Not a Creature Was Stirring 

“A mere trifle.” 

That’s how Clement Clarke Moore referred to the little poem he wrote for his children on Christmas Eve, 1822. Initially titled, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas”, it has become known as, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”, or sometimes, “The Night Before Christmas”. 

Clement Clarke Moore was a brilliant scholar who, after earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from what is now Columbia University, he taught Oriental and Greek Literature, Divinity, and Biblical Learning at Episcopal General Theological Seminary in Manhattan, NY. 

Because of his academic stature at the seminary, he was resistant to let the poem be published at all. But at the insistence of his children, he allowed them and a friend to submit it the following year to The Sentinel, a York, New York-based newspaper thinking that no one would see it. He was adamant that it be published anonymously. The poem appeared in print on December 23, 1823. 

Mr. Moore’s poem went “viral” in the mid-1800’s and with it he created several of our Santa-based traditions. For instance, the Old Man’s apparel and appearance come from Moore’s ride to the market earlier on Christmas Eve to buy the Christmas turkey. Supposedly the driver of the sleigh was jolly, red-cheeked, with a white beard and furry overcoat. Hence we have Santa’s appearance: 

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The legendary addition of elves and the existence of a Santa’s workshop may have come from this line in the poem: 

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

The entryway for Saint Nicholas (aka: Santa Claus) into people’s living rooms was addressed as well. How does the Old Man get into our homes? 

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He exits the same way. 

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

Alas, Clement Clarke Moore never wanted the kind of notoriety that he has received from this whimsical verse. He wanted only to be known for his teaching and his other writings like the ever-popular books he wrote: 

Hebrew and English Lexicon

Observations Upon Certain Passages in Mr. Jefferson’s Notes on Virginia: Which Appear to Have a Tendency to Subvert Religion and Establish a False Philosophy

George Castriot, Surnamed Scanderbeg, King of Albania.

Ignorable. 

There was someone who many thought was a “mere trifle.” But He was King of kings, Lord of lords. Because He was born to a peasant girl in a stable, He was ignored and sometimes threatened in His lifetime. This season, read about Him and recognize Him for who He was: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Home For The Holidays 

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10) 

If you are traveling by airplane for the holidays, this story might have more significance than others. 

Man has been fascinated with flight since the beginning of time. As far back as the ancient Chinese in the 4th century B.C., humans have tried to harness the wind and fly above the ground like birds. A kite was man’s first attempt at flight, though somewhat unsatisfying because he could only observe from the ground. 

Leonardo Di Vinci, in the mid-15th century A.D., drew over 100 designs for a flying machine, but Di Vinci was often ahead of his time in so many ways. 

Then, in the late 19th century, the manned glider was invented, but man’s flight was controlled by the wind itself. Many glider flights ended in tragedy because the pilot had little or no control of his direction. 

It was not until just before Christmas, December 17, 1903 that Wilbur and Orville Wright of Dayton, Ohio perfected the design for a true flying machine. 

By trade, the brothers were bicycle and printing press builders. Both of these were not only noble professions but lucrative as well. They could have been very satisfied with their careers. But they dreamed bigger. Using the research of many others before them, the sons of Milton and Susan Wright, camped out on the eastern seaboard at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina for three summers. There they worked on a “fixed-wing” flight design. 

After two summers, however, the brothers had become discouraged. They were sure that man would someday fly, but that he would never fly during their lifetime. Fortunately, the men did not give up. In the summer of 1903 after building a gasoline-powered engine that turned propellers, Orville and Wilbur decided to stay past their usual season as the fall temperatures started to plummet. They decided to keep trying despite the weather and the coming holidays. On that December morning, Orville piloted the lightweight spruce-constructed muslin-surfaced Wright Flyer I off the ground for 59 seconds with Wilbur running along beside. The flying machine’s altitude reached 10 feet. 

After Wilbur and Orville made their momentous flight, they naturally wanted to share the news with their family back home in Dayton, Ohio. They sent a telegram to their sister, Katherine, telling her of the flight and that they would be home to celebrate Christmas. When Katherine excitedly ran to the newspaper office with the news, she was surprised when the editor looked at the message and exclaimed, “Oh great, the boys will be home for Christmas.” In the next morning’s paper, the headline read, “Popular Local Bicycle Merchants Home for the Holidays.” 

The point of this story is that the editor supposedly missed the impact of the message. Excited that his friends would be home for the holidays, he ignored the biggest news of the century. Man had flown! 

In the excitement and preparations for Christmas, it’s easy to miss the point of the season. God had come to earth. No matter what else you might hold dear at Christmas, don’t miss the reason why Jesus came: to give us eternal access to our Heavenly Father.

The Bible’s message of God’s love and forgiveness is eternal and enduring, but the life experiences of the people who first received the Word are much different than our lives today. No one needs to explain to us what smartphones and social media are, but a first-century Christian would have no knowledge or frame of reference for them. In the same way, what was obvious to those first hearers has no context in our lives or culture. There is much that the biblical writers did not need to explain to their contemporary audience because it was simply understood.

The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible bridges these gaps in our knowledge and provides the missing clues that can unlock the subtleties we may miss. When you hear the message according to its authentic, original cultural setting you can better understand the issues addressed and apply them to your life today. Its many features have been adapted to the Bible Study App to provide you with the best possible experience. See how these features can help you explore more fully, and understand more intuitively, God’s Word.

Features:

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• Maps: A multitude of color maps will help you visualize the geographic context of your Bible reading
• Cross References: The cross-reference system aids in deeper study of the Bible’s themes, language, and concepts by leading you to related passages on the same or similar themes
• Charts: Charts provide quick visual summaries of important Biblical information. Charts help to define and explain terms or summarize and explain important background information throughout the text.
• Introductions: In addition to standard introductory materials (such as who wrote the book, to whom, and when) introductions inform readers about the larger cultural and political context in which a book was written.

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