Monday, December
16, 2024
Matt 2:6
6 And thou Bethlehem,
in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of
thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people, Israel.
There
are actually two towns named Bethlehem in the Bible. One is
Bethlehem,
or Beit-Lahm, means “house of flesh or bread.” It was the birthplace of another
king named David (1 Samuel 16:4-13). There is a church still existing, built by
Constantine the Great (A.D. 330), called the "Church of the
Nativity," over a grotto or cave called the "holy crypt," and
said to be the "stable" in which Jesus was born. This is perhaps the
oldest existing Christian church in the world. (From
In
the margin of my old red-backed Bible there is an explanation that the word “rule”
used in Matthew 2:6 is the Greek word poimanei which actually means “to
tend as a shepherd; to feed.” This is the work of the shepherd king. Well-fed
was well led and it reminds us of the benefits mentioned in Psalm 23.
God
favors the insignificant. He loves to pit David against Goliath. He prefers Gideon and his
handful of soldiers with pitchers and lamps. He loved
Mic 5:2
2 But thou, Bethlehem
Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee
shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth
have been from of old, from everlasting.
O Little Town Of
Words: Phillips Brooks
Music: "
O little town of
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
O holy Child of
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell.
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
Dear Lord, favor your
small and insignificant servants today. AMEN
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