​Our founding fathers knew that God was orchestrating the destiny of America. The plans they made for our future were heavily influenced by this truth. On July 4, 2025, our president started a celebration of the 250th anniversary of our nation which will occur on July 4, 2026. It is common, as we come to a crossroad, to look back in history and forward in time. We must learn from our past and plan for our future.
 
I hope that we can agree that our Founders were deeply influenced by Judeo-Christian principles. They recognized that God's hand was with our fledgling nation to protect and encourage us. They overcame impossible odds only by the help of God. The liberties that we have clearly come from the God of the Bible. On July 4, 1776, our nation declared through its leaders that it would no longer be a colony of England, but an independent nation. Leading citizens, at their own peril, signed the Declaration of Independence. Fifty-six members of the Continental Congress willingly placed their signatures on this document giving Britain notice that they would be the leaders of an independent country. The last sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads, "...for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
 
In our 249 years of living out what some called "The Holy Experiment," we have had a multitude of challenges and struggles. Some of these have made us forget our "high calling" to take the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth. Others intentionally embrace a divisive spirit and worship false idols. Rifts between people groups in our country have tested the rule of law and made some forget the importance of personal responsibility and the dignity of an individual. The prophet Micah gives us direction through the words in Chapter 6, Verse 8 of his book. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." 
 
On July 4, 1926, Calvin Coolidge spoke in Philadelphia, PA, to acknowledge the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He said, "If we are to maintain the great heritage which has been bequeathed to us, we must be like-minded as the Founders who created it. We must not sink into a pagan materialism. We must cultivate the reverence they had for the things that are holy. We must follow the spiritual and moral leadership which they showed. We must keep replenished, that they may glow with a more compelling flame, the altar fires before which they worshiped."
 
The words that President Coolidge spoke in 1926 bear repeating. We must remain true to the principles upon which our nation was founded. As President Trump began to celebrate the anniversary of our country, he reminded us that "We are one nation under God." The milestone anniversary that is coming upon us could be an opportunity for a national reset. It is a reminder of the importance of our faith in God and that none of the blessings we have received can be maintained without thankfulness to Him. Our responsibility is to educate the next generation about our founding and the sacrifices that were made to secure our freedoms. We must reflect on our nation’s freedoms and give thanks to God for our Judeo-Christian roots and all the blessings that He has poured upon us. Let us remember what we are told in Psalm 33:12.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord..." Amen!

​ 
The significance of God's timing and His coordination of events speaks loudly about His brilliance. On this very night, the 6th of Sivan, the third month on the Hebrew calendar, we should be aware of the "trifecta" of events that converge. They are all about the physical provision, revelation, and power that God gives His people. In Scripture, He commanded them to appear before Him three times a year to celebrate His goodness and align their lives with His timing. The first of these three feasts is to remember God's deliverance from Egypt and is called Passover or Pesach. Next comes Pentecost or Shavuot. On this day, the children of Israel brought to the temple the firstfruits of their wheat harvest and gave thanks for God's physical provision.
 
It is no coincidence that the Lord chose the day of firstfruits to give Moses and the Israelites the law of the Old Covenant. God gave Moses a reminder and a promise in Exodus 19:4-5. "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." In Exodus 19:16-18 it is reported: "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled...Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace; the whole mountain trembled violently." Then the ten commandments were engraved in stone.
 
About 1,400 years later Jesus was born. He came as the fulfillment of the law. (Matthew 5:17, 18) His life was one free from all sin, as He perfectly kept both the letter and the spirit of the law. Christ's life and death met the requirements of the Old Testament law. His death and resurrection removed the law as a way of coming to God. It was replaced with salvation by faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross. Jesus broke down the divisions between God and us to bring us peace with Him. Here is how Ephesians 2:14 and 15 puts it: "For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace."
 
For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His apostles and gave them a command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:4, 5, 8) Their waiting was rewarded on the day called Shavuot (meaning weeks)—seven weeks from the Sabbath of Passover week—plus one day or fifty days. The Spirit of God descended to fulfill Pentecost (meaning fifty). "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1-4) Here we have God's provision of power, boldness, and revelation. It was the day when the Word and the Spirit came together as one.
 
The third commanded feast, Tabernacles, will not take place until the fall when we begin a new year on the secular Hebrew calendar and a time to repent for our sins and rejoice in the glory of God. In the meantime, we have much to contemplate. Jeremiah 31:33 tells us that God fulfilled His promise by writing His law on our hearts. Let us give thanks for all of God's promises and remember the "trifecta" of provision: Harvest to physically sustain us, Torah to guide and nourish us spiritually, and the Holy Spirit as the Lord's guiding, sustaining, and nourishing presence with us. Let us also cry out to the Lord for a fresh infilling of His Spirit and an illumination of the Scriptures.

​It was in the late 1860s that Americans began to give tribute to fallen soldiers by decorating their graves with flowers and flags. The day on which they did this became known as "Decoration Day." This special day started to morph into something bigger for the nation. On May 30, 1865, Union General John Logan called for an official day of remembrance to honor those who died in the Civil War. It was in 1968 that Congress passed the "Uniform Monday Holiday Act" which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May. But it did not become an official federal holiday until 1971. Our celebrations today include parades, picnics, and events honoring those who died in the service of our country. It is a sacred tradition for the president of the United States to place a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier. Also, our American flag is supposed to be at half-staff until noon on Memorial Day.
 
All these traditions are meant to bring to mind the brave people who fought valiantly for our freedoms. God recognized how important it was for His people to remember the ways in which He rescued and provided for them. That is why He told the children of Israel to pick up stones from the bottom of the Jordan River after they had crossed over into the Promised Land. God said, "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over and put them down at the place where you stay tonight." (Joshua 4:2, 3) Joshua, their leader, told them the reason God instructed them to collect these stones. He said they are to "serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord...These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." (Joshua 4:6-8)
 
The twelve stones taken from the Jordan River were set up at the camp called Gilgal. I think it is no coincidence that the name Gilgal means, liberty, wheel, or sacred circle. Joshua told his people, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when He dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God." (Joshua 4:21-24)
 
There is such power and encouragement in remembering the unfailing love of God! This is especially important when we are going through difficult times. When we look at a reminder of God's presence in and promises for our lives, we are able to move forward with assurance. Whether we have a written journal or a symbol to look at, it is wise to practice a way to remember God’s faithfulness. We also have the responsibility of telling the next generation about God's love and faithfulness. Visuals are always helpful in telling a story. King David wrote Psalm 145 with this in mind: "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and I will meditate on Your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of Your awesome works, and I will proclaim Your great deeds. They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness." (Psalm 145:3-7) We must ask ourselves on this Memorial Day weekend, “How are we remembering the faithfulness of God in our lives?”

​According to the Oxford Language Dictionary, the definition of transition is "the process or a period of change from one state or condition to another." This shifting from one state or place to another is mostly uncomfortable. When we are in transition, we must be willing to work on the process of transformation and look at the developments that are taking place as we progress.
 
The Bible is filled with stories of people making changes in their lives and trusting in God to provide for all their needs. But the one that stands out to me the most is when the children of Israel were moving toward Mount Sinai under the direction of Moses. During the first month of the year, Nisan, God set them free from slavery and brought them out with plunder from the Egyptians. They were making their way to a place where they would meet God, and He would give them directions on how to live their lives in the future. In essence, they were moving from redemption to revelation. The Israelites had fifty days of traveling to reach their destination. Their travels became a trial because they forgot what God had done for them in Egypt. They did not remember the powerful signs, wonders, and miracles they experienced before and during their time of freedom.
 
God's plan was to use this transition time to teach the children of Israel about Himself. With each trial and subsequent provision for them, they received insight into God's marvelous power and personality. Through several examples, God was saying to them, "Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) Despite what God had done, they had their first breakdown in the Desert of Shur. They had been without water for three days until they came to Marah. The water here was too bitter to drink, so they reacted by grumbling against Moses. God instructed Moses to place a tree into the water which resulted in the transformation of the water into sweet liquid. A decree was sent from God: "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals." (Exodus 15:26) First and foremost, God wanted His people to know Him as "Jehovah Rapha," The Lord Who Heals.
 
It did not take long for the children of Israel to grumble again. Exodus 16:1 tells us that this occurred on the "Fifteenth day of the second month," which is Iyar, the month we are in now. The community complained because they were concerned about lack of food. God used this opportunity to tell them that He is "Jehovah Jireh," The Lord Who Provides. He rained down manna and quail for His people so they had more than they needed. A third teaching moment came when the Lord helped Israel defeat the Amalekites who had attacked them. Aaron and Hur stood at the top of the hill with Moses and held up his arms while the Israelites fought. After they won the battle, Moses built an altar and called it "Jehovah Nissi," The Lord is My Banner.
 
As we can see, the time of transition became a time of learning and drawing closer to God. What can we learn from this story? First, we must remember what God has done in the past. Psalm 77:11 says, "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago." Then, when we are in a time of transition, we must trust God and seek His guidance. Proverbs 3:5 and 6 say it all. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Finally, we must give thanks to Him for all that He has done and will continue to do. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17) I hope that these truths encourage you during your times of transition and as you contemplate what happened to the Israelites during this month of Iyar. God is faithful, and He uses our times of uncertainty to draw closer to us, introduce us to new aspects of His personality, and prepare us for our new seasons.

​Passover is all about remembrance of God's faithfulness and beginning a new life cycle. As slaves, the children of Israel had no relationship with time because one day was the same as the other. With the Passover, God was marking time and redeeming His people so that they could begin their year with encouragement as they recalled how He gave them new life. It is through remembering the victories of the past that we have hope for the future. Deuteronomy 32:7 tells us, "Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and He will tell you, your elders and they will explain to you." 
 
The yearly tradition of sitting at a table to share a meal and tell the story of freedom for God's people was instituted by the Lord. He said, "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance...Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt." (Exodus 12:14, 17) The Hebrew meaning of the Passover meal, called "Seder," is "order." It is written in a book called the "Haggadah," meaning "telling," that includes the story from the book of Exodus, an explanation of the meal courses, and songs and blessings. The gathering at the table is for all generations.
 
Asaph, the writer of Psalm 78, tells of our responsibility to bring up the next generation in the knowledge of the truth. Psalm 78:2-7 says, "...I will utter hidden things, things from of old...What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob (The King James Version says, "He established a testimony.") and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our forefathers to teach their children so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands."
 
This year the Passover began on April 12 (Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar). Many families sat around the Seder table for the retelling of the story of the exodus and the journey to the Promised Land. We can read how Jesus also celebrated a Seder with His disciples. It would be His "last supper" before going to the Cross. Imagine how he felt knowing that He was destined to be the Passover Lamb in the future and for all eternity. He told His disciples, “’I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.' After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, 'Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.'" (Luke 22:14-17)
 
Many Christian communities do not celebrate the Passover. Long ago Emperor Constantine tried to merge Christianity with paganism by changing the calendar. With the Council of Nicaea, he outlawed Passover and changed the date for celebrating Christ's death and resurrection to correspond with the spring festival of the pagan goddess Ishtar, also known as Easter. Those who refused to stop celebrating Passover were persecuted and murdered. Falling into the hand of Satan, the Church agreed to pronounce a curse on Christians who celebrated the Passover. Satan is still at the forefront of the battle to stop the Passover and taking Communion because he knows that the power is in the blood of Jesus.
 
The blood of Jesus was shed to redeem us from the enemy. Our deliverance comes through the blood of the Lamb on the Cross of Calvary. Every time Christians take communion, we celebrate the Passover Lamb. However, communion celebrates more than freedom from bondage in Egypt; it celebrates our release from the bondage of sin. We can take communion as often as we desire. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." Father God is the one who connected the sacrifice of Jesus to the Passover and why He is called the Passover Lamb. For generations to come we must share the power of His shed blood.

​Preparation is a necessity when we desire to move forward into a new season. Scriptures talk about preparation for a meal, sacrifice, battle, building project, and life-style change. Much preparation took place for the children of Israel to come out of bondage in Egypt and for the disciples to be ready for life without Jesus. Since we are at the beginning of a new year and new beginnings in the month of Nisan, it would be wise for us to prepare for the journey. We can learn about how to do this from the Israelites and the disciples.
 
God would begin preparing the children of Israel for their journey out of slavery by bringing upon the Egyptians the last of ten plagues—the death of the firstborn. The Israelites were given several instructions. We can read their first one in Exodus 11:2. "Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold." God made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward them so that they would not leave Egypt without plunder. The next instruction was for each family to take a pure and spotless male lamb into their home on the tenth day of the month of Nisan. (Exodus 12:3, 5) The lambs were to be slaughtered on the fourteenth of the month and its blood placed on the top and sides of their doorframes. (Exodus 12:7) That night they were to roast the lamb and eat it along with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast.
 
The angel of death passed over the families of the Israelites when he saw the blood and killed the first-born in Egypt, convincing Pharaoh to release God's chosen people. Early in the morning the Israelites left their homes in Rameses (meaning dissolving evil) and headed toward Succoth (meaning booths). Before leaving, the people "...bowed down and worshiped" (Exodus 12:27) when they saw how the Lord passed over their homes. All Israel left Egypt at the end of 430 years. "Because the Lord kept vigil that night, to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come." (Exodus 12:42)
 
When it was time for Jesus to leave the earth, He had much to tell His disciples to prepare them for their life without Him. At their Passover Feast, Jesus began by washing their feet. This act of humility was to show the disciples that they would be expected to serve others, not to be served. "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." (John 13:15) Next Jesus gave them the rule of love. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 36) 
 
Jesus wanted His disciples to know that He was going to leave them to prepare for their futures. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me...I am going to prepare a place for you." (John 14:1, 2) Jesus also needed to explain to them about the Holy Spirit who would take HIs place. "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever, The Spirit of Truth...You know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16, 17) Finally, Jesus had to warn His disciples that they would experience great grief, but their sorrow would be transformed to joy. "I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy...Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." (John 16:20, 22)
 
Life is a journey that includes known and unknown. Our job is to trust in the Lord and to consult with the Holy Spirit on how to prepare for our Promised Lands. "The Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5) As we stand at the beginning of the first month of the new year, let's prepare for the season that is ahead.

​This past week we entered the eleventh month on the Hebrew calendar called Shevat. The focus this month is on trees and water. In the Scripture humankind is likened to trees. We, like trees, are called to be life-giving by bearing fruit. In fact, when God created Adam and Eve, He told them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." (Genesis 1:28)
 
On the fifteenth of this month there is a celebration called "Tu B’Shevat" or the New Year for Trees. During this celebration new trees will be planted. They, like us, need to be planted where they will be watered, and their roots can take hold in rich soil. Psalm 1:1-3 gives us a key to God's blessings: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." 
 
Jeremiah 17:7 and 8 has a similar message to Psalm 1. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."  Trust comes from the heart, and our confidence in God is what allows us to touch the living stream of God's presence so that our lives will be fruitful.
 
Zechariah tells us about "The Day of the Lord" when He comes as a warrior to fight for Israel. "On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem..."  (Zechariah 14:8) The prophet Isaiah says of God's people, "I will extend peace to her like a river and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream." (Isaiah 66:12) Joel 3:18 also talks about living water that will flow from God's house. "In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord's house and will water the valley of acacias." 
 
All who dwell by the living water that God provides are destined to be healthy, happy, and fruit-bearing. It is no coincidence that the constellation that appears in the sky during this month is Aquarius, “the water carrier.” God intends for His river of life to touch us and for our roots to awaken to His ever-flowing stream. We must ask ourselves where we have rooted and how we are being watered.
 
When Jesus stopped at Jacob's well and met the Samaritan woman He explained, "Whoever drinks the water I give to him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water, welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13, 14) Jesus is the source of everything that we need. Let's root ourselves in His living Word and allow His Holy Spirit, the River of Life, to saturate us so that our roots are strengthened, and we bear abundant fruit.

​For a moment, let us try to imagine what God gave up when He came into our world. Let us ponder the most magnificent, glorious, majestic setting we can envision. Let us remember the three words that describe our Lord: Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent. Now, let us turn our minds to the environment that Jesus first experienced when He came to earth as an embryo planted in the damp, dark womb of a teenage girl named Mary. He was bounced around on a donkey on a trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem where it was ordained that He would be born. The Word would become flesh. He who authored the story entered the story. That is what we celebrate at Christmas time.
 
What was to greet Jesus after he came down the birth canal? He was greeted by a stable filled with animals, a bed of a stone, animal feeding trough filled with hay, first-time parents who did not know how to raise a child, let alone the Son of God, and a jealous king who tried to kill Him. But these humble circumstances were ordained. Jesus would spend thirty years with His parents and siblings, working with Joseph in a carpenter's shop and then three years ministering to humanity.
 
Jesus came to earth to experience life as a human. He came to mentor twelve disciples who would continue His ministry after His death. He came to "preach the good news, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release of the prisoner in darkness." He came "to comfort those who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion." He would "bestow on them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:1-3) Here is how Philippians 2:6 and 7 describes what Jesus did:  "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."
 
In agreeing to give up His kingship and crown, every jewel in that headpiece would be removed. But the largest jewel of all was not removed until the end of His life. That jewel represents His life and the sacrifice He made as described in Isaiah 53. "...He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely, He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed."  (Isaiah 53:3-5) Isaiah goes on to explain that it was Father God's will to crush Jesus so that His life would be a guilt offering for all of us. (Verse 10)
 
On the night that Jesus was born, the angel of the Lord proclaimed the bottom line to the shepherds. It was the real reasons Jesus came to earth. "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-12) The Lord gave up everything for love! That love required a sacrifice for our sins. In return for our belief in what Jesus did, we get to spend an eternity with Him. This is what He wanted.
 
In the traditional French carol, "Angels We Have Heard on High," verse two asks questions of the shepherds:  "Shepherds why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song?" I think we can see that these lowly shepherds got a glimpse of heaven and heaven's desire to save them and all of humanity. During this season of celebrating the Lord's gift, should we not rejoice with all of heaven over the magnanimous gift of our Savior?

​The town we know as Bethlehem, where Jesus the Messiah was born, was originally called Bethlehem Ephrath. The meaning of this name is significant with Bethlehem meaning "House of Bread," and Ephrath meaning "Fruitfulness." Many years before Joseph and Mary were sent to this town, God instructed Jacob to move his family from Bethel to the region of Bethlehem. Before sending Jacob to this new location, he changed Jacob's name to Israel and affirmed His intentions with a declaration for the future: "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." (Genesis 35:11,12) Indeed, Jacob's beloved wife, Rachel, was pregnant and gave birth to her second son while on the journey to Bethlehem. Because she died in childbirth, Jacob set up camp near Migdal Eder, in the region of Bethlehem, where he mourned the death of Rachel and set up a pillar over her burial place. Genesis 21:35 tells us, "Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder." (Tower of the Flock)
 
In the prophetic book of Micah there is a reference to the Christ child being born in Bethlehem near Migdal Eder. "As for you, O Watchtower of the flock (Migdal Eder), O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem." (Micah 4:8) Part of the journey that Jacob/Israel and Rachel took as they moved toward Bethlehem was traced by Joseph and Mary some 1800 years later. They took a 90-mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem to take part in the census decreed by Caesar Augustus. It is fascinating to note that Mary would give birth in Bethlehem near Migdal Eder to Jesus, a descendant of Jacob and called our "Messiah."
 
We must not miss the significance of the location for the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary would have walked by the Tower of the Flock where shepherds, called Levitical Shepherd Priests by the Sadducees, were helping in the birth of lambs destined for Temple sacrifices. Just as the Lord told Moses on the night of the Passover, "The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect..." (Exodus 12:5), the lambs brought to the Temple for sacrifice had to be perfect. The Bethlehem shepherds were experts in animal husbandry and brought the ewes from the field into the Tower when they were ready to give birth. This was done to protect the lambs from being scarred by any defects. Upon their birth, the lambs were wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in stone mangers lined with hay.
 
What a rich context we have for the birth of Jesus who would become the Sacrificial Lamb of God thirty-three years later! Jesus stepped out of eternity as prophesied by Micah. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be Ruler of Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) Micah continues: "He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will live securely, for then His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And He will be their peace." (Micah 5:4, 5)
 
God made a choice to become a humble servant that would redeem the world if the people of the nations chose to believe in His redemption. When we look at the details of His plan, how could we not embrace His love?

​An unusual synchronization of our month of December with the ninth month on the Hebrew calendar (Kislev) happens this year. Kislev began at sunset on December 1 and runs until December 30. We should also note that both Christmas and the beginning of Chanukah occur on December 25. The messages of both holidays are the same:  Light overcomes darkness and good overcomes evil. It is fitting that people from both the Jewish and Christian faiths will be celebrating together this year.
 
Though we are in the season of increasing darkness, by the time Christmas and Chanukah roll around that cycle will be slowly changing. The winter solstice, which marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurs on December 21. After this date, the days will slowly get longer, and the nights will get shorter. Also, let us remember that we are celebrating the entrance of Jesus Christ or Yeshua into the world. In John 8:12 He is called "The Light of the World." In the meantime, the Jews are lighting the candles on the Menorah for eight nights and recalling how the Maccabees overtook the evil armies of Antiochus in 164 B.C. after three years of battle.
 
I think the nightly candle lighting of the Menorah is representative of the ever-increasing amount of light that is shed upon the earth. It is significant that the number eight represents new beginnings. The eight candles are lit by the ninth candle, positioned in the middle of the Menorah and named the "Shammas" or "Servant" candle. We can see how God paints a picture through the lighting of the eight candles. Yeshua, Jesus, came to earth as a servant to provide light in the darkness. What a prophetic picture!
 
When Jesus was born the Roman empire had placed King Herod in charge of the region around Jerusalem. Being one who despised those he was to oversee and who was jealous of anyone who might challenge his position, he put in place an evil plot to kill Jesus the Messiah and Light of the World. He had learned from the magi who came to worship the "King of the Jews" about the prophecy that was written in Micah 5:2, 4. "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." (Also written in Matthew 2:6) Herod was so disturbed by this prophecy that he ordered all the baby boys in the Bethlehem area to be killed.
 
The star that God placed in the sky at the birth of Jesus shed a path of light to the place where He was born. After worshiping Jesus and leaving gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the magi returned to their homeland by a different route from the one they came by. God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. Later, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him of Herod's plans. He was told to flee to Egypt with his family where they would be safe. This is where they would stay until God called His Son out of Egypt, fulfilling the prophecy of Hosea 11:1.
 
God will not be outsmarted or outdone! No matter what kind of darkness tries to overcome the light or evil that tries to prevail over goodness, the Lord is a step ahead and has plans that He will bring to fruition. We would do well to remember these stories in the difficult season we presently live in.