God Choices For The Birth Of His Son

A wealthy Boston family held a christening party after the baptism of their baby. Guests and friends swarmed into their palatial home. Soon the party was in full swing. People were having a wonderful time enjoying talking to one another, eating, drinking and being merry. Suddenly somebody asked, “By the way, where’s the baby?” Instantly the mother’s heart shuddered. In questioning panic, she left the room and rushed into the master bedroom where she had left her baby sleep in the middle of their large bed. There, on the bed, she found a huge pile of guests’ coats. The mother rushed to them and began to fling them aside as she clawed down to the bottom of the pile. To her horror, she found the baby dead, smothered by the coats of her guests.

Many times, we are too overcome by the stress and the outward appearances of the season that we let the true meaning of birth of baby Jesus smothered by them.

We would have heard the story of Christmas many times but often times, we miss the little details that are the key factors pertaining to His birth.

Today, we shall meditate on 4 lowly things/persons that God chose for His birth.

1. Choice of the town for the birth of the Saviour

Micah 5:2 - O Little Town of Bethlehem

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting”

The town of Bethlehem was located about 8 km south of Jerusalem. This is actually an ancient town that dates all the way back to the patriarch Jacob (roughly 38 centuries ago).

Bethlehem has not always enjoyed much peace. On the contrary, the town is known for bloodshed and war in history. There have been archeological evidences of the Canaanite warlord asking the King of Egypt for skilled archers to help him reconquer Bethlehem. During Joshua’s conquest, the town came under the tribe of Judah. However, during king Saul’s period, it became a Philistine garrison (2 Samuel 23:14-16) until it was recaptured by king David. It later was controlled by the Greeks and then the Romans.

At present, Bethlehem lies in the West Bank – the land which is under seemingly endless dispute between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

In short, a very fragile peace pervades the birth town of Jesus.

And this makes one wonder: Why, of all places, did God chose Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus? The answer is found in Micah’s prophecy foretold about 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.

a. Sign of His humility

Micah 5:2 - But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah

There were other more prominent cities in Judah that God could have chosen.

Hebron – famous as the place where our patriarchs lived before; or better still, Jerusalem– the place where Solomon built the Temple and where the Kings of Judah had reigned. In fact, this place seems to be a fitting one for the birth of the One destined to be our Great High Priest and the King of kings!

However, God deliberately chose Bethlehem. This town was so insignificant in the tribe of Judah that we do not find it in the list of Judah’s towns in Joshua 15 or in Nehemiah 11. It was not even one of the 6 cities of refuge in Israel. Neither was it included in the list of Levitical cities (48) where the priests would reside.

The only reason Bethlehem became famous was that King David belonged to this town. Now, David’s humble beginning also lies in the fact that he came from this town of no importance.

When Saul offered to make David his son-in-law, David replied, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” (1 Samuel 18:18)

Likewise, the Lord chose the insignificant town of Bethlehem to represent his humble beginning on earth. Oh, not just in Bethlehem, but in a lowly stable in Bethlehem – where donkeys and cows give birth! Can there be any place of lesser importance? No! Out of the many thousands of towns in Judah, God deliberately chose the least for Christ to be born.

Philippians 2:7 - but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

‘No reputation’ here literally means ‘nothing’. The humble path that began with Christ being born in Bethlehem made this even more obvious continued throughout His earthly life and ultimately ended at the cross to die the worst kind of death reserved for the worst criminals of the society.