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by Kevin Pauley
In the same region, shepherds were living out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for you see, I announce to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: because today in the city of David was born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a manger." – Luke 2:8-12 HCSB
As signs go, swaddling clothes would not be high on my list if I were trying to make an impression. Strips of cloth wrapped snuggly around a baby designed to keep the wriggling, red-faced, squashed up, stinky, squalling new-born quiet are not exactly impressive. I think I would have gone for fire from heaven, or angelic armies defeating the Romans or something.
But Gelah Raz is fortunately not limited to my thinking patterns. He can take the most humble, day to day object and make it into something wonderful. Consider:
As Jesus’ life began in a cave, so His earthly life ended in a cave.[1]
As He began wrapped in swaddling clothes, so He ended in a burial shroud.[2]
As His birth was announced by angels so was His resurrection.[3]
As His birth was attended by disreputable witnesses, so was His rebirth.[4]
El Kabodh has always had a penchant for using the least likely things to demonstrate His glory. He used a dead sheep to begin teaching that our sins were worthy of death and in need of a sacrifice.[5]Egypt that it’s always His way or the highway.[6]Israel that He is Yahweh Yireh (The Lord our Provider)[7] and quail that He is Yahweh Shaphat (The Lord our Judge).[8] He used little bits of sweet bread to teach He used a shepherds’ crook to teach
Though He sometimes uses them, God is not limited to using huge, flashy signs. It is when He uses the weakest tools that He demonstrates His greatest mastery. Therein lies our greatest hope because even we can be used by the Lord.
Therein also lies our downfall. Many of us begin thinking that we are more than we are because great things are happening through us. But this is as foolish as a wire thinking that it is directly responsible for the power it provides a tool. The wire is nothing more than a conduit for the power.
The more humble we are, the less we resist Him and the less the resistance the greater the power.[9] The tzaddikim therefore rejoice in their weaknesses[10] and exalt, not in themselves but in their Maker.
[1] Luke 2:7 the manger has traditionally been held to have been in a cave cp Mark 15:46
[3] Luke 2:9,13 cp Matthew 28:2-7
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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