But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
– Micah 5:2
Bethlehem was a small town about five miles south of Jerusalem. It was the place where Jacob’s wife, Rachel, died and was buried (Genesis 35:19). But otherwise, it was an insignificant little town except for two very important births. The first was the great grandson of Ruth and Boaz, his name was David. Yes, that David, the king of Israel.
The second birth was prophesied by Micah around the eighth century B.C., generations after David and centuries before the Messiah would be born. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah … from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.”
Throughout the story of Jesus’s birth, we see repeated examples of God using the small and insignificant to carry out His purposes. Mary and Joseph were a poor couple from Nazareth, a country town far north of the cultural hub in Jerusalem. The first witnesses to Christ’s birth were shepherds working the night shift. He was born among the animals and placed in a manger. And all of this happened in Bethlehem, that was “too little to be among the clans of Judah.”
And yet, this small, insignificant birth in this small, insignificant town was important enough to attract attention from hundreds of miles away. The familiar account of the wise men began with Micah’s prophesy. The group (probably a lot more than three, by the way) traveled from somewhere in the east, likely Babylon, because they knew the ruler of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
– Matthew 2:1–6
What an amazing picture of God’s upside-down economy. In Jerusalem, the “regular folk” were headed to the temple, seeking out those with power: the priests and teachers, the wealthy class, those with political power. But in Bethlehem, this group of learned men sought out the baby of a poor, unimportant couple.
God doesn’t need worldly power and influence to achieve His purposes. He demonstrates that over and over in the Bible and in our lives. That’s the lesson we can take from Bethlehem. In fact, the less significance a place or person has in the world, the more glory God gets by using them! If you think you are weak, unimportant, or small, congratulations! You’re right where God wants you.
Family Discussion
What are some surprising ways you’ve seen God work in your life?
If you could give Jesus a gift like the wise men did, what would you give Him?
