In a time when a violent ruler seemed to have won, a courageous woman removed a child from danger and hid him in the only place the queen would not go—the house of the Lord—so that the promised dynasty would survive and God’s plan could continue even under hostile rule. [25:50]
2 Kings 11:1–3 (ESV)
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered; and she hid him with her and he was not slain. And he was with her in the house of the LORD six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Reflection: Who in your family, neighborhood, or church needs someone to step in and protect or advocate for them today? Identify one person and one concrete action (a phone call, a visit, arranging support, or offering a safe space) you will take before tomorrow evening.
God made a clear, long-standing promise that the royal line would come through Judah, anchoring future hope; the survival of that line—even when human plans seemed thwarted—was essential to the coming of the Messiah and to the trustworthiness of God’s word. [27:59]
Genesis 49:10 (ESV)
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Reflection: What specific promise of God are you tempted to doubt right now? Write that promise down, choose one small act of obedience this week that demonstrates trust in it (memorize the verse, tell a friend, or act in faith), and schedule when you will do that act.
From Eden onward the world is marked by enmity between the serpent’s seed and the woman’s seed; the narrative shows that evil targets the vulnerable—children, the marginalized, the people of God—but God’s purposes endure through courageous resistance and divine sovereignty. [29:55]
Genesis 3:14–15 (ESV)
The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Reflection: Identify one area of your life or one person where you sense spiritual attack or vulnerability; list one practical step you will take today to resist that attack (pray with a partner, set a boundary, seek counsel, or protect a child) and commit to doing it before the end of the day.
An ordinary foreign widow chose loyalty to her mother‑in‑law and to the God of Israel, and that single act of devotion entered God’s redemptive genealogy—demonstrating that humble faithfulness can redirect family history toward God’s purposes. [35:43]
Ruth 1:16 (ESV)
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
Reflection: Is there a relationship or commitment where you can choose faithfulness instead of convenience? Name one person and one practical thing you will do this week to show loyal commitment (a visit, a phone call, an expressed promise), and make the first contact today.
Like Abraham who believed against all hope, Advent invites believers to trust God’s promises even when circumstances look impossible; history shows God working through unlikely people and dark seasons to bring about the rescue that Christmas announces. [49:23]
Romans 4:18 (ESV)
In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
Reflection: Name one situation in your life that feels hopeless; write a short prayer declaring your hope in Jesus about that situation, then identify and do one small obedient step today (a conversation, a confession, a persistent prayer time, or a tangible act of kindness) that demonstrates your trust in God.
This morning we opened our Bibles to 2 Kings 11 and watched God keep a fragile promise through the courage of a largely unknown woman. Athaliah slaughtered the royal heirs of Judah to secure her throne, but Jehoshabah risked everything, hid baby Joash, and tucked him into the one place the usurper would never visit—the temple. While evil strutted in the palace, the true king was growing up in God’s house. The kingdom of God often works like that—quiet, hidden, and unstoppable. God had promised a forever King from Judah and from David. If that line failed, there would be no Christmas and no Savior. But God’s promises are not hostages to human power; he preserves them, sometimes through ordinary people who do the next right thing.
We followed that thread to Ruth, the Moabite widow who chose Naomi’s God and found herself folded into the line of David through Boaz, the son of Rahab—the former prostitute whose scarlet cord still preaches grace. Then we stood with Esther, who stepped into danger to intercede for her people and said, “If I perish, I perish.” Each of these women stood in dark moments and chose faithful action over fearful calculation. In their stories God wasn’t scrambling; he was composing. The apparent chaos was only a backdrop to make his faithfulness shine.
So what do we do now? First, recognize that small acts of obedience have long shadows. Choices sow futures—in us, in our families, and in people we won’t meet this side of heaven. Second, remember God loves to use the overlooked so that no one mistakes who did the work. Third, stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves; love that doesn’t move its feet is not love at all. Finally, walk by faith and not by sight. Advent teaches us to look back at a manger and a cross, and to look forward to a King who returns. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed. We can too. Come to the table with that hope, confessing, trusting, and looking to Jesus.
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