He even went so far as to erect a statue of Zeus in the temple and sacrifice a pig on the altar.  Eventually, Greek rulers would be swallowed up by the expanding Roman Empire, which would bring its own paganism and oppressive form of government.  

Throughout these four hundred years, many Jews fought to preserve their worship of the one, true God.  None were more zealous than the Pharisees, the religious leaders, who refused to compromise with Greek and Roman rulers.  The Jews became accustomed to living under persecution and being misunderstood.  And still, they read the scriptures and remembered the promises:

            "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;
             I will put my  Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations.
            He will not shout or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets.
            A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out.
            In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; He will not falter or be discouraged
               till He establishes justice on earth.
           In His law the islands will put their hope."  Isaiah 42:1-4

Every devout Jew knew that God had promised a Savior.  Despite hundreds of years of silence, every Jew knew that one day, the Messiah would rescue them.  One day, all they had lost would be restored.  The Jews lived under God's silence and men's oppression, but they believed the Messiah would come.

This is the backdrop to Gabriel appearing to Mary.  This is the background to the birth of Jesus.  Four hundred years of silence.  Promises made long ago, echoing in the silence.

Meditate on the promises that comforted the Jewish people as they waited for God to speak to them:

Isaiah 11:1-5
Isaiah 25:6-9
Isaiah 35:3,4
Isaiah 40: 1-5
Isaiah 61:1-3