Wednesday, 24 December 2008 00:00 | and posted in Jesus & the Gospels
We hear about Bethlehem again in Micah 5:2 – it doesn’t say much so I’ll quote it here! "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."
Micah was a prophet who was trying to point people back to God. God’s people had been merely paying him lip service and were instead following other gods. They were also behaving in a way that dishonoured God and other people (not at all like today then?!).
Micah was trying to warn people that they needed to change by turning back to God otherwise there would be consequences – their nation would be invaded and they would be dragged off as slaves to live in a foreign land by the invading nation. As it happened, the people didn’t listen and Micah’s warnings became true!
It can all sound a bit doom and gloom, but throughout Micah’s warnings there are glimpses of hope for the people. God promises not to abandon his people in this foreign land; he promises to forgive them; and he promises a new leader will come out of Bethlehem – a leader who will not lead the people astray as the existing leaders were but to lead the people in the way of the Lord. Bethlehem is actually named as the birthplace of this new leader! Wow! That’s accurate prophecy Micah!
But why Bethlehem? That’s the question we’ve been asking the last two weeks and again we ask it here. What’s so significant about Bethlehem? A town which Micah notes is “small among the clans of Judah…” I think this phrase is part of the clue – Bethlehem isn’t really very significant. It was a small town (maybe even village) on the edge of desert wilderness. Jesus, the Son of God, demonstrates his humility to be born in this small, insignificant town and laid in a manger rather than in a grand city in a palace and laid in a luxurious cot.
This new leader is going to be different and lead differently. Like Micah he is going to point people back to God, showing people how to live a life that honours God and one another.
As you celebrate Christmas take some time out to reflect on what happened in Bethlehem 2,000 plus years ago. Our Christian Basic article Love may help you to do this.
Merry Christmas.