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Stars of Advent–Star of Preeminence

Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:1-12

December 5, 2004

1. Who doesn’t love these words? These words evoke a deep and persistent hope for justice and peace. For those of us who are Christian, they evoke images of the promised Messiah who will establish peace on earth; they evoke a picture of Jesus. And they evoke a star—a star of "preeminence." I must admit "preeminence" would not have been my first or even my second choice of words to describe one of the Stars of Advent. I found that word when I looked up all the different kinds of stars. But it’s a good word, one that deserves our attention this Second Sunday of Advent. Preeminence. That quality of being supreme, primary, incomparable, even dominant. Yes, "preeminence" is the right word for today’s star. It describes the theme of the scripture texts perfectly.

2. The verses from Isaiah proclaim salvation through the coming reign of God. The first five verses speak of God’s reign among people through the birth of a new king from the line of David. God’s own Spirit will be with him—rest upon him like a three-cornered Spirit Hat. The first corner is the corner of wisdom and understanding. Hans Wildberger wrote a commentary on the first twelve chapters of Isaiah (H. Wildberger, Isaiah 1-12, trans Thomas H. Trapp, Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991, p. 472), and concludes that wisdom refers to the type of wisdom which can handle the problems of daily living, while "understanding" is more the intellectual abilities which are necessary for someone to see beyond the details of a particular situation and thereby make the appropriate decision. So this new king will know what to do and when to do it. And the second corner of his "hat" represents council and might. As king he will need tact and diplomacy to deal with foreign nations, and this corner will provide him with those qualities. And the third corner will be knowledge and fear or reverence of the Lord. This is not just head knowledge; it is heart and soul and might. This king will be at one with God. So the first five verses of Isaiah 11 point to a new king. The Spirit of God will guide him in his personal life, his political life, in his religious life.

3. The next five verses promise God’s reign throughout creation–peace and tranquility among all the creatures, predators and prey alike. Although the word "shalom" does not appear in either of these sections, it forms the foundation. When things are right with the leadership, things are right everywhere. But before this can happen, we see from verse 6 that some big changes will have to take place. Look at this cast of characters! Wolves and lambs lying down together. What’s the retort to that image? Yeah, sure the wolf and the lamb will lie down together. But the lamb won’t get much sleep! Yes they will, in God’s creation, because the very next verse tells us they will all become vegetarians. It won’t be such a drastic change for bears, because bears are omnivores like most humans—they eat both plants and animals. But the lions! No lion ever becomes so hungry that a salad looks tempting! The star of Preeminence this Second Sunday of Advent signals just such a world, though; a nonviolent world where humans beings can live safely and with fear. God will establish peace—justice and righteousness—on the earth, no doubt about it! But it might take a while!

4. A while passed. Eight hundred years, plus or minus, eight hundred long painful years, between the time Isaiah spoke these words of God’s promise and the time they would be fulfilled. In the meantime, their leaders were carried off into exile. A remnant returned to rebuild both the Temple of Solomon and the Jerusalem Wall. Still no preeminent King. Enter John the Baptist. "I point the way," he said, "to the one who is the incomparable one." Upon him was to rest this "three-cornered hat" of the Spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." The Spirit of God would guide him in his personal life, his political life, in his religious life. That life would be severely tested, beginning immediately after his own baptism. The satan would offer him the personal comfort of all the bread he could eat, the wealth and political power that having all the kingdoms in the world could grant, and the most prestigious position in the Temple. There would be a price, of course, but it was his for the asking. Never happen! This Jesus to whom John pointed was the long-awaited preeminent one, the one who would bring about "The Peaceable Kingdom," shalom.

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