EARTH was waiting spent and restless,
With a mingled hope and fear;
And the faithful few were sighing,
‘Surely, Lord, the day is near;
The Desire of all the nations,
It is time He should appear?’
Still the gods were in the temples,
But the ancient faith had fled;
And the priests stood by their altars,
Only for a piece of bread;
And the oracles were silent,
And the prophets all were dead.
In the sacred courts of Zion,
Where the Lord had His abode,
There the money-changers trafficked
And the sheep and oxen trod;
And the world, because of wisdom,
Knew not either Lord or God.
Then the spirit of the Highest
On a Virgin meek came down,
And He burdened her with blessing,
And He pained her with renown;
For she bare the Lord’s Anointed
For His cross and for His crown.
Earth for Him had groaned and travailed
Since the ages first began;
For in Him was hid the secret
That through all the ages ran—
Son of Mary, Son of David,
Son of God, and Son of Man. ~ Walter Chalmers Smith
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
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