Msg #24049 Bethlehem Ephratah

0
(0)

Msg #24049 Bethlehem Ephratah

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan’s Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

“O little town of Bethlehem,” the tiny town in the hill country of Judah, the birthplace of our Lord Jesus Christ, has a rich Bible heritage. When Israel first returned to the Promised Land, his wife, Rachel, died in childbirth in Bethlehem (house of bread); it took the subscript, “Ephratah” (an ash-heap AND place of fruitfulness). How is it that out of the ashes comes fruitfulness? Rachel called her child Benoni “son of my sorrow” but his father called him Benjamin “son of the right hand.” So to the Christ was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa 53:3), but in his death, burial, and resurrection he was fruitful, bringing everlasting life. A Benjaminite named Saul visited Rachel’s tomb on his way to the throne (1Sam 10:2), and out of his failed kingdom rose King David, born in Bethlehem, a man after God’s own heart (1Sam 16:1). David’s great-grandmother, Ruth, bears her own story of ashes, fruitfulness, and our own Kinsman Redeemer (Ruth1-4). Despite the garrison of Philistines camped in Bethlehem, David desired water from its well (2Sam.23:14-17), and Jesus said, “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirsta well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). Out of Bethlehem, “house of bread” comes Jesus saying, “I am the bread of life… He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:35-48). “O little town of Bethlehem,” still today a garrison of hate filled “Philistines” are there, but Micah 5:2 promised great victories come from heaps of ashes. God still takes ruin and turns it into fruitfulness; God Bless America. “Come to Bethlehem, and see, Him Whose birth the angels sing. Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King.” Merry Christmas.

An Essay for week #49, Dec 8, 2024

A Journeld Tour of Bethlehem www.GSBaptistChurch.com/israel22

Msg in audio at www.GSBaptistChurch.com/audio/gs241208.mp3

Copyright © 2024 Good Samaritan Baptist Church, All Public Domain, Freely Copy and Distribute.
A weekly 300 word essay- The Penny Pulpit
Our mailing address is:

Good Samaritan Baptist Church

54 Main St. Box 99

Dresden, NY 14441

Rate this ministry

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this ministry.

Bob
Author: Bob

I am alive

Baptist Ministries Database
A note to our visitors

This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with changes to European Union data protection law, for all members globally. We’ve also updated our Privacy Policy to give you more information about your rights and responsibilities with respect to your privacy and personal information. Please read this to review the updates about which cookies we use and what information we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated privacy policy.