itsawonderfilledlife

Week 2
The Promise of the Prophet

Micah 5:2
“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.”

Bethlehem … meaning house of bread.

The prophet Micah told of the setting of the birth of the highly anticipated ruler of Israel. How interesting that, of all the prophesies regarding the birth of the Messiah, the town is mentioned.

From this small town of Bethlehem (once called Ephrathah) came the Redeemer. But, it is also interesting that this was not the first redeemer from Bethlehem, for years before (but still in the line of Jesus) was Boaz, that kin or relative of Naomi, who married her widowed daughter-in-law, Ruth … becoming their kinsman redeemer, providing them a safe and secure future.

Then, generations later, in that same sleepy town, God allowed his Son to be born. A babe, like that first born of Ruth and Boaz, named Obed. Obed was born to a wealthy and prosperous dad, whose roots were deep in this town. Jesus was born to a poor man (Joseph), a carpenter who was just travelling through … no wealth, no roots.

Yet, in this house of bread rose the one from the stump of Jesse … one with deep roots, the one who came to be known as the very bread of life.

When he had called together
all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law,
he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

“In Bethlehem in Judea,”

they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”

Matthew 2:4-6