THE ASCENT OF NATIVITY FAST

(Friday, November 29)

“…The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall arise to rule over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust, and his rest shall be glorious.” (Is 11: 6-10)

Isaiah’s well-known prophecy talks about the leadership of the “little child” born in Bethlehem, and the consequences of His leadership for those who choose to trust in Him and follow Him up His “holy mountain.” As we let ourselves receive “the knowledge of the Lord” throughout our ascent up this mountain, we need not be afraid of the wolves or the leopards or the lions, either within or outside ourselves, as Christ is leading us daily into “His rest.” His kind of knowledge is leading us into a “glorious” rest from the fears of our fallen nature.

This prophecy will only be read in our churches on Christmas Eve, but I am reading it today because it helps nudge me into the specific focus of the Nativity Fast: anticipating the coming to us of the Child of the “root of Jesse” (of Jesse, the father of King David) and our ascending to meet Him. Today let me embrace the prophetic atmosphere of the Nativity Fast, with its hope-filled anticipation. Lord, let me be a bit more present to You today, and a bit more teachable, as we proceed up Your holy mountain this fasting season. “In him shall the Gentiles trust, and his rest shall be glorious.”