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Bible story · Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1–7
Out of Bethlehem
Read it yourself in the King James Bible: Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1–7 ↗
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Micah 5:2 (KJV)The Story
About seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah made a remarkably specific prediction. The ruler of Israel, the One whose origins go back to eternity, would come from a small town called Bethlehem.
Centuries passed. Bethlehem stayed small.
Then, far away in Rome, the Emperor Caesar Augustus decided to take a census of the whole empire. Everyone had to go to their family’s hometown to register.
Up north in Nazareth, a carpenter named Joseph had to make the long trip south, because he was from the family of David, and David’s hometown was Bethlehem. He took Mary with him. She was engaged to him and expecting a child.
While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for the baby to be born. There was no room for them in the inn. So Mary gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger.
Reflection
Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth. Left to themselves, the baby would have been born there. It took a decree from the most powerful man in the world to move one young couple to the right town at the right time.
More Bible stories from Micah. More about: Christmas · Mary, Mother of Jesus
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Day 22 of Book 6
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