Joy to the World…God speaks

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.

Hebrews 1:1-2 

The joy of Jesus’ birth seems to reverberate through Hebrews 1. To my mind it underlines “Joy to the world! The Lord is come”. God spoke in the past, speaks now, and will continue to speak—God, the great “I Am” of forever.

In the beginning—just think ladies how many “God speaks” are in the Genesis creation story. It all began with God speaking, not to mention creation itself speaking:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

 the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech;

 night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language

 where their voice is not heard. 

 —Psalm 19:1-3 

Then, to the patriarchs and through the prophets of old, bit by bit God revealed His plan to reconcile mankind to Himself. Hebrews 11 is rife with the names of those who were promised something better. The major and minor prophets speak what God has spoken to each of them for that time and place. A quick study of one of those prophets, Micah, reveals what the Womenary professor (Eric Barton) calls “future history”—as certain as what has already occurred: it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains…and peoples shall flow to it (Micah 4:1, ESV). Yet no one really saw the big picture.

Until God spoke, by his Son, His “climactic, definitive, superlative” Word (Holman online commentary). The apostle John calls the Son: the Word, who was not only with God in the beginning, but God (John 1:1), who became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14) at the right time to set that future history in motion.   

I love it—my YouVersion Bible App entitles Hebrews 1:1-4 “God’s Final Word: His Son.” Jesus’ words and His life spoke volumes, filling in the blanks of God’s salvation plan. It is up to us to pull together all the keynotes of God’s speech from Genesis to Revelation, for in His Word the “Final Word” speaks of future, forever joy.

Ah yes: “Joy to the world! The Lord is come”. “Glory to God in the highest” sang the heavenly host to the shepherds in the field that long ago Christmas day (Luke 2:8-14). “Joy to the world” spoke that itty-bitty baby in the manger into our hearts forever. Amen! 

Nancy P

All Scripture quotations are from the NIV 1973,1978,1984, unless otherwise noted.