Day 7
Day 7
Micah 5: 2
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Backwater?
How the mighty had fallen! There had been times in Israel’s history when Bethlehem had been the place to be seen. When Jacob’s wife Rachel died she was buried at Bethlehem, but when we then get to a list of prominent towns in Joshua chapter 15, Bethlehem isn’t even mentioned. During the reign of King David, Bethlehem had again seen something of a revival, as this was King David’s home town. But by the time we get to Micah’s prophecy at some point between the 8th-5th century BC, Bethlehem is again a forgotten backwater; a bit like an English seaside town that was forgotten once package holidays to the sun became popular.
And yet…
In this forgotten backwater, God was at work. Quietly, out of sight and out of mind, God was bringing about salvation, not just for Bethlehem, but for all. And not just in unlikely places, but in unlikely people as well. A village carpenter and his teenage fiancé. A rag tag group of fishermen, tax collectors and doubters. And you and me…. Hope for the world. In the unlikeliest of places.
Richard
