He Has Filled the Hungry

Introduction

We have arrived at the third Sunday of the Advent season. During this time we expect the coming of Christ, veiled in flesh the God-head see. It is a time of expectation and joy. The coming of the Son of God to earth is as the coming of peace for men. And this is what the angels announce at the birth of Christ, there can be peace on earth.

Advent is the time of year when we celebrate the coming of Christ as a baby, “...conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary.” The theme of Advent is the theme of Scripture. The message of hope, peace, and deliverance is the message of the Bible. The climax of Scripture is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but even the Gospel is the same motif that has been developed in Scripture throughout redemptive history, time and time again.

In Jim Jordan’s lectures on how to read the Bible, he says that Scripture is like a symphony. You hear a theme introduced in the beginning, it is developed and then recapitulated. There may be secondary or tertiary themes throughout, but on the whole, there is a steady progression and development of a particular motif. It may be in different forms and take different guises, but there is a developing motif. And in a symphony, the climax often happens at the recapitulation, when the original motif returns. This is what happens in Scripture. And in the Scripture, at the recapitulation, there is a four-fold repetition of the motif of Scripture in the Gospels. It is the same themes of deliverance, healing, feeding, and resting, all found in the coming, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, the climax of the Scripture is the Gospel story. But it is not the end of the story, it is the beginning. It is the story of how God has purchased for Himself a people to be His people, how we can live as God’s people, in fellowship with Him. This is the goal of redemption.

All of Scripture is repeating these themes and it comes to a glorious climax with the Gospels.

The theme of this message is “He has filled the Hungry.”

Mark 2:17 LSB

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need for a physician, but only those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

What burdens you today? Is it sickness, loss, poverty, difficulty at work, family drama? Could it be the inevitability of our mortality, or the seeming futility of your work? Maybe it is just a spirit of negativity and despair?

All of these things, and the many more that could be mentioned, are examples of being hungry, sick, afflicted; they are the results of being sinful. These burdens that afflict us are the very things that Christ came to address.

He did not do this in a shallow and futile way. He didn’t simply come to take away all the things that bother you or that bother me. If we find ourselves afflicted, it is easy for us to think about everything in terms of removing that affliction. And when we read Scripture, we can draw the false conclusion that if I simply trust God enough then He will take away all of my problems.

Hannah was afflicted by her rival in 1 Samuel 1. So she prayed to God and He delivered her. See? If you trust God, then your problems will go away. This is false.

For actually, if you read the text carefully, you will see that Hannah was filled before she was granted what she had requested.

1 Samuel 1:15–19 LSB

But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before Yahweh. “Do not consider your maidservant as a vile woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great complaint and provocation.” Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” And she said, “Let your servant-woman find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh and turned back and came to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and Yahweh remembered her.

If you know the story, you will remember that the request Hannah made of God was for a child. Yet, in the passage we read nothing about God fulfilling her request. Yet, we see Hannah going on her way, eating, with a happy countenance, worshipping, and in fellowship with her husband. In other words, she prayed and she was filled by God. She was hungry, she made her request known to God, and she was filled.

It is as though she remembered that contentment with godliness is great gain. Our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. We love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, and might.

If Hannah had retained an unhappy countenance if she was not eating if she was not worshipping all in response to her affliction. Saying something like, “My life is not meaningful if I have to suffer so...” You can see that her true god would be her desire for a child. Her true desire would have been a “fulfilled” life in the absence of affliction. This is not the spirit of a person whose chief end, primary purpose, is to glorify and enjoy God. This is the spirit of a person who is worshipping the gift rather than the gift-giver. The very thing we seek, true life, can only be found in the life-giver, the source of all life. If we seek a fulfilled life in the things of this world, then we will be going the way of the idolaters who worship creature rather than the Creator.

The Christian is not only pleased when they get what they think they want. They are pleased with God’s Holy Will. The accusation made by Satan against Job,

Job 1:11 LSB

“But send forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

Is that true of you and I? If God were to take away everything from us would we still rise up and call God blessed? Would we say with Job, (Job 1:21–22) “...Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh.” Through all this Job did not sin, nor did he give offense to God.”

There is one whose chief end is to glorify and enjoy God. There is one who understands and takes hold of eternal life. There is one who is hungry and yet filled by God. Not by things or power or glory, but by God Himself.

And just to tie off the loose end, my point is that after Hannah’s chief end was God, after she let her request be made know to her Father in Heaven, after she continued to do her duty before God with joy. Then, we read this:

1 Samuel 1:20 LSB

Now it happened in due time that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”

And then you know the story, she not only gave praise and thanks to Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God, but also dedicated her son to Yahweh. That truly shows you Hannah’s heart: The glory of Yahweh was her chief end.

This is what it means to be filled with the Spirit. The Spirit of God brings us into fellowship with God in our effectual calling. This happens physically at baptism, when we are joined to the visible body of Christ here on earth. We are part of God’s body. When we sing the songs of Zion, in praise to our covenant-keeping God, we are singing the same song that Moses, Hannah, David, Mary, and Zechariah sang. We are celebrating the same theme of deliverance. As God’s people, yes we might have differences of opinion on certain things, but we ought to be in lock step on one thing: Yahweh and His glory is our chief end and delight. And we will fill ourselves with Yahweh first and foremost.

When we come to Mary in Luke 1, we see someone whose chief end is Yahweh and His glory. All kinds of social consequences will naturally arise from what will happen to Mary. As Nick pointed out last Sunday, Mary is in a line of women noted for their scandals: Tamar, Rahab, and Bath-Sheba particularly. Now Mary will be having a child out of wedlock. And yet she says in Luke 1:38 “Behold, the slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”

Mary recognized the significance of what was going to be taking place. She knew the promises and she believed them. She also knew the great privilege she had to be the one chosen by God to carry the Son of God in her womb. Yes, it was the woman who was deceived by Satan, but “she will be saved through the bearing of children.” (1 Timothy 2:15). She fell by taking the fruit and she will be saved by the fruit of her womb.

This was the child promised in Genesis 3:15, the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent. Mary knew what was happening and she magnified the Lord for it. She recognized God’s will being accomplished and she praised God.

Mary was filled. All of Israel at this time was hungry, in bondage, afflicted, waiting to be filled with the manna from heaven. They were as the Israelites in Egypt, or as the Isrealites in the land of Canaan during the time of the Judges, or as Naomi when she was emptied in Moab, Or Hannah when she was afflicted by her rival, or as David when he was fleeing from Saul, or exiled Israel when they hung their harps on the willows; all were longing for deliverance.

And when Mary received the promise from the Angel Gabriel, she believed. The glory of Yahweh was her chief end.

The Song of the Redeemed

In response to this wonderful news of salvation, the long-awaited One was finally about to arrive. Mary magnifies the Lord with this song. It is called the Magnificat because that is the first word of the Latin Vulgate, “Magnificat anima mea Dominum.” In my opinion, this song could just as easily be called the Song of the Redeemed for it is the same song that had been sung by the Old Testament saints, it is the same song sung by those who received the promise of salvation through Christ during Christ’s advent, and it is the same song of redemption that has been sung by Christians down through the two millennia of church history.

Revelation 15:3–4 LSB

And they sang the song of Moses, the slave of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

And so, Mary’s song heralds the climax of redemption. And we will now briefly look the song itself.

It is in two sections, or Strophes. A strophe is a unit in poetry. It follows one theme. I have this broken down into two themes: Personal blessing and God’s mighty deed.

Strophe I: Personal Blessing

It is a personal exclamation of praise to God. Mary is praising God for the wonderful way in which He has condescended to her.

My soul (46-47)

Looked upon [me] (48)

Great things [for me] (49)

This ought to be what every Christian can also say. God has condescended to us. He has saved us. We who are unworthy of such a salvation have been raised up by God. Praise Him. And not only that, but also our children. Notice how she ends this section:

Conclusion: Covenant Promise (50)

These are covenant promises. There is a generational blessing promised to God’s faithful people. We praise God for the wonderful things that He has done for us, and we have hope in God’s grace to our descendents after us.

Do you believe God’s promises like Mary did?

Can you sing this same song of praise to God for the wonderful salvation that He has brought to you?

Are you raising your children in covenantal hope, believing that they will also fear God and keep His commandments?

Are you so filled with God that despite the consequences to you, you can still sing His praises for fulfilling His promises and accomplishing His holy will?

This themes are the new song of the Redeemed. The songs of Zion.

Strophe II: God’s mighty deed

Proud scattered (51)

Powerful brought low (52)

Rich made poor (53)

Those who are filled with this world’s goods do not recognize their hunger. It is true that it is easier for those who have an uncomfortable existence here to look for something more. And it is harder for those who have a comfortable existence here to seek God.

God has confounded the power and the glory of this earth. He is demonstrating His transcendence. Those who are proud need to humble themselves. Those who are filled must become hungry. And those who have power must become as slaves. Because, God, raises up the humble, God fills the hungry, God empowers His servants.

God is the source of everything. He sets up and brings down. He clothes the lilies in garments of glory. He upholds everything by the word of His power. God must be our chief end. He must be the solution to our hunger.

You will not find earthly solutions to those problems we listed before: sickness, loss, poverty, difficulty at work, family drama? The inevitability of our mortality, the seeming futility of your work? A spirit of negativity and despair?

All of these things are resolved in God, our only source of that which is good and right. Our only source of true sustenance. And the most glorious truth of all, this God, the source of all things good, keeps His promises. He is Yahweh, the Covenant-keeping God.

Conclusion: Covenant Promise (54-55)

Mary is proclaiming that God has accomplished what He promised way back in Genesis 17 with the Abrahamic Covenant. He has done that which He promised to do. And He is continuing to accomplish all His holy will.

The thought question for you and me:

In the sacraments, God communicates to His people the great salvation that He has accomplished.

Do you see your baptism and remember God’s promise to wash away your sin? (Galatians 3:27 “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”)

Do you eat and drink in the great communion feast of our Lord and remember that you have peace and fellowship with God Almighty? (1 Corinthians 10:16 “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”)

Are you concerned with the many burdens of this life? Sickness, loss, poverty, difficulty at work, family drama? The inevitability of our mortality, the seeming futility of your work? A spirit of negativity and despair?

Have you hungered for God and been filled?

Have you endeavored to set your affections on things above?

Can you sing the song of the redeemed?

Can you, as Hannah, go your way, eat, have a joyful countenance, worship, and do your duty because Yahweh is your chief end?

Let us say with the Psalmist:

Psalm 73:25–28 LSB

Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart fail, But God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed everyone who is unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have set Lord Yahweh as my refuge, That I may recount all Your works.

Amen.

Food for the Hungry

Psalm 107:9 LSB

For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

Are you hungry, then come to this table and feed upon Christ. Are you thirsty, then come to this table and satisfy your thirst with Christ’s blood. For by His once for all sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, we have been brought near to God in fellowship. The veil of the temple has been rent in two.

So come, all ye who are weary, says Christ, and I will give you rest. Do not be as the demons who despise the freedom and liberty found in Christ. Who would rather serve mammon, wealth, power, and pride. Who look at service to Christ and call it servile pomp. Those who say that it better to rule in Hell than to serve in heaven.

If you are hungry, come and be filled. The call goes out to all. I pray that the Holy Spirit of God would bring His people to the Holy Communion that we have with God through the body and blood of Christ, the Eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary.

Let us give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and His loving-kindness endures forever. AMEN!