God Came Near

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might

Who to thy tribes on Sinai's height

In ancient times didst give the Law

In cloud, and majesty and awe

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

I have to confess: yesterday, I broke the law. Repeatedly and unapologetically. I had a meeting in another city, and it ran late into the evening. I was anxious to get home, so I drove a little fast. Well, not fast for me, but fast according to the white signs along the road. Did I think about the fact that I could get pulled over and ticketed? Yes. But did it stop me from breaking the law? Sadly, no. (For the record, I did not get either pulled over or ticketed.)

As lightly as we take some laws in our time and place, the Law was everything for the ancient Hebrews. The Law, given by God through Moses at Mount Sinai, defined who they were, set them apart from the people around them and gave shape to everything in their daily lives. Were there those who took it lightly? Certainly, but for the devout and orthodox Hebrew, the Law was the centerpiece of their lives.

In the first century, the people were waiting (as we've said) for the Messiah to come, to fulfill the Law, to prove once and for all to the world that God's way was the right way. They expected Messiah to come in a way similar to the way God showed up on Sinai: in cloud, majesty, awe and, most importantly, power! They did not expect the Lawgiver to show up as a baby—and in a manger, of all places! This one who was all-powerful, who directed the way they would live, came as a helpless babe, unable even to feed himself. How did the God of the universe end up in such a lowly state? And, more importantly, why?

The "how" I can't begin to explain, but I think I have a good idea about the "why." When God came down on Mount Sinai to give the Law, in cloud and majesty and awe, the people had to back away from the mountain. They couldn't even touch the mountain for fear of being overwhelmed. They would die if they came too close. But God became "Emmanuel," God With Us, so that we could see him, touch him, hug him and be near him. We could get close without fear of death. There's a place for power, majesty and awe, but God knew the only way we'd really hear what he had to say was if he came near.