Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams
Week 1-Hope
The Prophecy Candle
Today, as we begin the season of Advent, we light the first candle in the Advent wreath, the
candle of hope. This candle is a light that represents the anticipation of the coming of Christ. In
most traditions, this first candle is purple, symbolizing God’s forgiveness of the sins of all
people. This candle is also known as the Prophecy candle, referring to the many promises of
God’s deliverance that were fulfilled in the birth of Christ.
Sunday, November 27th
Read Malachi 3:1-4
The concluding book of the Old Testament, Malachi, was written to the Jewish people around the year 400 BC. The message of Malachi sums up the message of the Old Testament: God’s people will never be able to be faithful to God’s covenant. While God will deal with their sin, He will not abandon them. God promises to redeem a remnant and send a Messiah to fulfill His
promises.
“I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. Malachi 3:1 NIV
With the conclusion of Malachi, the heavens fall silent. There are no inspired prophets appointed to Israel by God for the next 400 years. There are no more books written to guide God’s people. The heavens are silent. The world waits.
Does this mean that God was not at work? Does this mean that God no longer cared or no longer desired to redeem His people? To answer these questions, we must remember two things. First, God is not constrained by time as we are, and second, God’s ways are not our ways. In the course of this devotional book, we will learn that God had a specific plan to bring redemption to His people all along, and it started long before the silence was broken by a baby’s cry in Bethlehem.
Prayer emphasis: Ask God to speak to your heart and draw you closer to Him during this journey through this advent season.
For Family Discussion:
As you begin this Advent journey, what are some things you are earnestly waiting for this year?
Have you ever felt like God was silent and not responding to your prayers? How did that make you feel?