Promises Fulfilled: A Men's Devotional on Christmasનમૂનો

Born in Bethlehem

The town of Bethlehem is a globally well-known name—now.

Not nearly so famous when Jesus was famously born there.

We know the backstory: due to the Roman emperor calling for a census of the Roman world, every man had to take his family back to his hometown to register. In Joseph from Nazareth’s case, that meant packing up a very pregnant Mary and traveling across the country to the tiny hamlet of Bethlehem (see Luke 2:1-7).

Estimates put the population at the time as anywhere from 200 to 1,000 inhabitants in this sleepy town about 10 km south of Jerusalem. Its claim to fame was that King David was born there, but that hadn’t boosted its prestige much.

But it was important for a very significant reason:

About 700 years before Jesus’ arrival, God promised that the Messiah would be born there.

In today’s verses from Micah, the Word of the Lord promises that Bethlehem, although tiny among all the other towns in the region, would be the birthplace of the Messiah, “whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

In other words, this baby wasn’t just a baby, but the eternal One come to earth.

This week, we’ve previously discussed how God chose the most vulnerable and humble way to come into the world as a baby boy, and now we see Him selecting a small and insignificant town to be where He would be born.

But what made Bethlehem significant wasn’t anything in and of itself. What made it significant to all of Creation is the One who was born in her midst.

And this part of the Christmas story reminds men that God cares about the little things.

Even the tiny detail of Jesus’ birth was something He knowingly promised generations earlier. If the Bible never told us the name of the town, it wouldn’t have affected the Gospel or the Christmas story in any way. But the fact that it does just gives God another moment to show off His foresight and all-knowing ways.

The details were not too small for the Christmas story, and your tiny details are not too small for His Providence and care either (Matthew 10:29). This tiny town was made great by God’s goodness.

A man’s status need not be defined by how “great” life is, but by the greatness of the One who watches over and guides every part.

Prayer: Lord, Your attention to detail and care are incredible! Thank You for watching over my life with the same care that You have watched over everything. Show me the same goodness You showed Bethlehem. Amen.

Reflection: What is a small but important detail of your life troubling you today? Take time in prayer today to give it over to God!