Destination: Bethlehem (by guest Stefana Laing)

“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” (Micah 5:2).

I have visited Israel three times, the first of which included Bethlehem. While there, my father baptized me in the Jordan River. On the third trip, the closest we could approach Bethlehem was to visit Rachel’s Tomb, a moving experience in itself. Through Benjamin and Joseph, Rachel is linked to both Israel and Judah, and so is a matriarch of all Israel.

A Little Town with Huge Significance

For such a “little town,” Bethlehem is connected with some significant people and events. Its very name is intriguing, as it seems to be tied to Ephrath(ah), a wife of Caleb, one of the twelve spies that scouted out Canaan. Their great-grandson was named Bethlehem, after whom the city might have been named when the Israelites entered the Promised Land. A nearby town named Caleb-ephrathah may link the names of husband and wife. The double name “Bethlehem Ephrathah” indicates the prosperity of the region.

“Ephrathah” means fruitful, and “Beth-lechem” means “house of bread” representative of the abundance of grain in the area. The double name also distinguished the city of Jesus’s birth and the home of Joseph’s ancestors from another Bethlehem in Israel’s north. The gospel writers are clear that the Bethlehem they meant was the one in the south, specifically Bethlehem Ephrathah in Judah, the hometown of King David.

In some ways, this little town fulfills its double name, for God works through human circumstances to bring about abundance and fruitfulness from the line of this anointed king. God’s favor rested on him so that He sealed an everlasting covenant with David through the prophesied Messiah, who came from David’s hometown and David’s line.

Bethlehem witnessed the unfolding of salvation history for at least two millennia by the time of Jesus. Jacob buried his beloved Rachel near Bethlehem Ephrath after she died in childbirth. Even as she cried out in labor, she was told that she would bear a son. Today the tomb is visited by newly-wed women, praying for healthy children and by women experiencing infertility, miscarriage, or infant death.

Bethlehem’s fields were overseen by Elimelech and Naomi at one point, but when famine struck, they left Bethlehem. Naomi returned after losing Elimelech and both of her sons. Her faithful daughter-in-law, Ruth, returned with her. The fields of barley and wheat witnessed the blossoming love of Ruth and Boaz, as God graciously provided a full pantry and a kinsman redeemer.

The City Gate

Bethlehem’s city gate witnessed the faithful like Boaz, whose actions paralleled the Messiah’s divine redemption. Bethlehem’s gate witnessed the elders’ blessings to Boaz for the building of his household and the fame of his name. It heard the joyful celebration of praise as the townswomen gathered around Naomi and her new “son,” Obed. The gate saw Obed’s son, Jesse, meet the prophet Samuel to anoint Israel’s greatest king, David.

Bethlehem heard the lament of captives headed into exile, first by the Assyrians and later by the Babylonians. The prophet Jeremiah passed through Bethlehem on his way into his own exile in Egypt. Seventy years later, the Lord restored the people to the land. Bethlehem witnessed the rejoicing of the next generation of exiles who returned and resettled there to start over.

Hope of the World

And so as we reach the culmination of Advent. The Savior comes…to Bethlehem in the womb of a virgin.

“Joseph went up…to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed… And while they were there…she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger…And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field…and an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…and the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:4-11).

Bethlehem’s fields had witnessed a lot over two millennia, but nothing like the glorious events on the night of Christ’s birth. Hope is fulfilled in the birth of the Messiah. Micah prophesied a ruler from Bethlehem who would shepherd God’s people, so it is appropriate that Bethlehem’s shepherds are first to hear the “good news” from heavenly messengers. They are also the first to testify to God’s amazing work, “glorifying and praising God” as they left the manger. God delivered on His promise by sending His Son to the little town of Bethlehem, on the periphery of royal Jerusalem.

That night in Bethlehem’s fields was a moment of rejoicing to hold onto in times of darkness.

“Swift are winging,
Angels singing,
Noels ringing,
Tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all!”