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Monday, December 21, 2015
Jeff Lampl
Christmas in Bethlehem
Monday, December 21, 2015
Jeff Lampl
Christmas in Bethlehem
“Mobilize!
The enemy lays siege to Jerusalem! With a rod they shall strike the Judge of
Israel on the face.
"O Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are but a small Judean village, yet you will be the birthplace of my King who is alive from everlasting ages past!"
God will abandon his people to their enemies until she who is to give birth has her son; then at last his fellow countrymen—the exile remnants of Israel—will rejoin their brethren in their own land. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and his people shall remain there undisturbed, for he will be greatly honored all around the world. He will be our Peace.” Micah 5:1-6 (TLB)
"O Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are but a small Judean village, yet you will be the birthplace of my King who is alive from everlasting ages past!"
God will abandon his people to their enemies until she who is to give birth has her son; then at last his fellow countrymen—the exile remnants of Israel—will rejoin their brethren in their own land. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and his people shall remain there undisturbed, for he will be greatly honored all around the world. He will be our Peace.” Micah 5:1-6 (TLB)
Micah,
an 8th century BC contemporary of Isaiah, foresaw a time when Israel
would fall under the military assault of an alien power.
We know that Israel did fall to Babylon (Iraq) in 586 BC.
But
Micah wasn’t done with his prophecy.
He also foresaw a woman giving birth to a son, a new kind of ruler, who
would reunite his people, provide for their needs, rule with strength and
majesty would be honored around the world. And indeed, “He will be our
peace.”
A new kind ruler arising out of Israel would reestablish the nation and
bring it peace. Recall
some of Jesus’ last words
"I
am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a
gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid" (John
14:27).
Seven
hundred years later the Grande Miracle occurs.
God merges Himself with humanity in a peasant teen, Mary, while He at the
very same time plays chess with world history by moving his pawn, Caesar
Augustus, to call a census which would cause Mary and Joseph to have to go to
Bethlehem to register in the town of their ancestry, thus fulfilling another of
the many prophecies of the coming of God Himself to earth.
Are
you amazed yet?
And humbled?
Of
Course God still isn’t finished.
The
picture above is an artist’s attempt to show us how the Prince of Peace
hasn’t finished His work.
The picture depicts how, if Mary and Joseph set off from Nazareth to
Bethlehem today, they would cross 11 Israeli checkpoints, a security check and a
30’ wall.
Yet
the day is coming . . . . . !!!!!!
For
more:
follow on Twitter @jefflampl
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