Micah 5:2
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah;
From you One shall come forth for Me [who is] to be Ruler in Israel,
His goings forth (appearances) are from long ago,
From ancient days (the days of eternity).”
God put on my heart to start a series called "Kingdom Bakery." It is most fitting to start with this season in Bethlehem: House of Bread! That is what Bethlehem means, "House (place) of bread" in a city in Judah overlooking Jerusalem about five miles south. Ephrathah means "fruitfulness". Throughout the Old Testament, there were many prophecies all with the same message of this soon coming King. Why Bethlehem?
In the Old Testament Jesus' great grandfather, King David, who was once a shepherd, was from the town of Bethlehem. He also wanted to build a Temple for God, however, out of his sin God would not allow David to build the temple. That task was given to David's son Solomon. Instead, David bought land in Bethlehem overlooking Jerusalem for temple lamb sacrifices to be born. This field was not just Bethlehem the city or the backyard of some inn. Jesus was to be found in a manger (cave) in this small area "Ephrathah" also known as Migdal Eder " Tower of the Flock" or "Shepherd’s Field." This is the location where royal temple lamb sacrifices were being bred. Ephrathah sits on the border of the city in the most remote part of the hill country (Judges 19:1). In Ephrathah many watchtowers were built to protect these lambs day and night (1 Chronicles 11:7). Priestly shepherds would identify these lambs that were clean, pure, and without any defect, wrap the lamb in linen cloth and bring the lambs to the priest to be sacrificed. The stables in this area were ceremonial clean which was alined with rabbinical holiness. So when the angels tell the shepherds that there is a sign, a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger (Luke 2:12) the shepherds knew the symbolic nature of the baby being a sacrificial lamb for the whole world. It was a priestly duty that the shepherds paid attention to Jesus's birth, witnessing to the fact that Jesus was indeed qualified to be the perfect and holy last sacrifice, a spotless "Lamb" without blemish (1 Peter 1:19).
Why is this important? We all watched Charlie Brown and heard the birth story.. Well.. Jesus, born the "Bread of Life" (John 6:48) in the city called the "House of Bread" was destined recipe to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Like the shepherds who claimed to have seen the Lamb of God. Your testimony, which was the sweet fruit of ingredients to your faith as it flourished in His glory when you met Jesus, is just what someone needs right now to get through their storm. You can conquer anything you are going through by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony (Revelation 12:11). Reach out and be a blessing this Christmas season, your testimony might just save their life.
Matthew 2:5-8 (Amplified Bible)
5 They replied to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what has been written by the prophet [Micah]:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are not in any way least among the leaders of Judah;
For from you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
Micah 4:8 (Amplified Bible)
8 “As for you [Jerusalem], tower of the flock [of Israel],
Hill and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem’s inhabitants),
To you the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the Daughter of Jerusalem [when the Messiah reigns in Jerusalem, and the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled].
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