The Crimson Thread of Christmas – 1 Kings

Greetings Dear Reader,

Where does wisdom begin?  Why is wisdom to be preferred?  The height of Israel’s golden age is marked by a man after God’s own heart and a man who prefers wisdom over power.  They move along the line of Jesse toward the manger.  They also forget that the root of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

As it so often sadly is a nation wrestles defeat form the jaws of victory.  The leaders in power forget the holy nature of their charge.  They take too much for themselves.  They use the sacred trust given them to feed their own desires.

They also still fear the Father in the right way.  When David is confronted with his sin he makes no excuses.  He returns to the center of faith and following.  He is flawed but has faith.  He is known as a man after God’s heart. 

It is the yieldedness that causes the Father to choose the permanent pattern of the crimson thread.  We see David and Solomon with all their flaws.  We are made aware that we are imperfect and why we need redemption.  It is in this flawed family that the Father establishes his throne for all time. 

The Father never wanted Israel to choose a king over divine rule.  When they did he chose to weave that into the tapestry of redemption.  Advent reminds us that the Star of Bethlehem, the Star of David is the star that leads us to a King who redeems the flaws of all kings.

Under the Sun – Michael Card

He was a King, a teacher, the wisest in the land

Driven by a passion, just to know and understand

He opened wide His eyes sought to see beyond the lies

And found a world beyond His understanding

Under the sun, He saw the vanity of vanities

He bravely looked at life and saw futility

Torn between the facts He saw and all he ever had believed

Between His hopes and what He'd clearly seen

He hoped it might be wisdom so He set himself to learn

But found the more the knowledge the more sorrow and concern

And so He turned to pleasure, to folly and to cheer

But still His laughter, tasted of His tears

Under the sun, it was all vanity of vanities

In wisdom or in wine, He found futility

In knowledge or in folly, for the wise man or the fool

Hopelessness will always be the rule

And yet there is a time for everything that's under heaven

A time to run, a time to stand and fight

So in the face of cold despair, no matter what seems right

Remember, darkness drives us to the light

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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