The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. Jeremiah 23:5
“In the days of this promised king there will be a royal obedience that will make public life possible. One can see here exilic anticipations for the restoration of a valid public life, the very anticipations that the Christian community has found embodied in Jesus of Nazareth.”
Walter Bruggeman in A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998) 207.
About 600 years before Christ, God’s people find themselves in exile, waiting, anticipating, the restoration of life as they know it. They long for righteousness in the land. Jeremiah proclaims that the Lord will raise up One whose rule will be characterized by wisdom, justice, and righteousness. This Branch from the family tree of David points to Jesus.
What’s it have to do with generosity?
Notice the gravity of the language in the prophecy: “The days are surely coming…” This prophecy represents a generous reminder that those who “wait on the Lord” will not be disappointed.
While we wait, or perhaps, while we learn to wait in the first week of Advent, we often expect God to work in a certain way. I am learning that anticipating is not telling God how to work but trusting Him to work. When I take such a posture I see how faithful and yet how unpredictable He is.
Think about it: The One who is goodness, righteousness, and generosity would sprout from the place known for nothing good, Nazareth (John 1:46). That’s just how God works!
Waiting in anticipation is not a posture filled with worry, it’s a peaceful place of trust in a faithful King who is the only one that makes life possible.
Today I am attending a CBMC breakfast in Orange County, California. During the day, I get to fellowship with two faithful disciples: pray that I can encourage them to grow in the grace of giving. Later, I get to teach a group of EFCA pastors and marketplace leaders. It’s a full day. I’d appreciate your prayers.