You know that feeling when you finish a good book? You feel satsified but sad at the same time. You miss the characters, you miss the anticipation of how it will wrap up, you miss just holding onto that book. Well, that's how I felt yesterday when I ended the Old Testament. It became a dear, familiar friend, and now I've finished it. I was a little sad. I didn't want to say goodbye to my old friend.
I remember many years back reading the book Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I loved that book! I became so invested in the story and the characters that when it ended and I turned it back in to the library, I went to the aisle where I had found the book and just lingered. I didn't know what I was looking for; I just knew that I was grieving the loss of a companion. To my delight I looked up and saw the book The Streets of Laredo. The cover looked quite similar to Lonesome Dove, and it too was by Larry McMurtry. I yanked it off the shelf and was thrilled to see that it was the sequel! I clutched it to my chest like it was found treasure, checked it out, and raced home to start reading. That book provided me with the wrap up that I needed to let go of my friends from Lonesome Dove.
Well, I can only say that finishing the Old Testament yesterday felt a lot like finishing Lonesome Dove. I was sad. The story wasn't quite finished. I needed more. The good news--there is Good News! There is a sequel and we get to start it today. There will be more compelling characters, there will be drama and intrigue, and there will be a hero. All throughout my old friend, the Old Testament, there were hints of this hero who would come. Soon we will meet Him.
So join me in meeting this new friend. The pages are waiting to be turned.
I think it is interesting that both Zechariah and Mary seemed to each asked a question, yet the consequences were very different. Zechariah asked, "How can I be sure of this?" Gabriel said that because Zechariah did not believe Gabriel's words he would be silent. Mary asked, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Gabriel just answers her question. What do y'all think?
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing. It seems that maybe there is a hint of disrespect in Zechariah's comment that was absent from Mary's. Also, Zechariah was a priest and had lived many years while Mary was a young girl. Was there a jaded response from Zechariah and a more child-like question from Mary?
ReplyDeleteRight about the age difference - but his question wasn't unreasonable - followed up with "I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." That's a nice way to say his wife is old too. : )
ReplyDeleteTrue, it is not unreasonable when looking through natural eyes. However, we are always called to make our decisions based on faith and not on sight. I'm still thinking that it had something to do with his age, position, and the fact that Gabriel who stands in the presence of the LORD was telling him.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts!
ReplyDelete