Advent24 - Day 16
Monday – December 16
Read: 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)
Reflect
Jesus of Bethlehem
by Charles Spurgeon
The word “Bethlehem” has a double meaning. It signifies “the house of bread,” and “the house of war.” Ought not Jesus Christ to be born in “the house of bread?” He is the Bread of his people, on which they feed. As our fathers ate manna in the wilderness, so do we live on Jesus here below. Famished by the world, we cannot feed on its shadows. Its husks may gratify the swinish taste of worldlings, for they are swine, but we need something more substantial, and in that blessed bread of heaven, made of the bruised body of our Lord Jesus, and baked in the furnace of his agonies, we find a blessed food. No food like Jesus to the desponding soul or to the strongest saint. The very meanest of the family of God goes to Bethlehem for his bread; and the strongest man, who eats strong meat, goes to Bethlehem for it. House of Bread! Whence could come our nourishment but from you? We have tried Sinai, but on her rugged steeps there grow no fruits, and her thorny heights yield no corn whereon we may feed. We have repaired even to Tabor itself, where Christ was transfigured, and yet there we have not been able to eat his flesh and drink his blood. But Bethlehem, house of bread, rightly you were called, for there the bread of life was first handed down for man to eat.
And it is also called “the house of war,” because Christ is to a man either “the house of bread,” or “the house of war.” While he is food to the righteous, he causes war to the wicked, according to his own word—“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34–36). Sinner! if you do not know Bethlehem as “the house of bread,” it shall be to you a “house of war.” If from the lips of Jesus you never drink sweet honey—if you are not like the bee, which drinks sweet luscious nectar from the Rose of Sharon, then out of the selfsame place there shall go forth against you a two-edged sword; and that mouth from which the righteous draw their bread, shall be to you the mouth of destruction and the cause of your ill.
Jesus of Bethlehem, house of bread and house of war, we trust we know you as our bread. Oh! that some who are now at war with you might hear in their hearts, as well as in their ears the song—
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
And now for that word “Ephrathah.” That was the old name of the place which the Jews retained and loved. The meaning of it is “fruitfulness,” or “abundance.” Ah! well was Jesus born in the house of fruitfulness; Where does my fruitfulness and your fruitfulness come, my brother, but from Bethlehem? Our poor barren hearts never produced one fruit or flower, till they were watered with the Savior’s blood. It is his incarnation which fattens the soil of our hearts. There had been pricking thorns on all the ground, and mortal poisons, before he came; but our fruitfulness comes from him. “I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit” (Hosea 14:8). “All my springs are in you” (Psalm 87:7). If we be like trees planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth our fruit in our season (Psalm 1:3), it is not because we were naturally fruitful, but because of the rivers of water by which we were planted. It is Jesus that makes us fruitful: “Whoever abides in me,” he says, “and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15:5). Glorious Bethlehem Ephrathah! Rightly named! Fruitful house of bread—the house of abundant provision for the people of God!
We notice, next, the position of Bethlehem. It is said to be “too little to be among the clans of Judah.” Why is this? Because Jesus Christ always goes among little ones. He was born in the little one “among the clans of Judah.” Not Bashan’s high hill, not on Hebron’s royal mount, not in Jerusalem’s palaces; but in the humble, yet illustrious, village of Bethlehem. There is a passage in Zechariah which teaches us a lesson: It is said that the man on the red horse stood among the myrtle-trees (Zechariah 1:8). Now the myrtle-trees grow at the bottom of the hill; and the man on the red horse always rides there. He does not ride on the mountain-top; he rides among the humble in heart. “This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).
There are some little ones—“little among the clans of Judah.” No one ever heard your name, did they? If you were buried, and had your name on your tombstone, it would never be noticed. Those who pass by would say, “It is nothing to me; I never knew him.” You do not know much of yourself, or think much of yourself; you can scarcely read, perhaps. Or if you have some talents and ability, you are despised amongst men; or, if you are not despised by them, you despise yourself. You are one of the little ones. Well, Christ is always born in Bethlehem among the little ones. Big hearts never get Christ inside of them; Christ lies not in great hearts, but in little ones. Mighty and proud spirits never have Jesus Christ, for he comes in at low doors, but he will not come in at high ones. He who has a broken heart, and a low spirit, shall have the Savior, but none else. He heals not the prince and the king, but “he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). Sweet thought! He is the Christ of the little ones.
https://pressbooks.pub/prayers/chapter/bethlehem-the-house-of-bread-and-war-by-charles-spurgeon/
Respond
“You do not know much of yourself, or think much of yourself; you can scarcely read, perhaps. Or if you have some talents and ability, you are despised amongst men; or, if you are not despised by them, you despise yourself. You are one of the little ones. Well, Christ is always born in Bethlehem among the little ones… Christ lies not in great hearts, but in little ones… He who has a broken heart, and a low spirit, shall have the Savior, but none else. He heals not the prince and the king, but ‘he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds’ (Psalm 147:3). He is the Christ of the little ones.” Worship Him!
Rejoice
The First Noel
The first Noel the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
And by the light of that same star
Three Wise Men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
This star drew nigh to the north-west
O’er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both stop and stay
Right o’er the place where Jesus lay
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Then entered in those Wise Men three
Fell reverently upon their knee
And offered there in his presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made heaven and earth of naught
And with his blood mankind hath bought
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Read: 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)
Reflect
Jesus of Bethlehem
by Charles Spurgeon
The word “Bethlehem” has a double meaning. It signifies “the house of bread,” and “the house of war.” Ought not Jesus Christ to be born in “the house of bread?” He is the Bread of his people, on which they feed. As our fathers ate manna in the wilderness, so do we live on Jesus here below. Famished by the world, we cannot feed on its shadows. Its husks may gratify the swinish taste of worldlings, for they are swine, but we need something more substantial, and in that blessed bread of heaven, made of the bruised body of our Lord Jesus, and baked in the furnace of his agonies, we find a blessed food. No food like Jesus to the desponding soul or to the strongest saint. The very meanest of the family of God goes to Bethlehem for his bread; and the strongest man, who eats strong meat, goes to Bethlehem for it. House of Bread! Whence could come our nourishment but from you? We have tried Sinai, but on her rugged steeps there grow no fruits, and her thorny heights yield no corn whereon we may feed. We have repaired even to Tabor itself, where Christ was transfigured, and yet there we have not been able to eat his flesh and drink his blood. But Bethlehem, house of bread, rightly you were called, for there the bread of life was first handed down for man to eat.
And it is also called “the house of war,” because Christ is to a man either “the house of bread,” or “the house of war.” While he is food to the righteous, he causes war to the wicked, according to his own word—“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34–36). Sinner! if you do not know Bethlehem as “the house of bread,” it shall be to you a “house of war.” If from the lips of Jesus you never drink sweet honey—if you are not like the bee, which drinks sweet luscious nectar from the Rose of Sharon, then out of the selfsame place there shall go forth against you a two-edged sword; and that mouth from which the righteous draw their bread, shall be to you the mouth of destruction and the cause of your ill.
Jesus of Bethlehem, house of bread and house of war, we trust we know you as our bread. Oh! that some who are now at war with you might hear in their hearts, as well as in their ears the song—
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
And now for that word “Ephrathah.” That was the old name of the place which the Jews retained and loved. The meaning of it is “fruitfulness,” or “abundance.” Ah! well was Jesus born in the house of fruitfulness; Where does my fruitfulness and your fruitfulness come, my brother, but from Bethlehem? Our poor barren hearts never produced one fruit or flower, till they were watered with the Savior’s blood. It is his incarnation which fattens the soil of our hearts. There had been pricking thorns on all the ground, and mortal poisons, before he came; but our fruitfulness comes from him. “I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit” (Hosea 14:8). “All my springs are in you” (Psalm 87:7). If we be like trees planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth our fruit in our season (Psalm 1:3), it is not because we were naturally fruitful, but because of the rivers of water by which we were planted. It is Jesus that makes us fruitful: “Whoever abides in me,” he says, “and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15:5). Glorious Bethlehem Ephrathah! Rightly named! Fruitful house of bread—the house of abundant provision for the people of God!
We notice, next, the position of Bethlehem. It is said to be “too little to be among the clans of Judah.” Why is this? Because Jesus Christ always goes among little ones. He was born in the little one “among the clans of Judah.” Not Bashan’s high hill, not on Hebron’s royal mount, not in Jerusalem’s palaces; but in the humble, yet illustrious, village of Bethlehem. There is a passage in Zechariah which teaches us a lesson: It is said that the man on the red horse stood among the myrtle-trees (Zechariah 1:8). Now the myrtle-trees grow at the bottom of the hill; and the man on the red horse always rides there. He does not ride on the mountain-top; he rides among the humble in heart. “This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).
There are some little ones—“little among the clans of Judah.” No one ever heard your name, did they? If you were buried, and had your name on your tombstone, it would never be noticed. Those who pass by would say, “It is nothing to me; I never knew him.” You do not know much of yourself, or think much of yourself; you can scarcely read, perhaps. Or if you have some talents and ability, you are despised amongst men; or, if you are not despised by them, you despise yourself. You are one of the little ones. Well, Christ is always born in Bethlehem among the little ones. Big hearts never get Christ inside of them; Christ lies not in great hearts, but in little ones. Mighty and proud spirits never have Jesus Christ, for he comes in at low doors, but he will not come in at high ones. He who has a broken heart, and a low spirit, shall have the Savior, but none else. He heals not the prince and the king, but “he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). Sweet thought! He is the Christ of the little ones.
https://pressbooks.pub/prayers/chapter/bethlehem-the-house-of-bread-and-war-by-charles-spurgeon/
Respond
“You do not know much of yourself, or think much of yourself; you can scarcely read, perhaps. Or if you have some talents and ability, you are despised amongst men; or, if you are not despised by them, you despise yourself. You are one of the little ones. Well, Christ is always born in Bethlehem among the little ones… Christ lies not in great hearts, but in little ones… He who has a broken heart, and a low spirit, shall have the Savior, but none else. He heals not the prince and the king, but ‘he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds’ (Psalm 147:3). He is the Christ of the little ones.” Worship Him!
Rejoice
The First Noel
The first Noel the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
And by the light of that same star
Three Wise Men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
This star drew nigh to the north-west
O’er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both stop and stay
Right o’er the place where Jesus lay
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Then entered in those Wise Men three
Fell reverently upon their knee
And offered there in his presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made heaven and earth of naught
And with his blood mankind hath bought
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
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