But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. – Micah 5:2
Have you ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle? You open the box and dump out all the pieces onto the table, then begin looking for corners and edges and pieces to start putting the picture together. Things are just a jumble as the pieces are placed, until the image begins to emerge. Old Testament prophecy can seem like a similar jumble at first. You find one piece and then another scattered throughout Scripture, until the time that God finally reveals the entirety of the portrait. Living in the 21st century, you have the benefit of hindsight, as the pieces come together to reveal the coming, birth, life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus.
Today’s verse is one of those puzzle pieces concerning the place where Jesus would be born. And Scripture was precise, for there were two Bethlehems in Israel at the time of Jesus—one in Judea just south of Jerusalem, and one in Galilee. The one in Judea was also known as Bethlehem of Ephrathah. Bethlehem of Galilee was in Zebulun territory. Under the decree of Caesar Augustus, Joseph was required to go to his ancestral home—the Bethlehem of Judea (Luke 2:1-5).
In this season, you may sing, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” It certainly was little. One commentary says, “The primary significance of Bethlehem is its very insignificance.” Its name means “house of bread,” and, indeed, it would be the birthplace of the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Theologian and professor Charles Davis wrote, “We see a frequent tendency in God’s ways, for God is prone to choose the obscure, the insignificant, the lowly, the common, the unnoticed as the very instrument through which he displays the brightest flashes of his glory.”
The message of the prophet Micah and the prophecies of others, and their fulfillment in the birth and life of Jesus, provide you with confidence that the Word of God is true in its entirety. Remember this as you sing, “O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.” Pray that the message of Christmas will bring more Americans to consider Who He is and why He came, and turn to Him for salvation.
Today’s Verse: Micah 5:2
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Luke 2:1-7
2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
