The Prophecy Candle of Hope
by Jennifer Wake
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God (El Gabor),
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, it was a wonderful time of firsts. First kicks, first heartbeat, first measurement. Along with those pleasant firsts came the first morning sickness, the first swelling of feet and ankles, and the first collapse when the baby kicked my sciatic nerve which made my leg give way. Crumpling to the ground was not something anyone told me to expect. In an overly nonchalant voice, my doctor reassured my panicking husband, “This is quite common, the baby will move position and won’t hit it again.” Unfortunately for me, both of my daughters enjoyed finding it and kicking it.
During all my six pregnancies, I loved reading about Mary and Elizabeth. I wanted to ponder everything like Mary. When three of my pregnancies ended in miscarriages, I cried out to God and He took me to the Old Testament to meet Sarah. Sarah was the wife of Abraham who God promised to bless with many offspring, but she spent many years longing for this blessing.
Elderly Sarah laughed at God’s messenger when he told her she would become pregnant. She did not believe she could get pregnant. The Messenger replied, “Is anything too difficult for God?” The Hebrew word for “difficult” is pele′ which means wonderful, miraculously wonderful. Pele′ is used only for God’s miraculous deeds or words.
Isaiah calls the Messiah “Wonderful Counselor” to help us understand what the character of our King will be like. The term “pele′” is used in Wonderful Counselor. It literally means “incomprehensible.” Beyond our ability to understand, mind-boggling, unfathomable. The second term “Counselor” means to advise or counsel. Combining these terms shows us Jesus will give us guidance, help, and strength through His wisdom and miracles.
As we light the first candle in Advent, the one directly across from the pink candle, we remember it is called the Hope candle or the Prophecy candle. The prophets shared with us the character of Jesus which would give us hope. Jesus, our Messiah, will give us hope through His help, strength, and wisdom.
Each candle brings more light into our wreaths and our lives. As we learn more about Isaiah 9:6 we will see more of the character of Christ our King, Messiah, and Hope.
Verses to discuss:
Isaiah 60:1-5
Matthew 1:21-22
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:2-7
Isaiah 11:2-4
Hymns to sing with your family:
O Come O Come Emmanuel
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
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Call Signs: How Knowing God’s Character Empowers Women to Accomplish His Mission https://a.co/gKpqQmQ
