Five Minute Friday - Behold!

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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

behold your God

lo and behold

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Behold! Voilá! Look and see! Pay attention!

Behold is a word that comes from Old English, with an original meaning sort of like "thoroughly take hold" of something. It became an exclamation used to draw attention to something, to announce something startling or important that others should pay attention to. 

Many translations of the Bible use this English word in the angel's announcement to the shepherds:

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people."

~Luke 2:10~

That is something startling and important indeed! The shepherds were already startled and terrified by the sudden appearance of angels, but here's the part they were told to pay special attention to - the good news for all people! God has the angel put some extra exclamation points on this amazing revelation - it's in big bold font, lighting up the sky, with the host of heaven singing it!

You bet they paid attention! I imagine it took their collective breath away, and they needed a moment to pick their jaws up off the floor field, and stare at each other in amazement; and then a hot minute to decide they were going to hightail it into town to "see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." (Luke 2:15)

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them . . . The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. ~Luke 2:16-18, 20

God told them to pay attention and they did. And then they spread the news, because the angel had said it was news that would bring great joy to all people. I suspect they went to their families, and then their friends and neighbors, and anyone else they met, saying, "Guys!! Behold!!! You're not gonna believe this, but it really happened! A whole army of angels showed up while we were at work, and told us the Messiah had been born, right here in town! We went and checked it out and it was exactly what the angel told us - He's here!! God kept his promise and sent the Messiah!" They probably told that story to everyone they talked to for the rest of their lives. 

The prophets had been telling Israel to "pay attention!" to what God was going to do. He would come to be with them, and it would change everything.

O Zion,

You who bring good tidings,

Get up into the high mountain;

O Jerusalem,

You who bring good tidings,

Lift up your voice with strength,

Lift it up, be not afraid;

Say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"

~Isaiah 40:9~

Behold! Voilá! Look and see! Pay attention!

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your King is coming to you;

He is just and having salvation,

Lowly and riding on a donkey,

A cold, the foal of a donkey.

~Zechariah 9:9~

Behold! Voilá! Look and see! Pay attention!

Thoroughly take hold of this. It's startling, it's important, it's amazing. God sent the Messiah just like He promised He would. It was good news then, and it is good news today, and it brings great joy to all people. We celebrate that good news during the Advent and Christmas seasons, but it's good news that brings joy year round and to all people.

Behold! Voilá! Look and see! Pay attention! Thoroughly take hold of it, and see how it changes you. God has come to us, God is here with us now, and it is good news that brings great joy to all people.

 

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"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS."

~Luke 1:31~

This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Behold".

This post will also be linked at Scripture and a Snapshot hosted by Just A Second and at Inspire Me Monday.

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