Shoulder To Shoulder #1271 -- 12/27/21 Title: "The Perfect Time, Place, and Purpose -- Thoughts on Christmas" (Part Four -- The Shepherds, The Fields, the Lamb!)
Posted by: lifeunlimited1010 <lifeunlimited1010@...>
We Fight the Good Fight of Faith"
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of
encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics
selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and
courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is a personal letter
of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up
hands that hang down".
"The
world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but
by those who watch them without doing anything."
-- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly
kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and
think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends
nobody,
and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, --
and is worth nothing.”
Shoulder To Shoulder #1271 -- 12/27/21
Title: "The Perfect Time, Place, and Purpose -- Thoughts on
Christmas" (Part Four -- The Shepherds, The Fields, the
Lamb!)
My Dear Friend and Pilgrim Partner:
Greetings today from west central Illinois and Galesburg, the birthplace of Carl Sandburg. Jo Ann and I are
making a quick five-day trip to Illinois to spend a belated
Christmas with two of our daughters and their spouses, along
with two of our grandchildren. This will be the first time
since 2016 that we have been with family at Christmas. Such
is the plight of many a pastor. Shepherds tend to take
seriously the care and feeding of their sheep, so many
remain at the fold while others travel to distant places to
celebrate with family and friends. Pastors and missionaries
are not so fortunate. Yet, while they may feel sad and
disappointed, they seldom resent their limitations.
This year, however, we felt it necessary to make the trip.
Since we sold our Ozarks home of 24 years last Summer and
moved half way across the continent to the desert of
Arizona, we feel the need to be with at least part of our
family this season. We will still miss Debbie and her
tribe, and also Cindy and hers -- and a host of
grandchildren, of course. Jo Ann and I still remember those
rare moments of many years ago when 24 of us from four
generations would gather at our wooded seclusion to share
Christmas together. The kids (and a few sons-in-law) would
have snowball "wars", we'd enjoy ham and turkey and
trimmings galore, and we'd gather in the family room around
the Christmas tree, sing carols while Great Grandpa played
the piano. Then one of the grandchildren would read the
Christmas story from Great Grandpa's Bible, we'd pray -- and
then wrapping paper flew all directions as we'd spend the
next three hours opening gifts -- and then head to the
kitchen to finish off more food.
Our flight was uneventful -- and comfortable as can be expected for a
no-frills airline that uses seats that don't recline and provide leg
room for an eight-year-old. Deanna, Jim, and JoyLinn met us at the
Peoria airport and, after a 45 mile drive, we arrived at our motel,
moved into the room -- and then moved to another room right after we had
unpacked everything and water began leaking from above into our
bathroom. But, now we're tucked in, and looking forward to some great
family time. Cheri and Bob have come down from St. Paul, but we'll
still miss Debbie and her clan, and also Cindy and Kevin in South
America. It appears a Zoom call is in order Wednesday evening.
As I finish up this letter, I find that it is snowing -- and snowing
heavily. That's a far cry from what we left yesterday in Yuma. One of
our daughters and her husband are to arrive momentarily to pick us up
before the snow is too heavy, so let's get right to it.
Sunday I preached the fourth and final sermons in this
year's Christmas series, and because of so many positive
comments about my sharing some of those thoughts with you
and others the past three weeks, I'll do the same today.
Today our focus will be on "The Lamb of Bethlehem". Looking
back through past "Shoulder To Shoulder" letters, I find
where I had shared some of these thoughts in 2018. So, I
hope you won't be disappointed. I still remember when these
"pieces of the puzzle" suddenly fell into place during the
Summer of 2018 while teaching through the Gospel of John at
our RV park's weekly Bible study group. We were studying
Jesus' first entry into Jerusalem following His wilderness
temptation and baptism in the Jordan.
After healing a man by the Pool of Bethesda -- used in
ancient days to wash the lambs before presenting them to the
priests for sacrifice -- Jesus entered Jerusalem through the
Sheep Gate, the gate adjacent to the temple grounds where
the lambs were taken for those sacrifices. Suddenly the
dots between Egypt, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem connected.
Like electricity instantaneously flowing the moment the
breaker switch was thrown, the imagery of Bethlehem burst
into glowing truth. Immediately I began digging deeper into
related topics -- the fields, the shepherds, the sheep
themselves.
So, this is what I'd like to share again with you. I'll do
so right after you take a look at . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
+ Arise Ukraine: I don't normally promote products or
ministries in my letters, but there are two for whom I want to make an
exception (beside ours, of course 😁 ), and this is one of them. Paul
Logan has been a determined missionary to Ukraine for nearly 30 years --
training young people to share the Gospel, equipping pastors,
ministering to the poor, etc. I don't know of a single ministry with
the scope like this one. They have an awesome website, and I'd urge you
to check it out -- and consider some kind of financial support for the
ministry. Right now they have two major projects going on -- providing
food, coal, and wood for the destitute left stranded in eastern Ukraine
where all the fighting has gone on for over five years; and the
construction of a new building for a church, ministry training center,
storage facility, and administrative offices. Please take time to check
Paul, his ministry, and his team out at https://ariseukr.com/. The
pictures tell much.
+ Joel and Ira Calon -- One Challenge International: --
Affiliated with One Challenge, International, in Colorado Springs, Joel
and Ira also minister in Ukraine in training missionaries, church
planting, teaching, translating, and hospitality through their Elegance
Flowers and Coffee Shop. Their ministry was a "start-from-scratch"
vision several years ago that has now developed into an evangelism
training school sending young men and women to numerous countries as
missionaries and church planters. Because of the nature of their
ministry and some of the places their team members go, I don't know of a
website that explains their work. However, they do have a Facebook
page and e-mail address where you can contact them for information.
They are facing numerous challenges just now, and I'd encourage you to
pray for them, and also consider partnering with them. You can contact
them at [email protected].
QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:
> "The Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of
the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of
grace and truth." -- John 1:14
> "Once in our world, a stable had
something in it that was bigger than our whole world." --
C.S. Lewis
> “All the Christmas presents in the
world are worth nothing without the presence of Christ." --David
Jeremiah
> “Jesus was God and man in one person,
that God and man might be happy together again.” --
George Whitefield
> “You can never truly enjoy Christmas
until you can look up into the Father’s face and tell him
you have received his Christmas gift.” -- John R.
Rice
> “The only people who soul can truly magnify
the Lord are...people who acknowledge their lowly estate
and are overwhelmed by the condescension of the
magnificent God.” -- John Piper
> “Into this world, this demented inn in
which there is absolutely no room for him at all, Christ
comes uninvited.” -- Thomas Merton
> "The very purpose of Christ's coming
into the world was that he might offer up his life as a
sacrifice for the sins of men. He came to die. This is the
heart of Christmas." -- Billy Graham
> "For as many as receive Him, to them He gave
the right to become the children of God." -- John
1:12
THE TOWN, THE SHEPHERDS, AND THE SHEEP:
Setting the Stage:
The more I study the story of Christ's birth, the more
clearly I see its vast panorama that reaches back into the distant past
and far into the vast future. We know that in general terms, of course;
but to actually dig into some of the specifics is another story. I
have no idea how many times I have studied the subject over the past 30
years, but each time reveals something new to me. The mercy and grace
of God as expressed in His Son is truly magnificent, mind-boggling, and
abundant.
My interest in the background to the
shepherds and other characters in the Christmas story has led me to research and
write on a number of things concerning the Incarnation of Christ I
first began writing about some of the secondary characters
connected to the birth of Christ ---- people like Zacharias,
his wife Elizabeth, Joseph, the Magi, the "Innkeeper", old
Simeon in the temple, and others. Then three years ago as I was
teaching the Gospel of John in our RV park Bible study group in Greer, AZ, I
ran across Jesus' first entry into Jerusalem following His baptism when He healed
the man at the Pool of Bethesda. When I saw what the pool
had been used for in earlier days, and then noted the gate
through which Jesus entered Jerusalem immediately after the
miracle, the wheels really began to turn.
It has been an exciting journey ever since, and I never tire
from another visit to this amazing Christmas topic. There
is something so mysterious . . . so magnificent . . . so
miraculous . . . about how the stories and events of the
Bible somehow end up being linked together. This is the
case with the story of the birth of Christ. Names, places,
practices, and events that seem to have no relationship to
each other we find today . . . . thanks to research,
archaeology, the discovery of ancient documents, etc. . . .
are linked together in some mysterious and divine way. You
would think God might have some ind of divine plan in mind.
So, let me run a few things past you for your consideration:
1. The Town: Bethlehem is
mentioned a total of 49 times in the Bible, and for the very
first time in Genesis 35. Jacob had just gone through 21
years of challenges and hardships, due to his uncle's
deception and his own stubbornness, had had an encounter
with God that left him mesmerized, had been reunited with
Esau whom he had deceived, and had journeyed back toward the
land of his grandfather, Abraham, settling in Shechem where
he bought property on which to live. While there, his
daughter Dinah was raped, her brothers took revenge, which
resulted in a major uprising against Jacob and his clan.
As a result, Jacob left and went to a place he had been
before . . . Bethel. It was a place of fresh beginnings and
a new focus for his family. He took all the false gods and
amulets from his family and buried them under a tree in
Shechem and went to Bethel where he made an alter to God and
entered into a new covenant with the God of his grandfather,
Abraham. God gave him a new name, Israel.
After offering up a sacrifice offering to God, they left and
headed toward Ephrath, another name for Bethlehem. Before
they arrived, the love of Jacob's life, Rachel, gave birth
to a son named Benjamin, but tragically died as a result of
childbirth. Jacob (now Israel) bought a piece of property
just outside of town and buried Rachel there.
Bethlehem, or Ephrath, which means "house of meat" in Arabic
and "house of bread" in Hebrew, was located about six miles
south of Jerusalem. Most scholars believe Ephrath was the
ancient Canaanite name and Bethlehem was the Jewish label.
Gen 48:7 indicates it is the same place. That's not unusual
for Old Testament places ---- Bethel, for example, was known
also as Luz. Following Rachel's burial, Jacob traveled a
short distance and "pitched his tent beyond the tower of
Eder." That was a reference to a tower, "Migda Eder"
which means, "tower of the flock". Keep that name in
mind; it will prove to be very important.
Few people know that, according to some scholars, Bethlehem
was initially named after a Canaanite fertility god, Lehem,
who was one of many gods found in the Pantheon of ancient
Mesopotamian culture. The earliest known mention of the
city was in the Amarna correspondence of 1350–1330 BCE
during its habitation by the Canaanites. It is the hometown
of Boaz, a Benjamite, who married the Moabite woman Ruth,
who was widowed when Bethehem native Naomi's son died
prematurely.
Ruth went back to Bethlehem with Naomi where Boaz married
her as her "kinsman", covering her according to Jewish law.
she ended up becoming the great-grandmother to the
Shepherd-King, David. The Bible indicated that Bethlehem
became one of several fortified cities, established by
Rehoboam to protect the people in and around Jerusalem, also
known as Jebus (II Chron 11:5-6).
Some people who have been skeptical that Mary and Joseph
would have traveled for seven to ten days with her being so
pregnant, and that the real Bethlehem is a small one up in
the region of Galilee just a day or so travel from their
home in Nazareth. It only takes a cursory look at the times
the town is mentioned to know that such an argument is
baseless. In almost all cases, Bethlehem is noted as
Bethlehem-Judah, Bethlehem Ephrata, or is mentioned in
relationship to Migdal Eder (tower of the flock) or to the
hometown of King David. There is no doubt that it is
Bethlehem just outside of Jerusalem.
Scripture identifies Bethlehem as the city that David was
from and where he was crowned as the king of Israel after
the prophet Samuel went there and anointed him. In fact, in
I Chronicles 11 where David and his "mighty men" came
against Jebus (Jerusalem). and as king, David kept his royal
flock outside of Bethlehem, as we will see later. We
already know of course that Bethlehem was prophesied to be
the birthplace of the Messiah (Mic. 5:2; cf. Matt. 2:6; John
7:42), and fulfilled by the birth of Jesus Christ (Matt.
2:1,5; Luke 2:4,15), and the related stories of the
shepherds and the Magi's visit with King Herod.
Herod's bloody rampage centered in Bethlehem because of the
Magi's report of what they had seen in Micah's prophecy
(Matt. 2:8,16). Matthew's account of Herod's murderous act
indicates it to be a fulfillment of the prophet Jeremiah's
prediction of Rachel weeping over the death of her children
at Ramah. Thus says the LORD, "A voice is heard in
Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping
for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her
children, Because they are no more." Remember that
Ramah is where Rachel was buried by Jacob when she gave
birth to Benjamin. It is actually a sister town to
Bethlehem, so again we see the accuracy of biblical
prophecy.
Christian pilgrims actually began visiting Bethlehem within
about 100 years of Christ’s birth because they already
believed that it was where Christ was born. The Bible, of
course, makes that clear to you and me.
A final thought about Bethlehem: Two years ago I ran across an
article reporting a recent archaeological discovery. Let me
quote it verbatim so as to avoid any error on my part:
History of Bethlehem Documented by First
Temple Period Bulla from the City of David
Jesus’ Birthplace in Ancient Bethlehem Confirmed
as an Israelite City Centuries Earlier
Biblical Archaeology Society Staff July 16,
2019
This First Temple Period bulla, found in the City
of David, is the earliest known mention of ancient
Bethlehem. This artifact extends the archaeological
history of Bethlehem closer its Hebew Bible narratives.
On May 23, 2012 the Israel Antiquities Authority announced
the discovery of a 2,700 year old bulla bearing an
inscription reading “Bethlehem.” The discovery marks the
earliest known mention of ancient Bethlehem, a city best
remembered as Jesus’ birthplace centuries later. A
bulla, or stamped piece of clay used to seal a document or
container, was used to mark the identity of the sender or
author of a document, and was an essential means of
marking ownership in ancient transactions. The 1.5 cm
bulla found at the City of David in Jerusalem bears the
inscription:
Bishv’at
Bat Lechem
[Lemel]ekh
Ancient Bethlehem plays a central role in the
Hebrew Bible before its New Testament prominence as Jesus’
birthplace. First mentioned in the Bible as Ephrath in
Genesis 35 during the burial of Rachel,* ancient Bethlehem
played an important role in the life (and birth) of King
David. The city, located just 5 miles south of Jerusalem,
is best known from the Gospels as Jesus’ birthplace.**
Despite the extended Biblical history of the city, the
discovery of the bulla is the first archaeological
evidence extending the history of Bethlehem to a First
Temple Period Israelite city.
Excavation director Eli Shukron gave a dramatic
interpretation of the bulla in the IAA press release. “It
seems that in the seventh year of the reign of a king (it
is unclear if the king referred to here is Hezekiah,
Manasseh or Josiah), a shipment was dispatched from
Bethlehem to the king in Jerusalem. The bulla we found
belongs to the group of “fiscal” bullae – administrative
bullae used to seal tax shipments remitted to the taxation
system of the Kingdom of Judah in the late eighth and
seventh centuries BCE. The tax could have been paid in the
form of silver or agricultural produce such as wine or
wheat”. Shukron emphasizes, ”this is the first time the
name Bethlehem appears outside the Bible, in an
inscription from the First Temple period, which proves
that Bethlehem was indeed a city in the Kingdom of Judah,
and possibly also in earlier periods.”
2. The Fields:
According to historians and geologists, the area was a
fertile and rich area where grain, olives, grapes, and other
fruits grew in abundance because of the ready resource of
water. It was built directly atop an aquifer of incredibly
fresh water, and was ideal for agriculture and animal
husbandry. The story of Boaz, among others, portray the
area as rich in agricultural production. The water supply
was so abundant that a huge reservoir was built there as a
fresh water supply for Jerusalem because Jerusalem's water
was contaminated by the abundance of animal sacrifices being
conducted in the temple.
According to biblical commands, two daily sacrifices . . .
one in the morning and one in the evening . . . were offered
every single day of the year. Add to that special personal
sacrifices plus those pertaining to special sabbats and
feasts, and you can imagine how easily the water supply
could have been contaminated. The water was in such
abundance than a second reservoir was later constructed just
south of Bethlehem.
The fields not only contained vineyards and orchards, but
also produced an abundance of grass and grain, ideal for
raising sheep. So, raising sheep and goats was a major
industry in the area. The fields came to be known as "the
shepherds' fields". The "fields of Boaz" were also nearby,
possibly also known by that title as well. Unfortunately
most of the material written about the fields are about the
debate as to exactly which of three major alternatives were
the actual site of the fields referenced in Luke's account
in chapter two. But, the general consensus seems to be that
the fields were just east of Bethlehem at a lower elevation
than the town itself, and close to the neighboring village
of Beit Sahour, and that they were either the same as the
fields of Boaz or at least adjacent to them.
3. The Shepherds and their Sheep:
There were shepherds, and then there were shepherds. All
shepherds tended the flocks for which they were
responsible, but these particular shepherds were likely not
the shepherds you thought they were -- nomadic wanderers They all fed,
watered, sheltered, sheared, healed
and protected sheep. That was not only their jobs, but it
was their 24/7 lifestyle.
However, some shepherds were
specially trained to care for special sheep. They were
known as "Levitical Shepherds" because they were under the
supervision of the Levitical Priesthood, and, in fact, were
part of the Levitical Priesthood itself. They were also
called "The Temple Shepherds" because of their role in
taking care of special sheep used in temple sacrifices.
In the Jewish Talmud we learn that the sheep which were to
be used for the daily sacrifice in the temple were to be fed
in the Bethlehem pastures. To quote from "Chaimbentorah"
website,
"These shepherds had charge of the most important
sheep of all, the seh or sacrificial
lambs. Such sheep were not left entrusted to just one
shepherd but a team of shepherds, most likely from the
tribe of Levi. They provided round the clock watch. . . .
The Bible clearly says they were watching their sheep by
night. The Greek words used here is 'phulassontes
phuloakas' which literally means guarding in the
guardhouses of the night.
"The shepherds in Bethlehem who were guarding (not
watching) these sacrificial lambs worked around the clock
sleeping in established guard houses when not on their
shift. These pastures were specifically owned by the
temple for the raising of the yearling ewe lambs. These
were not your nomadic shepherds wandering all over the
place. A sacrificial lamb had to be without blemish and
without spot so they required extra special care and only
the best of the best shepherds were chosen for this elite
task of guarding these little lambs."
The Levitical Shepherds took care of these special flocks
from which came lambs to be used in the offering of
sacrifices for Israel's sins. They were extraordinary
shepherds who had been chosen and trained to attend the
flock of sheep that were to be used as sacrificial lambs in
the Temple. Sacrificial lambs had to be “spotless and
without blemish.” They required special treatment and
observing. According to the laws of the time, the sheep that
were used for the offerings had to be a one-year-old male
sheep that had been born from a special flock of sheep kept
separate from the others. When they were ready, they were
taken to Jerusalem to be sacrificed on the Sabbath in the
Temple.
These shepherds were responsible for caring for the ewes who
were pregnant and about to give birth. In some ways they
were like "veterinary midwives" because they were to do
everything possible to see that the ewes were healthy and
protected until they were taken to a special tower or
cave.where the lambs could be born in a safe and clean
environment.
When the mother ewe was preparing to give birth, she was
taken to that special birth place ---- a specific designated
cave or to a special tower called, Migdal Eber, "The tower
of The flock", to give birth to the sacrificial Iambs.
Because there was such a tower in the shepherds fields on
the edge of Bethlehem, it is probable that is was the
tower. I'll talk about that a bit later. Whether it was
the tower or a cave, it was kept sterile and clean for the
arrival of newborn sacrificial Iambs. The newborn lamb was
immediately wrapped in clean swaddling cloths to protect it
and keep it from injury, blemish, and danger.
We are not told that the shepherds about which we read in
Luke 2 were part of the Levitical shepherds, but neither is
there any indication that they were not. But, based on
custom and the Levitical rules of temple worship, the
probability is very high. Also, in the announcement by the
angel, we see some hints that they very likely were. Look
at what the angel said; --
In the same region there were some shepherds
staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their
flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood
before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them;
and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to
them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news
of great joy which will be for all the people; for today
in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you
will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to
God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom
He is pleased." When the angels had gone away from them
into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another,
"Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing
that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."
If we could see more deeply into the wording of that first
statement, I think we'd find that it is describing specific
shepherds guarding specific fields containing specific
flocks. This was a shepherding country, and this could have
been said of any number of shepherds, fields, and flocks.
However, it seems that the statement, as well as
extra-biblical records and known practices indicate strong
specificity. That's the first clue. Next, s far as I can
recall, whenever a reference is made to God's glory being
present, it is evidence of God Himself being present. It is
rare that God's glory is seen apart from God's presence.
Then the announcement itself would be a tip off to the
shepherds as to what was happening and where they should go
to see the evidence. As members of the Levitical
priesthood, they were doubtless men who had been well versed
in scriptures from their childhoods. They knew the law and
the prophets well, and obviously knew the prophecies
concerning their coming Messiah. They would have known the
angel was announcing the fulfillment of prophecies stated by
Isaiah and Micah.
Finally, because they were specially chosen and highly
trained shepherds to care for an incredibly special and
sacred flock of sheep, only the most amazing thing would
have caused them to abandon their post of protecting the
sheep consecrated to God for sacrifice. Abandoning the
sheep for any reason was unthinkable to them. So when the
amazed shepherds (recorded in Luke 2) hurried to see the
great wonder that the heavenly host proclaimed, they arrived
to gaze upon a baby born in the place where Passover lambs
were born, swaddled like a Passover lamb. The spiritual
significance would not have been lost on those Levitical
shepherds: Jesus’ birth pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, the
paschal lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
No wonder they rushed to the site to see the greatest
miracle of history.
4. The Tower:
Towers were commonplace throughout the land. Some were like
what we would call silo's, designed for storing grain.
Cities, such as Jerusalem, had watch towers every so often
as part of the city's protective walls. Watchmen would man
them looking out for weather changes, caravans, or advancing
armies. Some towers would serve as arsenals and observation
posts for soldiers. Many towers also served as
communication networks where lookouts were stationed to
receive and pass on messages sent by compatriots in other
towers. Other towers were used for specialized purposes
such as lookout posts for guarding communities, property,
vineyards, orchards, or domesticated animals.
There was such a tower in the Shepherds Field, and in this
particular biblical narrative, it is clear that it had a
specific purpose. It is true that it could have been part
of Rehoboam's security system referred to in II Chron 11,
but there is little doubt regarding its purpose at the time
of Christ's birth. The Old Testament book of Micah, the
prophet, is one of the most overlooked book in the Bible
even though it contains two of the most significant
prophecies concerning the coming Savior of the world.
"And you, O tower of the flock, (Migdal Eder) hill
of daughter Zion, to you it shall come, the former
dominion shall come, the sovereignty of daughter
Jerusalem." (Micah 4:8 NRSV)
"But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,who are
one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come
forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is
from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give
them up until the time when she who is in labour has
brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his
flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the
name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for
now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and
he shall be the one of peace." (Micah 5:2-5 NRSV)
Eusebius of Caesarea (AD 265-340), also known as Eusebius
Pamphili, was a highly educated historian of Christianity,
an exegete of scripture, and Christian polemicist who served
as the bishop of Caesarea Maritima about 314 AD. Together
with Pamphilus, He was acclaimed as a scholar of the
Biblical canon and acknowledged to be of the most extremely
learned Christian of his day. He indicated in his historical
writings that the tower, 1000 paces from Bethlehem, marked
the place where the shepherds received the angel’s message.
It was called Migdal Eder, "tower of the flock".
In his classic book, The Life and Times of Jesus the
Messiah, author Ralph Edersheim writes in volume two,
“This Migdal Edar was not the watchtower for the ordinary
flocks that pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond
Bethlehem, but it lay close to the town, on the road to
Jerusalem. A passage from the Mishnah (Shekelim 7:4) leads
to the conclusion that the flocks which pastured there
were destined for Temple sacrifices…”
…What are we to make of all of this information from the
writings of the rabbis? First, we know that Migdal Edar
was the watchtower that guarded the Temple flocks that
were being raised to serve as sacrificial animals in the
Temple. These were not just any flock and herd. The
shepherds who kept them were men who were specifically
trained for this royal task. They were educated in what an
animal, that was to be sacrificed, had to be and it was
their job to make sure that none of the animals were hurt,
damaged, or blemished. These lambs were apparently wrapped
in “swaddling cloths” to protect them from injury and also
used to wrap the Lord Jesus."
5. The Lambs:
That as soon as the ewe was brought into the tower where the
lamb was to be born, if it was a male, it was immediately
wrapped tightly with "swaddling clothes". Swaddling cloth
was made of white linen, much like the linen undergarment
worn next to the skin by the high priest. The swaddling
clothes were used in order to restrain and calm the lamb
down and keep it from being injured in some way so that it
would no longer qualify as a sacrifice in the temple.
These sacrificial offerings were performed twice each day,
one in the morning and one in the evening, meaning that the
temple required between 700 and 800 such lambs every year,
depending on the calendar used. In addition, there were
other special Sabbath days and religious observances such as
Passover (Paschal) that required more. In all, more than
800 lambs were needed per year were taken into Jerusalem to
be sacrificed.
The need for lambs was so extensive that people were able to
buy sacrificial lambs and doves (if they were very poor) in
the event that they had none of their own, or in the event
that their own first-born sacrifice had become dirty,
injured, or otherwise disqualified enroute to the temple.
In order to understand how important a pure sacrifice was to
the Mosaic law, you must recognize two things ---- the
"despicability" of all that was unclean, and the necessity
of a sin offering's sacrifice being as completely pure and
clean as possible. This is what drove the sacrificial
system of the Children of Israel according to the laws God
gave them.
Purity and separation were at the heart of the system. So,
imagine just how important it was that the shepherds fields
were attended by qualified and skilled Levitical shepherds
whose primary responsibility was to make sure that only
pure, spotless, undefiled, perfect male lambs were
delivered, protected, and kept pure in order for the sin
needs of the people to be forgiven and cleansed.
So, imagine what might have gone through the minds of the
Jewish people who learned of a special lamb to comb who
would be spotless without blemish, and would die just One
Time, and for All People of all nations.
> Rom 6:10 -- "For the death that
He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life
that He lives, He lives to God."
> Heb 7:27 -- ". . . who
does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up
sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins
of the people, because this He did once for all when
He offered up Himself."
> Heb 9:12 -- ". . . and not
through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own
blood, He entered the holy place once for all,
having obtained eternal redemption."
> Heb 10:10 -- "By this
will we have been sanctified through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all."
> I Pet 3:18 -- "For Christ also
died for sins once for all, the just for
the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been
put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;"
How many times does it have to be said????
6. The Sheep Gate:
Backtracking into history just a bit, the very first
time the Sheep Gate is mentioned is in chapter three of the
book of Nehemiah. Following his return to Jerusalem with
the authorization of Babylonian King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah
made a secret nighttime tour around the city's walls to
inspect the damage and determine how to rebuild it. It is
not accidental that he began reconstruction at the Sheep
Gate on the north wall that led directly to the temple
grounds.
Ezra had preceded Nehemiah and had helped initiate the
rebuilding of the temple itself, but the project had stalled
after several years when the people had grown tired and
discouraged. When the people listened to Nehemiah's highly
motivated proposal, they rallied and said, "We can do
this!".
Because the Sheep Gate led directly to the temple grounds,
Nehemiah assigned the gate and adjacent wall section to the
most logical person -- Eliashib the high priest and his
brothers. According to scripture, this is the only gate
built and consecrated to God exclusively by the Levites from
which all priests were selected. There were other gates
that led into the temple complex, but this was the only one
used for bringing lambs in to be sacrificed.
So, what does this have to do with the birth of Jesus in
Bethlehem? I see a huge and important connection between
the two. Once the highly protected lambs had lived outside
for a year, guarded and kept healthy by the Levitical
shepherds, they were brought not through the clutter and
filth of the city streets, but outside the city walls so as
to keep them clean and uncontaminated by garbage, refuse,
commercial influence, and dirty people.
Walking outside the walls to the north side of the city the
lambs, one year old by now, would almost certainly become
dirty. So once they arrived on the north side of the city,
they were washed a final time in the ancient "Sheep Pool"
(the Pool of Bethesda by the time of Jesus' day), where
weary travelers refreshed themselves and priests washed
unsuspecting lambs in preparation for their deaths. They
were then brought into the temple grounds by way of the
Sheep Gate for sacrifice.
Two years ago as I was teaching through the Gospel of John
to our RV park Bible study group in Greer, AZ, I was struck
by the fact of Jesus' very first visit to Jerusalem
following His announcement at the synagogue in Nazareth
regarding why He had come. That was the beginning of His
public ministry. For several weeks or months He had
ministered in Galilee but had gone nowhere else.
Then when it came time for the annual trip to Jerusalem for
the Passover, Jesus' still unbelieving brothers chided Him
to go there and do His miracles. He told them He wasn't
going, but after they left, He went alone. Depending on
weather, pilgrim traffic, and walking pace, the 60 to 70
mile trip would take somewhere between four and ten days.
Approaching Jerusalem from the north, the main entrance from
that direction was through the Sheep Gate. Here's what John
wrote:
John 5:1-8: -- After these things there was
a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now
there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is
called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. In
these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame,
and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; for
an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the
pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after
the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well
from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]
A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight
years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he
had already been a long time in that condition, He *said
to him, "Do you wish to get well?" The sick man answered
Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the
water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps
down before me." Jesus *said to him, "Get up, pick up
your pallet and walk."
Jesus then disappeared into the crowd and, entering the
Sheep Gate, ended up in the temple complex.
As I read the account, the thought occurred to me that
Jesus, The Lamb born in Bethlehem, would one day enter
Jerusalem at the beginning of His public ministry through
the Sheep Gate, having stopped briefly at the ancient Sheep
Pool where levitical washings were required, and in place of
the demands of the law had offered healing at the place of
five porches (remember-- five is the number for "Grace" in
the Bible) and simply healed an undeserving man.
For by grace you have been saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph
2:8-9).
.
7. The Lamb:
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary, you
might say that He was "born dead" . . . because the reason
for His coming was to be the sacrificial lamb that would be
offered once for all mankind as the ultimate sacrifice that
could take away all man's sins and cleanse him from all
unrighteousness (I John 1:9). It was the fulfillment of
biblical predictions made centuries earlier. More
significant, though, is that it was the fulfillment of the
plan God had in mind even from eternity past before man was
ever created. So, when The Lamb walked throughout Galilee
for thirty years and then entered Jerusalem through the
Sheep Gate, He entered the city with one thing in mind ----
to give His life as a ransom payment for all who would
receive Him.
> Mt 20:28 -- ". . . just as the Son
of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give His life a ransom for many."
> Mk 10:45 -- "For even the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give His life a ransom for many."
> I Tim 2:6 --". . . who gave
Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony
given at the proper time."
John the Baptizer had pointed at Jesus a few months prior
and declared, . . .
"Behold! LOOK!!! The Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world." (John 1:29).
For the next three years, The Lamb opened up ancient
scriptures to people's understanding, performed miracles,
served people ---- and butted heads with the religious
aristocracy who refused to see that He was the very One for
Whom they searched, but refused to see . . . simply because
they insisted that the lambs in Bethlehem's fields cared for
by their specially-chosen shepherds were still the only way
to satisfy God's requirements for forgiveness and
righteousness.
People are still doing that today as we celebrate the
Bethlehem miracle today.
No greater voice can be heard from the Old Testament about
the coming Savior than that of Isaiah who predicted Jesus
would die, ". . . as a lamb led before the slaughter is
dumb, so He opened not His mouth." ( Isa 53:7; Acts
8:32). In John ten, when Jesus describes Himself as the
"door" to the sheep, the word for "door" can also
actually be translated "sheep gate" -- the gate FOR
the sheep.
.
When Simon Peter described the crucifixion of Christ for our
sins, he wrote, ". . . but with precious blood, as of a
lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."
(I Pet 1:19) The Bible tells us that this baby born in
Bethlehem had been determined before time began to be the
ultimate Lamb . . . the final and Only sacrifice that could
satisfy the demand for righteousness that God's Word
requires.
No book in the Bible uses the word, "lamb", more
than the book of Revelation. Of the 106 times the word is
used throughout the entire Bible, it is found 32 times in
this book that is focused on the future and the return of
Christ. And, out of those 32 times it is used, it portrays
Jesus Christ as King over all things. The Bible predicts
that someday . . . still in the future . . . people from
every tribe, nation, and tongue, will join together in a
very special song, declaring, . . .
"And I saw between the throne (with the four living
creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain,
having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came
and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on
the throne.
"When He had
taken the book, the four living creatures and the
twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one
holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are
the prayers of the saints. And they *sang a new song,
saying, 'Worthy are You to take the book and to break its
seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your
blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and
nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to
our God; and they will reign upon the earth.'
"Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels
around the throne and the living creatures and the elders;
and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and
thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and
wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.' (Rev
5:6-13)
". . . and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
'Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb'." (Rev 7:10)
""And they overcame him because of the blood of the
Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they
did not love their life even when faced with death." (Rev
12:11)
"And they *sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant
of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and
marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!'"
(Rev 17:3)
FINALLY:
Try to imagine what it will be like when you and I have that
opportunity to add our praise and worship to the Lamb who
was predicted at man's beginning, portrayed through the laws
of Moses, practiced by faithful Jews, was born in the
shepherds fields outside the city where He would die, and
now awaits us to join in the eternal songs of praise.
That is the message of Christmas, my friend. The story may
have begun at Migdal Edar in Bethlehem's fields, but it
doesn't end there.
"Behold! LOOK!!!! The Lamb of God Who takes away the
sins of the world!!!" (Jn 1:29).
.
THE KING HAS COME! THE KING IS COMING AGAIN!
.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His
Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
"Now these were more
noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they
received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see
whether these things were so." -- Dr.
Luke (Acts 17:11)
"A fire kept burning on the
hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the
day with fresh courage and hope." --
Charles F. McKoy
Life Unlimited Ministries
LUMglobal
Copyright December, 2021
"If Jesus had preached the
same message that many ministers preach today, He would
never have been crucified." -- Leonard
Ravenhill
"The time will come when
instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will
have clowns entertaining the goats." --
Charles H. Spurgeon
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