The Prophet Micah, for more than 700 years before the birth of Christ, before Jesus was born in Bethlehem,

in Chapter 5, verse 2, he prophesied with meticulous details about where he will be born.

But you, Bethlehem Ephratha, you see, there are

two Bethlehems in Israel. There is Bethlehem and Judea, just around Jerusalem area, seven

miles, really eight miles away from Jerusalem in the Judean hills. That's Bethlehem, Ephratha. But then there's another

Bethlehem in the north, Bethlehem Zeblon, which is about seven miles from Nazareth.

God wanted to make sure that when Jesus arrives, the whole world knows that this is the Jesus,

that God inspired the prophet Micah to write about where he will

be born exactly, not just to any Bethlehem, but Bethlehem in Judea, Bethlehem Ephratha.

But you Bethlehem Ephritha, though you are the small among the clans of Judah, but of you will come for me.

Don't miss that.

For God, God speaking here, through you, though a small town, the smallest in the clan

of Judah, will come for me, God the Father, the one who is a ruler,

or a king over all of Israel.

Why Bethlehem?

Why Bethlehem?

The tiniest of the tiniest of the tiniest of the tiniest of all the villages in the area.

Why not Jerusalem? Because that is the religious capital of Israel. Why not wrong? After all,

it's the capital of a mighty empire. Why not Athens, which is the center of philosophy in the ancient world?

Why not Alexandria, which was the ancient center of all of education at that time?

Why would God use this humble little town of Bethlehem to bring his son, to be born? Ah,

he is sending a powerful message to the whole world. So what is that message that God is

...