140-101 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Jeremiah 30:1-17

It has been said that words are the language of the mind but music is the language of the soul. As music is fundamentally an expression of human emotion, when someone wants to express their innermost feelings they turn to melody.

In OT: After Israel’s victory over Sisera Deborah sang (Jug 5). When Saul was afflicted by an evil spirit, David would play the harp for him and he would be refreshed (1 Sam 16:23). David was called “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Sam 23:1). Music calmed the mind of Elisha so that he could clearly hear the word of the Lord (2 Kings 3:15). Levites sang in the temple.

In NT: After Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi they began singing hymns of praise to God.

Music enables us to express our emotions, it also enables to give expression to our faith. One of the beauties of great hymns of the faith, they have profound doctrine that helps to express our beliefs thru music.

I want to give you some observations about music.

1) Music is a gift from God…part of the created order. 1st record of singing was the morning stars (angels) singing together.

2) Of all the instruments used to praise God, the human voice takes priority.

3) Singing is a ministry that belongs to all Christians

Psalm 96:1 Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Psalm 149:1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.

Isaiah 42:10 Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth!

4) Church’s ministry of song is for the glory of God (Ps 96:1-3)

5) Church’s ministry of song is for the edification of saints (Col 3:16)

Music is powerful. At Xmas, much of what we understand about the events of the birth of LJC are influenced thru music (for good and bad). There is rarely a perfect hymn about Xmas, there are some faults we can identify:

· 3 magi? Did not come to the manger but a “house” up to 2 years after His birth.

· Angels singing…Bible shows them speaking

· Born this happy morning?

· Little Lord Jesus no crying He makes?

· Remember X the Savior is born this Xmas day (Dec 25th?)

There are some errors in our Xmas hymns despite those errors and glosses they continue to invite us to worship Christ in His fullness particularly at Xmas.

This Xmas season I want us to look together at 3 particular Xmas hymns. We sing them every year; hear them countless times…and for good reason. They are packed with profound theological (Christological) truths that will help us to worship our Lord with a fuller understanding of all that He is.

Today “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

A little about the hymn:

The hymn is of Latin origin around 12th century (some say the 7 verse poem is as early as 8th century). The music is simply known as “Plainsong” or chant which embodies the earliest form of singing in the church. the music we are familiar with was linked to the translation of the hymn by Thomas Helmore in 1851 and is described by Kenneth Osbeck as a “hauntingly catchy modal melody.”

In the 19th century there were several ministers and scholars who were deeply interested in rediscovering the ancient Greek, Latin and German hymns that had been lost to the church. One of them, man by the name of John Mason Neale (born in London) made these rich hymns available to the church by translating them into English. He is actually responsible for translating and authoring dozens (400+) of hymns (All Glory Laud and Honor, Of the Father’s Love Begotten).

There were 7 verses in the original but usually only 4-5 are found in our modern hymnbooks. We sang 4 this morning but in your notes you will find a 5th stanza that is common.

The 2 that aren’t usually printed are these:

O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily; to us the path of knowledge show and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to your tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times did give the law in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain

(There are also different versions/translations that variously appear).

It is difficult for us to fully appreciate the anticipation (and put ourselves in the shoes of the pre-Xn saints) those who were expecting the fulfillment of the prophecy of the advent/coming of Messiah (its fulfilled for us).For Zacharias, Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna (and all other earlier OT saints)—they were looking for the consolation of Israel. We can appreciate the promises, study them, witness the dawning of salvation but understand that when it comes the waiting is not over.

Piper “When Emmanuel arrives...we learn that redemption has only begun. To be sure, it is a magnificent only. The final blood is shed. The debt is paid. Forgiveness is purchased. God’s wrath is removed. Adoption is secured. The down payment is in the bank. The first fruits of harvest are in the barn. The future is sure. The joy is great. But the end is not yet.

Death still snatches away. Disease still makes us miserable. Calamity still strikes. Satan still prowls. Flesh still wars against the Spirit. Sin still indwells. And we still “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23). We still “wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7). We still wait for final deliverance “from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). We still “wait for the hope of righteousness” (Galatians 5:5). The longing continues.”

So we join them with expectation in a different sense—longing as it is for the 2nd coming of the Messiah…still waiting for final fulfillment of many Messianic prophecies.

One such promise is found Jeremiah 30.

Bible scholars call these 4 chapters “The Book of Consolation (comfort).” One author calls it “the grand hymn of Israel’s deliverance.” The Lord promised Israel:

Jeremiah 29:11 NASB95

‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

That promise is given greater depth in the next chapters of Jeremiah’s prophetic message to the exiles in Babylon and it begins with the promise that Messiah will ransom HIs people (both Judah and Israel) from captivity (Jer 30:1-3).

Now, some have observed that Jeremiah doesn’t get preached much at Xmas—and it’s true.

Isaiah 7:14 NASB95

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6 NASB95

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Micah 5:2 NASB95

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

Jeremiah lived and prophesied during Judah’s final days leading up to the Babylonian captivity. He was forced to go with the fleeing remnant of Judah to Egypt after the final invasion of Babylon in 586 BC (Jer 43-44). Later he was taken captive to Babylon where he lived to see the liberties of Judah’s king Jehoiachin restored in 561 BC (Jer 52:31-34).

Jeremiah’s message to Judah was to point out the sin and rejection of their covenant God. He also gave specific details concerning the invader God would send, the nature of the siege of Jerusalem and resulting destruction.

That was not kindly received by his countrymen. He faced stiff persecution from their hands:

Jeremiah 11:18–21 NASB95

Moreover, the Lord made it known to me and I knew it; Then You showed me their deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; And I did not know that they had devised plots against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, And let us cut him off from the land of the living, That his name be remembered no more.” But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously, Who tries the feelings and the heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them, For to You have I committed my cause. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you will not die at our hand”;

Jeremiah 20:1–2 NASB95

When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the Lord.

Jeremiah 26:8–9 NASB95

When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You must die! “Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

Of course, Jeremiah’s message was one of warning to the nation whose years of idolatry had invited and kindled God’s judgment.

Warren Wiersbe summarizes the book “The people of Judah and Jerusalem will experience terrible trials at the hands of the Babylonians. They will end up wearing the Gentile yoke, bearing the wounds caused by their sins, and having endured the storm of God’s wrath. But God would eventually deliver them, breaking the yoke, healing the wounds, and bringing peace after the storm.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (p. 130). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

So the message also was one of hope for the remnant that the promised Messiah would come and ransom God’s people. That is why chs 30-33 are called “the book fo consolation” bringing hope to the nation.

I would like to share 3 features of the hymn that are explained by Jeremiah’s prophecy.

That Mourns In Lonely Exile Here

It was something that the people would always remember in Jeremiah’s time that they were captives, exiles held in Babylon. The northern 10 tribes had been exiled since 722 BC (Assyrians). Judah thought that would never happen to them. But it did.

Captivity meant several things:

It meant slavery: Jer 30:8, the yoke would be broken…they were slaves to strangers (foreigners). They had been devoured, plundered, preyed upon (vs 16).

It meant misery: very vivid terms describing that nature of exile: vv 4-6 The picture was from the scenes of battle which were still very clear in Jeremiah’s mind. Them men who served the army were holding their stomachs b/c of the distress and agony of war. The memories would produce the pain like what women go thru in childbirth.

It meant anxiety: vs 10 “fear not…do not be dismayed” which meant of course, that they were. Philip Ryken “They were afraid of Babylon, afraid of servitude, afraid of suffering, afraid of being separated from their loved ones, and afraid of death.”

It meant loss of identity: they had lost their national identity. They weren’t Israelites, Judeans…they were captives in Babylon. they were rejected—vs 17b they had trusted in other nations (vs 14) and made unholy alliances with pagan kings.

Exile was horrible for the nation. Falling under the judgment of God was a day of Jacob’s distress (vs 7). Slavery, misery, anxiety, loss of identity are experiences that are shared by many people—in fact, they can intensify during Xmas. physical suffer, family strife, shattered expectations, failure, uncertainty about the future, job security, how children turn out…of course, these aren’t quite like being taken captive by foreigners---nonetheless, there is hardship, suffering, mourning that results.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

It is this opening phrase that affirms a central, most urgent truth: All men need a Savior. The sin that resulted in Judah’s captivity is no greater, no worse than the sin we are all guilty of. God told Judah their iniquity was great and sins were numerous (vs 14). And what we learn about the nature of sin and our condition is that there is captivity, slavery to it.

John 8:34 NASB95

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

Every person needs a Savior. You need someone to deliver you from bondage. That’s what Israel needed. That’s what God promised

vs 3 “days are coming...”

Isaiah 59:20 NASB95

“A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord.

God promised to save His people from the time of distress (vs 7). He said “I will save you from afar” (vs 10). “For I am with you, declares the Lord, to save you.”

What a precious promise given to a nation desperately needing God’s intervention. God indeed saved Israel from the Babylonians. He brought them back to the land and under Ezra and Nehemiah they rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. They were captives for 70 years and God…vs 8

There was a time when Jeremiah walked around Jerusalem with a yoke on his neck as an illustration to the nation (27:1-15). The deliverance that would come at the end of captivity would be a tremendous day. But Jeremiah was looking ahead at something far greater/superior deliverance: vs 9.

This was not fulfilled after the exile and return to Jersualem. Judah since captivity has not been ruled by one of David’s descendants. Zerubbabel (one of David’s seed) never claimed the title of king (governor Hag 2:2). Jeremiah was prophesying about the greater David who would be the King of Israel.

This could only find fulfillment at the coming of Jesus. To be the Messiah He had to be a descendant of David—fulfilled in JC (on both sides of family). When Jeremiah says they will serve the Lord and their David their king…its referring to the same person who is also the Son of God. The King was God and it’s ultimately what was anticipated…God with man—Emmanuel (30:11).

And Ransom Captive Israel

The longing, expectation of the nation was for the coming deliverer. This is what the book of consolation was promising. He would liberate people from captivity.

Isaiah 61:1 NASB95

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

He would be the savior. The angel told Joseph

Matthew 1:21 NASB95

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Messiah would be a peacemaker (Is 9:6) ultimately restoring peace b/t God and man when sin is taken away. Jeremiah writes what is often repeated in Scripture “do not fear”; shepherds “fear not...”

Messiah would ultimately be God with man…Emmanuel. That reality, manifest in LJC has been the great comfort to so many thruout history. It is ours as well—God with us.

Philip Ryken says again:

Jeremiah and Lamentations—From Sorrow to Hope “And Ransom Captive Israel”

Jesus is often considered God’s Christmas gift to humanity. He is the gift that keeps on giving. Now that God has come to be with us, we have salvation, freedom, peace, comfort, and every other spiritual blessing in Christ.

He is the Ransom that was longed for by Israel and fulfilled when Jesus offered Himself to death on the cross. That is the substitutionary sacrifice—in our place. What a gift!

1 Timothy 2:5–6 NASB95

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

Mark 10:45 NASB95

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Before we take time to remember that ministry of Jesus, let me mention some of the other titles/names used of Jesus in our hymn:

As Emmanuel (Isaiah 8:8) — “God with us” — he will pay the ransom that only a God-man can pay. As Rod of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1), springing from a dead stump, he will free his people, by death and resurrection, from Satan’s tyranny, and make them free forever. As the Day-spring (Luke 1:78) — the dawn of God’s kingdom — he will be the light of the world, and banish the hopelessness of darkness. As the Key of David (Isaiah 22:22), he rescues us from hell, locks the door behind us, unlocks the door of heaven, and brings us home. And as the Desire of nations (Haggai 2:7), he will draw the ransomed from every people and make them a kingdom of peace.