The Town

In the days of the Judges, God visited a godly woman and gave her the son she'd been waiting for in her years of barrenness. Hannah serves as a picture of a weary rejoicer who worshiped before, during, and after her trial.

God's people have always been called to endure the trials of this life while simultaneously holding on to the promise of a future and ultimate restoration. God does not reckon time as we do, and so these future promises often seem so far removed from us that we wonder what difference they make at all. The Christian must remember that Jesus has brought his kingdom as the fulfillment of one of those promises. This kingdom is advancing and we are to not only be productive citizens in it, but we should be praying with eagerness for Jesus to consummate it.

The long-awaited redemption for Israel has finally come, but it has come at a cost. The blood of lambs has been spilled in their homes and they are now ushered out of the land in the night by their former masters. Israel must make the trek to Succoth with little provisions, accompanied by a soundtrack of despair as the Egyptians horror in the loss of their firstborn. But the redeeming God is a present God. He watches over his people as they move toward the fulfillment of the promise to bring them into a better place. He is the same God who watches and preserves his Church, as they too move from a foreign land toward home.

Jesus summarizes the entire Old Testament in these two commands: love God and love neighbor. This is an incredibly practical word that helps us understand the Law of God and our need of the Gospel.