I live thirty miles from Bethlehem. In fact, many citizens of my home country live near a Bethlehem as there are eighteen cities with that name in the United States. And although I live so near the charming town nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I have never paid a visit to Bethlehem, North Carolina. Like many of you, my feet have never stood on the soil of the city of David either, but my mind has often been transported to a manger there some twenty centuries ago, where the miracle of the incarnation was unveiled, a miracle we ponder especially during this time of year.
The prophet Micah told us that Bethlehem would have a glorious future, even though it was considered “little among the thousands of Judah” (Mic 5:2 KJV). When Judah was being allotted their inheritance in Joshua 15, there were around 100 cities and towns named. Bethlehem was not one of them. When Sennacherib, king of Assyria, conquered Judah, he named 46 towns in his annals. Bethlehem was not one of them. In Micah’s message, the significance of Bethlehem seems to be its insignificance! Yet God spoke to this town and promised, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah … from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.”1 Bethlehem would be the place of Messiah’s birth. God chooses the obscure, the insignificant, the lowly, the common, the unnoticed to display the greatness of His power. And He still does this today, using people like you and me, so that no flesh may glory in His presence (1Co 1:29).
Another promise God made to this town was that the coming ruler in Israel would be “from of old, from ancient days.” The Messiah would have roots that go back to ancient days. And since Bethlehem was just mentioned, the obvious reference would be to the days of David, who was the son of “an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse” (1Sa 17:12). Bethlehem came to be known as “the city of David” (Luk 2:4). Micah’s readers would equate Bethlehem Ephrathah with “Davidsville” and think of what God promised to David in 2 Samuel 7, telling him that a King would come from his line who would establish his throne and his kingdom forever. God had not forgotten His promise “from of old, from ancient days.”
But we shouldn’t miss two critical words in this glorious prophecy to Bethlehem: “for me.” The one who is to be ruler in Israel will come forth “for me,” i.e., for God. This is similar to what the Lord said to Samuel, “I have provided for myself a king among his [Jesse’s] sons” (1Sa 16:1). The Messiah will come forth for God and will advance His kingdom and accomplish His purposes. And what God wants is what matters most.
These Bethlehem promises serve as precious gifts and still bring great encouragement in at least three ways: (1) God delights to use that which is lowly, (2) God will always come through on His promises, and (3) God will receive from the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the glory He deserves as Christ fulfills God’s plan. These reminders are good gifts, not just on Christmas day but any day of the year.
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the ESV unless otherwise noted.
