Before the First Christmas

The “silent treatment” can be brutal. We’ve all experienced it before. Some of us have dished it out. It’s what happens when you upset someone so much that to speak would be the end of you.

The Israelites experienced it as a nation. God was silent for several generations, not because He was angry, but because He was rolling up His sleeves preparing the greatest speech in human history—the incarnation of the living Word.

The Israelites had a long past with God’s word. He spoke to them through clouds, bushes, fire, prophets, patriarchs, kings, and more. The writer of Hebrews said, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb. 1:1-2). With the appearing of Jesus, we have God’s ultimate self-expression. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,” Hebrews continues (Heb. 1:3). When Jesus was born, God spoke most powerfully.

But our story begins several hundred years before Christ. The gospel had been unfolding since God’s promise concerning Eve and the serpent in the garden some 4,000 years prior (Gen. 3:15). But rather than eagerly anticipating the promise fulfillment, the nation of Israel had grown spiritually cold. Their obedience had evolved to ritualistic chores and their affections had turned toward the world. “Why are we wasting our time serving God?” (paraphrased, Mal. 3:14). They had failed to give God their heart.

The story of God’s redemption was grinding to a climactic halt. Malachi captured the Lord’s shocking words:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

Malachi 4:5-6

Then, God went silent.

Those were the final words of the final book of Scripture. It was a frightening cliffhanger. God was sending a herald to prepare the hearts of the people so that when the Lord came, He would not wipe them all out for their hard hearts. And swiftly, God hushed … for 400 years.

Despite the warning, things continued spiraling downward as you would expect. Typically when the teacher is gone, the students act badly. The Israelites were no exception. It’s no wonder God sent someone to prepare the way for His holy Son.

The wait was tough. Israel had grown accustomed to God’s interaction. But He had not miraculously intervened in 800 years. No angels had appeared in 500 years. And now, no prophet had spoken for 400 years. It was all crickets for the Jews.

God was not stubbornly quiet to spite His people. He hadn’t run out of things to reveal. He didn’t get distracted nor lose His tongue. He purposely withdrew Himself for His own purposes.

But, He was about to break His silence.

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