Looking Forward to Joy

The Christmas season is a time for Joy. Families gather, parties are held, and gifts are exchanged. But the joy often dissipates when families depart, the decorations are put away, and life’s routine returns to normal. Many people miss the greater joy associated with this season: the birth of the Christ who brings salvation. 

This study is a continuation of a look at the "Christmas Story" as we look at Luke 2:4-14 and learn that God's anointed one to deliver humanity from death has come, giving us much cause for joy.

Looking Forward to Peace

Pharaoh Akhenaten (the “monotheistic Pharaoh”) became Pharaoh and reigned circa 1350 BC.  The Exodus took place some 50 or so years later, circa 1300 BC.  David’s and Solomon’s reign occurred some 300 years after that, circa 1000 BC to almost 930 BC.  Now some 200 years later in 734–732 BC, the kingdoms of Israel, Judah, and Syria were threatened by the Assyrian Empire, an ancient Mesopotamian empire of northern Iraq. Assyria arose into a superpower of the world reaching its peak from 800s to the 700s BC.  Its territories stretched from Egypt to the mountain ranges of Turkey, the Medes and the Persians. 

The kingdoms of Syria to the north of the kingdom of Israel, and Israel itself, planned to rebel against being incorporated into the Assyrian empire, but King Ahaz of Judah refused to join in the rebellion, instead choosing to side with the Assyrian King as a vassal.  As a result both Syria and Israel laid siege to Jerusalem in order to get Ahaz deposed from kingship.

Looking Forward with Hope

Can you define hope?

A 2002 theory describes hope in social work as "the perceived capability to derive pathways to desired goals, and motivate oneself via agency thinking to use those pathways.”  This seems to say that hope is 1) perceiving a desired goal, 2) perceive pathways to accomplish the desired goal, 3) motivate self to use those pathways.  

Sounds like work.  The dictionary notes that hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life;  a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; a feeling of trust.

Joseph’s Reconciliation

We conclude this study on navigating family conflict by looking at the reconciliation of Joseph with his family. We learn of the part that forgiveness plays in restoration.  Unforgiveness is one of the greatest roadblocks in family relationships.  We cannot be the family that God calls us to be with resentment and unforgiveness weighing us down. When we make the first step toward reconciliation by forgiving—regardless of how hurt we are—we are on the road to reconciliation and strengthening the family. Forgiveness can lead to family healing and restoration.