“…though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2
Dear Ones:
How small was Bethlehem in the time of David’s youth? No one knows for sure, but there is no doubt that it was small. Micah calls it, as applied to the time of the birth of Christ to be, “…LITTLE among the thousands of Judah.” Why then does God choose Bethlehem, the home of David’s family to be the birthplace of the Messiah, the eternal King, and Savior of the world? Just as significant as its “littleness” is that the fact that in the obscurity of that littleness, and apparent insignificance, there will be the revelation of this One spoken of by Isaiah: “For unto us, a child is born, a Son is given, and the government shall rest upon His shoulders.” (Is. 9:6) Remarkably, in the wisdom and goodness of God, an angel, shining in His glory, in the stillness of a probable cloudless night near Bethlehem, would declare to simple shepherds: “I bring you good tidings of GREAT JOY, which shall be to ALL people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem) a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10,11) Why does God choose an obscure, small town, a stable, a manger, to reveal the birth of the most important, and greatest person the world has ever known, or will ever know? Can it be that the perspective of God is different from that of men with regard to “value” and “worth?” What IS true worth?
When it came time for God to designate who was to succeed Saul as King of Israel, Jesse was summoned to bring his sons before Samuel. But when the time came for his sons to pass before Samuel, God told Samuel that He had refused them, except for David. The reason was very clear: “…for the Lord sees NOT as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7) We begin to see here that “worth” in God’s eyes is not necessarily what man sees, or perceives. True “worth” is determined, and set by God. It is never with regard to the outward “great” appearance, but upon what is in secret, in the obscure, what shall be REVEALED. True worth has its beginning, end, and essence IN God, IN Christ, whatever the outward appearance.
In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he wrote: “For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1:26) Why is this? Is it that God is not just in His calling? No, but rather that most men will not truly respond to His call. Further in the passage we find this written concerning God’s dealings with men, “…that NO flesh should glory in His presence.” (v.29) When Christ came into this world, there was no “glorying” of man, in man, only rejoicing in God, and His goodness. Why does God work in the “obscure,” the hidden way? It is because of the pride of man, who by nature, is always looking for a way to usurp the glory of God in calling it his own. You will remember that this was the case of Gideon, to whom God gave the commandment that he was to face his enemies with a greatly reduced number of men. From a human standpoint, this was illogical. But God’s reason for it was very clear: “….The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, and say, ‘Mine own hand hath saved me.'” (Judges 7:2)
There were those that saw the “greatness” of God in Jesus’ day, in the form of a baby. One was Simeon, and the other was Ana. Both were godly individuals to whom the Spirit of God revealed WHO this child was. The greatness of God, and eternal worth, was “hidden” in a baby child. Scripture tells us that this “greatness,” “…grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2:40) It is only when Jesus is twelve years old, that we get a glimpse of the slightly revealed greatness. This was when He responded to His parents who were seeking for Him, “Did you not know that I MUST be about my Father’s business?” ( 2:49)
Dear Father, please give us grace to look beyond the “physical” to that which is eternally true, and of everlasting worth. Open our eyes to see the Lord Jesus in His glory, worthy to be loved and served. Give us to be led as was Simeon and Ana, to behold the “Salvation of the world,” in His great worth and beauty. Grant us to be absolutely captivated by His Person, His work, and His calling. We praise and thank Thee in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad