Jesse Tree -- Days 19 and 18

Day 19 -- Nehemiah: Return and Rebuilding

Scripture Passage: Nehemiah 1:1-28, 9:1-28

An acknowledgment by the Israelites of their continual leaving and God's faithful deliverance.

Key Verse: Nehemiah 9:28b: "And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time and time again."

Suggested Symbol: the wall

Day 18 -- Habakkuk: Waiting and Watching

Here we are at the theme of advent: waiting. Just as Habakkuk watched and waited, the Israelites awaited the birth of their King. And we stand, ever watching in hopeful anticipation for His return.

Scripture Passage: Habakkuk 2:1, 3:1-19

Key Verse: Habakkuk 2:1 -- "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts."

Suggested Symbol: watchtower

Jesse Tree -- Day 17

Day 17 -- Holiness

Scripture Passage: Isaiah 6:1-13, 9:2-7
The prophets told repeatedly of the coming Redeemer. Isaiah is chock-full of passages pointing toward the birth/suffering of Jesus and the redemption of God's people. But as I read the first of today's passage, my biggest question was "How is it that a firey coal is symbolic of Jesus. Just what is the symbolism there?" I found the following explanation on Monergism.com (a web sit G-Love recommended). This comes from a sermon by Charles Biggs, pastor of Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church in Virginia and a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary.

When we hear “Holy, holy, holy” we are like Isaiah: We hear “guilt, guilt, guilt”! But God takes away our guilt in Christ Jesus. God gives us new hearts so that we might find him utterly lovely. The angel in Isaiah's vision takes tongs from the altar, takes a hot, burning coal and makes atonement for Isaiah's sins by touching his lips. This is symbolic to the Person and Work of Christ for us in atonement. Christ Jesus our Savior lays down his life and sheds his blood on the altar in heaven, taking God's wrath upon him so he can send the Holy Spirit to us. The coal from the altar symbolizes punishment and purification. The altar from which the coal was taken was the place where bulls and goats were placed to shed blood before God and to offer a substitute in place of the sinner. The fire that consumed the animal on the altar was God's purification. In Christ, Jesus lays down his life once and for all as a man, a once and for all sacrifice for sinners to be punished in their place. After his resurrection from the dead and ascension back to the throneroom of heaven, Jesus sends forth His Spirit to us so that we might then be purified. So, the coal from the altar symbolizes the punishment and purification that would come in time because of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ!

Key Verse: Isaiah 6:7 -- "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

Suggested Symbol -- tongs holding a burning-hot coal

Jesse Tree -- Day 16

Day 16 -- Elijah

Scripture Passage: 1 Kings 18:20-40 (also, good background in the preceeding verses, beginning at 17:1) The Israelites, yet again, had turned to idols (see a pattern here?), and God had sent famine and draught. The prophet Elijah, who had a death warrant on his life issued by King Ahab, had been hiding (at God's instruction) in a ravine east of Jordan. But then God instructed Elijah to go before Ahab, and God promised that rain would follow. Ahab and Elijah had a face-off, with one (Ahab of course) proclaiming Baal as supreme and the other (Elijah) proclaiming the God of the Israelites as the one true God. Both made altars to their Gods, but the altar to Baal wouldn't burn. Elijah soaked the altar he'd made with water, and then God sent fire from heaven that not only burned up the sacrifice, wood, stones and soil, but also "licked up" (don't you love the terminology there -- like God did this with a flourish) the water puddled around the altar. God showed His power and brought His people back to a place of belief (another pattern, don't you think?).

Key Verse: 1 Kings 18:39 -- "The LORD, He is God."

Suggested Symbol: firey mound of wood, stones and water

Jesse Tree -- Day 15

Day 15 -- David, son of Jesse

Scripture Passage: 1 Samuel 16:1 through 17:58
Remember day 1 -- a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse? Here's our first connection back to Jesse. David, the shepherd boy from Bethlehem, Jesse's son, is anointed to become King of Israel.

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 16: 1 -- "The Lord said to Samuel, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.'"

Suggested Symbol: shepherd's staff

Jesse Tree -- Days 13 and 14

Day 14 -- Ruth

Scripture Passage: Ruth 1:15-2:3
God's plan of salvation was not only for the Jews. Ruth's question to Boaz is one that we might ask of God.

Key Verse: Ruth 2:10 -- "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me -- a foreigner?"

Suggested Symbol: wheat


Day 13 -- God's Unlikely Hero

Scripture Passage: Judges 6:11-7:25
Ah, my favorite story in scripture. The Israelites had once again rebelled against God, so he delivered them into the hands of the Midianites, where they remained for 7 years. Then, God took Gideon -- wheat-thrasher and self-professed "weakest" link in his family -- and made of him a great warrior, using Him to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of the Midianites. God might discipline His people, but He would not abandon them, nor His covenant with them.

Key Verse: Judges 6:14 -- "The Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?'"

Suggested Symbol: clay pitcher

Jesse Tree -- Day 12

(This one's late, friends, so sorry. Was out unexpectedly all day yesterday.)

Day 12 -- The Fall of Jerico

Scripture Passage: Joshua 1:1-11, 6:1-20
Finally, after the death of Moses, Joshua leads the Israelites into Jericho, which is in the land of Canaan -- the promised land. Another promise is kept in this plan of redemption God is weaving through scripture.

Key Verse: Joshua 6:2 -- "And the LORD said to Joshua, 'See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.'"

Suggested Symbol: shofar (horn)

Jesse Tree -- Day 11

Day 11 -- The Law

Scripture Passage -- Deuteronomy 5:1-22 and Romans 8:1-4
God gave His law -- the ten commandments -- and when all was said and done, it could be summarized in two broad commands: to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our fellow humanity as ourselves. With the giving of these commands, God set his standard for righteousness -- a righteousness He knew man couldn't keep. The law was given, then, not to produce righteousness, but so that man could see His sin and His need for a Redeemer. It was all part of God's plan.

Key Verse -- Romans 8:2 -- "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."

Suggested Symbol -- the stone tablets

Jesse Tree -- Day 10

So how are you doing on your Jesse trees? Don't fret if you're behind -- you can skip days if needed, or sometimes there are days which can easily be combined. Today and tomorrow we'll be looking at more in the story of Moses. So this is a good time to plan to combine two days if needed. (Honestly, I don't think we've ever had a year where we didn't miss days in our advent study. Let me encourage you to adjust, not give up :>})

Day 10 -- Passover and Exodus

Scripture Passage: Exodus 12: 1-14:31
Despite the nine plagues God has sent on the people and land of Egypt, Pharoah has continually denied Moses' pleas to let God's people go. Now, God has promised a final, devastating plague -- to strike down the firstborn of every household. But the Israelites are instructed to kill a lamb and place its blood on their doorposts so that the spirit of death will pass over their homes and their firstborn will live -- a foreshadowing of events to come, when Jesus will be the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. (Notice that the Israelites are instructed to dip a hyssop branch in the blood of the lamb -- when Jesus was suffering from thirst on the cross, it was a hyssop branch the soldiers dipped in vinegar to offer to him.)

Suggested Symbol: lamb

Jesse Tree -- Day 9

Day 9 -- Moses and the Burning Bush

Scripture Passage -- Exodus 3:1-10
Yesterday, we were with Joseph in Egypt. Today, we find the Israelites still in Egypt, where they've been enslaved to the Egyptians for hundreds of years. (The Israelites had prospered once they arrived in Egypt, so the jealous Egyptians eventually enslaved them.) God's people have been crying out for deliverance from this slavery, and God, who is still continuing to work his redemption plan, has heard and felt compassion for them. He appears to Moses in the form of the burning bush and promises to deliver His people. (Be sure and point out verse 6, in which God refers to Himself as the "God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.")

Key Passage: Exodus 3:7-8 -- "I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to resuce them." (again, a foreshadowing of the larger redemption story!:)

Helpful article on Christmas spending

http://www.christianwomenonline.net/issue/2008/12/budget-busters-christmas-spending/

Jesse Tree -- Day 8

Day 8 -- Joseph

Scripture Passage: Genesis 32: 18-36, 37: 1-36, 41: 1-49, 43: 1-15, 45:4-8, 50: 15-21
(Again, this is a massive amount of scripture. The story of Joseph is long. I think I would read at most Gen. 37:1-4, 37:18-24, 41:25-28, 45:4-8, 50:20, filling in with the narrative between scripture readings. Or G-Love -- that's the hubs, if you don't know -- recommends letting the kiddos watch the Dreamworks version of Joseph, which closely follows the biblical narrative, then simply referring back to the story as you do your Jesse tree study/devotion.)

Here, in the story of Joseph, we see God providentially work situations to bring Joseph to the land of Egypt, where, in the midst of famine, he is in charge of grain storage. In this responsibility, God uses him not only to ensure the well-being of His family, but also the continued lineage of Christ (who will eventually be born in the line of Joseph's brother, Judah). Joseph becomes a sort of Christ figure (a foreshadowing of the greater redemption story), as God uses his sacrifice into slavery to bring about eventual forgiveness and salvation (from famine) for his brothers. (Is Joseph considered an official Christ-"type" in biblical academia? To be honest, I don't know.) God demonstrates His faithfulness to His covenant, His creativity in bringing His promises to pass, His provision and care for His people, etc.

Key Passage: Genesis 50: 20 -- "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good."

Suggested Sumbol: coat of many colors

Jesse Tree -- Day 7

Day 7 -- Jacob Receives the Promise

Scripture Passage: Genesis 28:10-15 (a longer reading would be verses 1-22)
Jacob, son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, heir to the promises of God made to them -- Jacob has a dream of a ladder to heaven, with angels ascending and decending. God is at the top of the ladder, and He speaks to Jacob in the dream, reminding Jacob of His promises to Abraham and Isaac (to make a great nation, to send one of their descendants who will bless the world, to provide a lamb, etc.) and extend those promises to Jacob. Jacob wakes knowing He has been in the presence of God, calls the place "the gate of heaven," and then names it "Bethel," which means "house of God."

Key Verse: Genesis 28:15 -- "I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Suggested Symbol: ladder (maybe leading into the clouds)

Jesse Tree-Day 6, and a Special 100th Post!

Day 6 -- Isaac as a Sacrifice

Scripture Passage: Genesis 22: 1-19
One of my favorite passages in scripture, this narrative of Isaac is full of redemption-story symbolism. God had made a covenant with Abraham: He had promised to make Abraham father of a great nation, and to send one through that nation who would change the world. But here God was, instructing Abraham to sacrifice the very son meant to continue the family line. But Abraham trusted the character of God -- that God would fulfill His promise even if it meant raising Isaac from the dead. So Abraham proceeded with the planned sacrifice, to the point of raising his knife against Isaac. And then, at just the right moment, God sent a ram, caught in the thorny thicket not by tender, puncturable flesh, but by impenetrable, uninjurable horns. A perfect, unblemished ram. And the redemption story continued.

Key Verse: Genesis 22:8 -- "God himself will provide the lamb."

Suggested Symbol: Ram

100!

When I was a middle-schooler, the library had a chapter book about a little girl who loved and collected words; I kept the book checked out almost the entire school year. I'd check it out, and take it back. Check it out again. Take it back again. You get the idea.

Like the little girl in that book, I have always found words so fascinating.

So, in honor of my 100th post (yes, this very post you're reading), I've categorized 100 words into lists -- words I like the sound of, words I dislike because of what they mean, Irish words I look forward to using, etc. The lists aren't all-inclusive -- just what I came up with off the top of my head. I hope you find them thought-provoking, or maybe just amusing.

One word that intimidates me
dispensationalism

Nineteen words I like the sound of
preposterous
exacerbate
ethereal
fastidious
exquisite
panache
mystical
precocious
pontificate
lofty
captivating
aesthetic
sagacious
malleable
misconstrue
resonates
precious
ponder
poetic
(For some reason, I especially like words that begin with the letter "p." Weird, I know.)

One Jane-Austen-ish word that I wish we still used
vespertine

Ten words I don't like because of their meaning
cancer
vengeance
heartbreak
hatred
liver
overdrawn
guilt
depression
cynicism
vomit

Fifteen of my favorite words that appear in the Bible
known
grace
beloved
anointed
Jesus
compassion
inheritance
imperishable
forgiveness
taste
Abba
sufficient
salvation
delight
rest

Four "Irish" words I look forward to saying
slaggin'
loo
woolies
tele

Sixteen words I think are beautiful because of their meaning
love
redemption
home
newborn
laughter
husband
imagination
cozy
artistry
intimacy
forgiveness
celebration
wonder
communion
friend
chocolate

Five words I think are fun to say
twinkle
gargantuan
jambalaja
pizzazz
onomatopoeia

Five of my favorite non-word words (meaning, you won't find them in a dictionary)
G-love
wunderkind
wunderment
chillax
fabulosa

Four great name-words
Emma
Elliott
Aden
Isabella

Twelve words I tend to overuse
hip
Stop-it (counted as one word because it sounds like one word when I say it)
compelled
amazing
*(&%*# (sorry, but it's true)
glorious
adorable
wow
lovely
suddenly
impressive
no

Eight random words I think describe me
(not to be narcissistic, but I needed another category -- :)
animated
high-strung
tender-hearted
slow
idealistic
crafty
task-oriented
sentimental

Of course, the reason I really love words is not for their individual meanings, but for their power in community with one another to so perfectly convey thoughts, feelings, ideas, facts, and story.

Praise God for the gift of language.

Our Jesse Tree, a daughter's creativity, and info for Jesse Tree -- Day 5

(Watch Sweet Communion tomorrow for a special 100th post -- which, as of right now, I have no idea what it will be.)

Some photos of our Jesse Tree

And ... several months ago I had my oldest kids take tests to verify their learning styles (auditory, visual or kinesthetic). Emma



knew that her test identified her as a kinesthetic learner, so it's hard to argue with her when she wants to do something with her hands while she listens. As we were having our Jesse Tree discussion tonight, she built her own Jesse tree with Imaginext toys that were already in the living room floor ...

(Look, it's surrounded by attentive, listening warriors!)

Now, for your day 5 info.

Day 5 -- Abraham and the Promise of a Nation

Scripture Passages: Genesis 12: 1-7; 15: 1-18 (story of Abraham is in Gen. 12-Genesis 25)
God continued his redemption story as He made His covenant with Abraham, whose descendents became God's chosen people.

Key Verse: Genesis 15:5 -- "And he brought him outside and said, 'Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them ... So shall your offspring be.'"

Suggested Symbols: stars or starry sky

Jesse Tree -- Day 4

Day 4 -- Noah and the Flood

Scripture Passage: Genesis 6:5-8:21, 9:12-17
(This is a long passage, my friend. Small children would struggle to sit through it. My recommendation is that you read it ahead of time, and then when you sit with your children, alternate between (1) reading selective portions straight from the scripture and (2) simply telling the story. Key portions to read would be 6:5-8 and 18, 7:23-24, 8:18-21, and 9:12-17. I think you could easily fill-in with the narrative between these portions of scripture.)
This part of the redemption story is so rich for discussion! For one thing, so much of the character of God is seen: we see his justice (toward mankind in general), his mercy (toward Noah and his family), his provision (to provide for Noah's family), his compassion and covenant-making (as he promises to never again destroy every living thing as he has done), his faithfulness (as he promises to remember his covenant), and so much more! Also, the larger story of redemption is symbolically woven through the smaller story of Noah: man sins and dies (for the wages of sin is death), but God provides a means of rescue (in this case, for Noah and his family). And finally, as he saves the lives of Noah's family, God carries on with his plan to redeem a people for himself. These are just a few of my quick thoughts on it.

Key Verse: Genesis 9:15a: "and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh."

Suggested Symbol: rainbow

Jesse Tree -- Day 3

(Didn't think to mention this before, but if you don't want to treat this as a family devotional time, or maybe for my precious single friends, this also makes a great personal advent Bible study/devotional. To anyone interested, you still have time to start ... just double-up a couple of days).

Day 3 -- Sin Enters the World

scripture reading: Genesis 3:1-3:24
Man's sin caused him to be put out of the garden and separated from the presence of God.

key verses:
Genesis 3:6 -- "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate."

Genesis 3:24 -- "He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life."

suggested symbols: apple, tree with fruit, serpent

Jesse Tree -- Day 2

Did you start your countdown to Christmas yesterday using the Jesse Tree? If not, don't let that prevent you from doing so! Part of the beauty of this advent countdown is that each day's reading is short, so you can easily combine days 1 & 2 and start today (or combine two days later when you miss one, because, believe me, chances are you'll miss one).

Anyway, here's your info for day two. Blessings, friend, for a simple, joyful Christmas focused on Jesus.

Jesse Tree
Day 2 -- Creation

scripture reading: Genesis1:1-2:3
God created all things perfectly.

key verse: Genesis 1:31
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

suggested symbol: earth or globe

Advent -- a Jesse Tree journey

I had promised, dear friends, to research and publish a list of advent resources. Alas, yesterday, I realized that even if I researched and published it today, you wouldn't have time to make any necessary purchases for it. So ... that's when I got the idea to publish information for an advent display (sometimes referred to as a Jesse tree) here each day.

To do this, I'll be combining information from two resources I own. One is a poster I received in the mail many years ago, and which I have religiously filed away each year after using because I wanted to save it forever. The other is a neat little advent devotional box I purchased at Community's Christmas Bazaar. Both of these resources use scripture and visual images to communicate the redemption story.

For each day in December preceeding Christmas, I'll post (in the morning) a scripture reading and a suggested "symbol" to accompany that reading (my poster has illustrations of symbols, and my devotional box has little leather ornaments with a drawing of an appropriate symbol). How you choose to represent the symbol is up to you. Here's your chance to be as creative as you want to be! (I once knew a lady whose symbols were little ornaments she'd made out of sculpey clay and hung on a miniature tree). I'll be hanging my leather ornaments on a leafless tree branch (I'm aiming for a Martha Stewart minimalist sort of look here). You might want to draw a tree on poster board, then let your kids draw the symbol after each night's reading. Today is day 1, but don't let that discourage you; I believe you can quickly decide what you'll use for your tree and how you'll represent your symbols.

My hope is that this will provide a Christ-centered resource for Christmas -- in the midst of a world that has secularized and commercialized what was meant to be the celebration of His birth.

So ... onto day 1.

Jesse Tree
Day 1 -- Branch

scripture reading: Isaiah 11: 1-2.
God chose Jesse's son, David, to be king -- and it was through this ancestral line that King Jesus -- the one who was promised, the one about whom Isaiah prophesied -- would come. Jesus was born in the line of Jesse 1000 years after David.

key verse: Isaiah 11:1
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."

suggested symbol: tree or tree branch onto which you'll "hang" (or draw, or embroider, or whatever) your ornaments


(NOTE: I just found a jesse tree resource online which provides a coloring page for each day. Some of the days scripture and symbols might not match up with mine, but you still might want to check it out.)