Sermon Tone Analysis

So far in this Christmas series we have looked at some of the people God involved in “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

But today we are going to look at a place, the little town of Bethlehem.

In both Matthew and Luke the town of Bethlehem is mentioned as the birthplace of Jesus.

Bethlehem is the most important town in the world for it is the place that God chose for Jesus to step out of eternity into time to be born so He could die for our sin!

But historically, Bethlehem was considered a rather unimportant place.

Joshua 15:20–61 contains a list of towns and villages that the tribe of Judah inherited as part of the dividing of the Promised Land.

Ninety-six towns are listed by name—but Bethlehem is not among them.

Likewise, Nehemiah 11:25–30 lists 17 cities of Judah, but the town of Bethlehem is not on that list, either.

There are three major prophecies in the OT that point to Bethlehem being the birthplace of the Messiah.

The first comes from Jacob to his 12 sons;

The prophet Micah records two observations about the little town of Bethlehem;

Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little [insignificant] among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

The second prophesy is possibly the shelter in which Jesus was born, a place in the northern part of Bethlehem called Migdol Eder.

This was a watchtower with a place underneath that shepherds used during the lambing season to shelter the newborn lambs that would later be used as sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple.

So in both of these prophecies, God through Jacob and Micah announces the birthplace of Jesus.

What was so important about this little town of Bethlehem?

Text; 1 Samuel 16 1-13

1. God Chose Bethlehem; 1-3

God provided for Himself a king from Bethlehem to fulfill the scriptures concerning His Son.

Remember Saul was chosen by the people of Israel to be their king because they rejected God.

Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin called to be commander of the armies of God and then he was chosen by the people to be king.

But David was from the tribe of Judah and from the little town of Bethlehem.

It is fitting that the first king that “God chose” to reign over Israel would come from Bethlehem.

Bethlehem had to be the birthplace of the first king of Israel or the linage of Jesus would not have come from there and Joseph would not have returned there for the census and Jesus would have been born somewhere else making the scriptures false.

All scripture is God breathed and truth.

Therefore every detail of scripture must be fulfilled precisely or God would be a liar and Christ would be con-man and we would still be in our sin!

The Covenant that God made with David states;

2. God looks at the Bethlehemite Heart; 6-7

When God chose David to be king He looked at his heart not his outward appearance like Israel had done with Saul.

Saul was chosen by men partly because of his appearance and stature.

Even though David was good looking [v.

12], nothing like Saul, God chose him for his heart.

David had a believing heart

David had a confident heart

David had a honest/truthful heart

David had a transparent heart

David had an obedient heart filled with God’s Word

David had a repentant heart

Davis had a humble heart

David’s heart is symbolic of the heart of Christ.

Jesus’ physical appearance was nothing to write home about but His heart was set on the Father’s will.

3. God’s chose a Shepherd of Bethlehem; 11

God’s choice of king had to truly represent Him well.

He had to be a shepherd for God is the Shepherd of Israel.

David was a shepherd from Bethlehem who cared for his sheep

Jesus is the Good Shepherd of Bethlehem

4. Anointed in Bethlehem; 13

Anointed means “chosen one”.

David was the first king chosen and anointed by God to rule His people.

David was filled with the Holy Spirit at Bethlehem to guide Him in the way of the Lord.

Jesus is the “Anointed One”, the last and eternal King of Israel and He too was led by the Holy Spirit to walk in the way of His Father in Heaven.

Close;

Bethlehem Ephrathah is an important little town.

Bethlehem means “the house of bread” and the Child born to Mary would later make this statement;

Ephrathah means “fruitfulness or fruit-bearing.”

That same Child would later become the firstfruits of the resurrection.

Bethlehem played host to the “Greatest Story Ever Told”.

Ralph W. Stockman once phrased it this way, “The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.”

Have you entered through that door?