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A Deep and Dreamless
Sleep
“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 everlasting.”
– Micah 5:2
The prophetic words of Micah, spoke of a location that was
small by stature in those days. Bethlehem means house of bread and Ephrathah means fertile in the original
Hebrew, and was used to distinguish this location from Bethlehem of
Zebulon. This prophetic verse is well
known as it describes from where the Messiah will come. It is referenced in the New Testament as King
Herod sought to extinguish the rise up of the new King and is quoted as being
fulfilled in the in the birth of Jesus Christ.
This small city was nestled in the hill side a few hours walk from
Jerusalem (about 6 miles) and was known in that time as the city of David’s
birth and the city of Rachel’s death.
When Caesar Augustus puts forth the decree that a census be taken of the Roman Empire, could he have known that he was in fact being used by God Almighty to put in motion the fulfillment of this prophecy? The obvious answer is no. For it to happen in the late term of Mary’s pregnancy could only be God inspired, controlled and ordained. As Joseph loaded their things onto the small donkey, and gently set his pregnant wife upon the animal, was this prophecy upon his mind? From the time of the prophet Micah, God is silent to the Israelites for 400 years. So, the chance that Joseph was thinking about this as he and Mary left Nazareth is highly unlikely. But, I must imagine over the course of the trip to Bethlehem he had to be pondering the magnificence of God’s timing.
We know from scripture that Joseph had been visited by the angel of the Lord, to declare that indeed Mary was carrying the Messiah. From that moment on, I must believe that Joseph had poured over the ancient scrolls and prophecies regarding Messiah and sought God’s directions in preparing for this event. I know I would if I were in his sandals. At some point in his studying, Joseph had to have read Micah 5:2. The real question is did he grasp the meaning from Micah’s text and correlate it to the child that Mary was carrying.
God’s ability to bring the entire plan to fruition exactly as it had been prophesied 400 years earlier is the richness of this story. Taking a step back and watching the events unfold in perfect sequence over the span of time opens our eyes to how God works. For four hundred years He was quiet, and then in 1 year put the plan into motion. What was the trigger? What was it that made God decide to choose Mary and Joseph, during the reign of Caesar Augustus in Rome and King Herod in Jerusalem? Why then was the timing perfect for Him to begin executing His plan? These are all reasonable questions to ask, and I’m sure there is a perfectly sound answer to every one of them. But none of that matters. It could have happened 399 years earlier, if God wanted it to.
God is sovereign and all powerful. His plan and timing is perfect in all things. Who are we to question His perfection and demand answers from the most holy. The sooner we get our heads around the fact that God is in control and doesn’t need our approval to execute His plan, the more peaceful and simple our walk with God becomes. Complete trust, faith and confidence in Him is required even today. For we have waited nearly 2000 years for Christ’s return, much like the Israel nation in Joseph’s day. We have read the scriptures, studied the Word and seen that It has all been mapped out for us, yet some and many will miss it when it happens. Don’t let this be you.
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Sondove Enterprises, 2012When Caesar Augustus puts forth the decree that a census be taken of the Roman Empire, could he have known that he was in fact being used by God Almighty to put in motion the fulfillment of this prophecy? The obvious answer is no. For it to happen in the late term of Mary’s pregnancy could only be God inspired, controlled and ordained. As Joseph loaded their things onto the small donkey, and gently set his pregnant wife upon the animal, was this prophecy upon his mind? From the time of the prophet Micah, God is silent to the Israelites for 400 years. So, the chance that Joseph was thinking about this as he and Mary left Nazareth is highly unlikely. But, I must imagine over the course of the trip to Bethlehem he had to be pondering the magnificence of God’s timing.
We know from scripture that Joseph had been visited by the angel of the Lord, to declare that indeed Mary was carrying the Messiah. From that moment on, I must believe that Joseph had poured over the ancient scrolls and prophecies regarding Messiah and sought God’s directions in preparing for this event. I know I would if I were in his sandals. At some point in his studying, Joseph had to have read Micah 5:2. The real question is did he grasp the meaning from Micah’s text and correlate it to the child that Mary was carrying.
God’s ability to bring the entire plan to fruition exactly as it had been prophesied 400 years earlier is the richness of this story. Taking a step back and watching the events unfold in perfect sequence over the span of time opens our eyes to how God works. For four hundred years He was quiet, and then in 1 year put the plan into motion. What was the trigger? What was it that made God decide to choose Mary and Joseph, during the reign of Caesar Augustus in Rome and King Herod in Jerusalem? Why then was the timing perfect for Him to begin executing His plan? These are all reasonable questions to ask, and I’m sure there is a perfectly sound answer to every one of them. But none of that matters. It could have happened 399 years earlier, if God wanted it to.
God is sovereign and all powerful. His plan and timing is perfect in all things. Who are we to question His perfection and demand answers from the most holy. The sooner we get our heads around the fact that God is in control and doesn’t need our approval to execute His plan, the more peaceful and simple our walk with God becomes. Complete trust, faith and confidence in Him is required even today. For we have waited nearly 2000 years for Christ’s return, much like the Israel nation in Joseph’s day. We have read the scriptures, studied the Word and seen that It has all been mapped out for us, yet some and many will miss it when it happens. Don’t let this be you.
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