The Christmas Story You May Have Missed

It’s said that a good story bears repeating.  And while telling the same story over and over again can become boring and tedious, it seems we never tire of the images we know and love – the angels announcing the birth of the Christ-child; the shepherds cowering in fear as the glory of God filled the night sky; and the wise men following the star and offering gifts to the child.  But one image in that story may hold more significance than you imagined, because for the shepherds who would behold the Child in the manger, the story holds a richness that we may have never fully appreciated.

The prophet, Micah, foretold the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem in this passage that most of us have heard countless times:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”  (Micah 5:2)

That little village about six miles southeast of Jerusalem has a rich history in Scripture that began about 2,000 years before the birth of Jesus when Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, was buried just outside the village. 

So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath that is, Bethlehem. ²⁰ And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.  ²¹ Then Israel (Jacob) journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.  Genesis 35:19-21

God’s amazing story of redemption is woven even more deeply into the prophecy of Micah just a few verses before the more famous passage mentioned above:

…So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever.  And you, O tower of the flock (Migdal Eder), the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”  (Micah 4:7-8)

There it is again!  Did you notice that mention of the Tower of Eder?  Bethlehem was a special place, not just because of its history, but because the lambs raised in the hills north of there were destined for use as sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem.  Migdal Eder was a watchtower just north of Bethlehem, from which shepherds could keep an eye out for threats to the flock.  From the tower, watchful eyes could keep a lookout for packs of wild animals or thieves who might threaten the temple flocks. 

When the temple lambs were to be born, the ewes were brought in from the fields and kept in the cave at the tower’s base, which essentially became a birthing station for sacrificial lambs.  After inspecting the lambs to assure they were unblemished and fit for sacrifice, shepherds, like those in our Christmas story, would bind the newborn lambs with rags, or swaddling cloths, and place them in a manger to keep them calm and free from harm. 

If you re-read Luke 2, you’ll notice the angel only instructed the shepherds: “You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”  While they likely wondered WHY Jesus would be born in a place and manner reserved for sacrificial lambs, they didn’t have to think very hard about WHERE to find Him.  Because there was only one manger where sacrificial lambs were laid – the cave under the Tower of Eder.  The tower had stood as a sentinel for 100 generations before Jesus was born, but it had never witnessed anything like what was to happen that night. 

Those blessed shepherds found the Baby where they expected, and discovered more than they had ever hoped.  That’s what happens when we seek after Jesus.  We encounter all the love and light and hope and life we could ever imagine.  All found in the lovely face of that precious Child.  The One in the manger at Migdal Eder.

May you find what you really seek this Christmas.

Jacob

What’s Past is Passed…On

Genealogy is a big thing.  We all wonder where we came from.  My family has been “in these parts” for over 200 years on both sides of the family.  I’ve found some interesting things by investing some time on an ancestry website.  In fact, I’m anxiously awaiting the results of the DNA test I mailed in a couple weeks ago to see what secrets are hidden in the intricacies of my genetic makeup.  Don’t you wonder sometimes why you look the way you do, or more importantly, why you ACT the way you do?  When you see that picture of your grandmother as a baby, don’t you see a bit or yourself in that face?  I’ve noticed my son sometimes strikes a posture that’s just exactly like my father used to do.  How is that possible?  Because we pass along some part of us to everyone who follows.

Isn’t it interesting that the first recorded words in the New Testament are a genealogy?  I know these are the parts that many of us skip when we read the Bible, but we can’t really know who we are unless we know from whom we’ve descended.  Here’s a part of the text:

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

² Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron…⁵ Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse begot David the king.  David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah…¹¹ Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.  ¹² And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel...¹⁶ And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.   Matthew 1:1-16

While I condensed things quite a bit, I hope you go back to your Bible and read the whole text.  Maybe even go over to Luke 3 and read his genealogy of Jesus (which is different because it traces Jesus through MARY instead of this text that shows us how Jesus is descended legally through Joseph).  I do, however, want to point out a few of the characters in this passage from Matthew.  I’ve show the names in BOLD print so you don’t miss them, but let’s first consider the women listed here.  Listing women in ANY genealogy of the day was virtually unheard of, because women were held in such low esteem.  But God sees these women as critical to the story of Jesus.

Tamar slept with her father-in-law, Judah (he didn’t know it was her, but still…).  Rahab was a harlot who helped the Jews.  Ruth was a foreigner who honored God.  The “wife of Uriah” is Bathsheba, who was taken advantage of by King David.  And, of course, the young woman, Mary, who was chosen by God to bear His Son as a gift to the world.

The men?  There is the first Jew, Abraham, who is an example of faith.  He was followed a couple generations later by Jacob, who was a conniving liar, but who received the blessing of God.  King David, the man after God’s own heart, who messed up terribly with Bathsheba, yet fathered Solomon by her, is among those listed just a few generations before King Jeconiah, who was such a terrible man he was cursed by God.  And lastly, Joseph, who must have been an amazing man to have been chosen as the foster father for the Savior of the world.

What do we learn from all these names, some of which we can barely pronounce?  That God CAN and DOES use even the worst among us if we are available and willing to honor Him.  We can’t change where we were born, like Ruth, and we can’t change who our parents are or the circumstances of our birth, like Solomon.  We may do the wrong things for what we thought were the right reasons, like Abraham and Jacob, but if we believe God, He will use us for His glory.  And even if we live a quiet, simple life, like Joseph and Mary, God may just use us to introduce others to Jesus.

While it may be true that we pass along genetic material and cultural habits to those who come after us, what really matters is whether we pass along the faith and humility that God honors.  Because no matter how my DNA test comes back, I already know I’m a spiritual descendant of Abraham and David and Ruth and Joseph and Mary.  And Jesus.  I’m really hoping one of these days I start looking more and more like Him, and less like that old stinker, Jacob.  But I claim them all, and I’m thankful that they passed on to me the faith to believe in the God who made me who I am, and who made me His own.  Now it’s my job to do the same for those who come after me. 

Jacob 

I Know I Should, So Why Don’t I?

Do you enjoy opening your computer and seeing how many emails you’ve received each morning?  Checking email is the first thing I do each day, especially because my morning paper comes in one of those emails.  How about checking Facebook to see what’s happening with all your friends?  Don’t you love to peruse the pictures and find where and how your friends have been engaged?  It’s certainly an easy way to keep up with the kids or grandkids and your old school chums.  And don’t you just love to open your Bible early in the day to seek out God’s wisdom and truth as you face an uncertain path through life?  Hmmm.  Is that crickets I hear instead of a resounding “Amen”?

Why is it that many of us would rather read emails or scan Facebook and spend perhaps many hours each day doing both, yet we seem to lack the motivation or discipline to crack open the pages of Scripture to allow the Creator of the universe to speak with us?  Your response may be one of these:

“I know I need to study the Bible more, but….”

“I try to have a daily devotional time, but….”

“I have a hard time understanding what I read and I WANT to spend time with God, but….”

If you and I DO take time to open the pages of Scripture, we find passages like this:

 Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!  ¹¹ Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.  ¹² Blessed are You, O Lord!  Teach me Your statutes…¹⁵ I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.  ¹⁶ I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.   Psalm 119:10-16

Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.   Psalm 119:18

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.  ³⁸ Establish Your word to Your servant…   Psalm 119:37-38

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.   Psalm 119:105

God promises us that something amazing will happen when we open and read our Bibles.  We find wisdom, direction, guidance, and even correction.  Paul urged Timothy to use the Word for just those purposes:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

As followers of Jesus, we are challenged to be good stewards of all God provides to us.  That stewardship certainly pertains to the material wealth God gives us.  We must spend and invest carefully to fulfill that requirement.  But TIME is like money.  We only receive a certain amount each day – none of us can claim more.  When we spend our moments and even hours on what the psalmist called “worthless things”, we must ask whether it’s time to change our behaviors.

My faith journey is likely very similar to yours, since we live in the same world, challenged by the same time-devouring possibilities.  Why don’t we covenant together to be more careful with our time?  To make opening God’s work our HIGHEST priority each day?   If you’ll do that with me, we can both enjoy the promise that John penned in the last book he wrote while he was in exile on Patmos:

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.   Revelation 1:3

God doesn’t ask us to spend time in the Word to keep us from other pursuits.  He urges us to do it because He knows we’ll be blessed when we do.  What else can you do that PROMISES a blessing?  I don’t know about you, but I could certainly use the blessing of God in my life!  Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”  (Luke 4:4) 

I don’t miss very many meals.  Now if only I could hunger after God’s Word the same way!

Jacob