Old Testament for December 19, 2021

Note from Celeste:

Before we look at today’s lectionary reading, I’d like to draw your attention to my Advent Bible Study books.

Getting Ready for Christmas is part of the Choose This Day Multiple Choice Bible Studies series, available in paperback and ebook.

The daily devotionals take 10-15 minutes and include:

• Scripture passage (World English Bible)
• Fun, entertaining multiple choice questions focused directly on the Scripture passage
• Short meditation that can be used as a discussion starter.

Like an Advent calendar, Getting Ready for Christmas begins on December 1 and ends December 25. However, these 25 devotionals focusing on the Messiah can be used any time of year.

Use this book personally during a coffee break or with the family in the car or at the dinner table.

Order Getting Ready for Christmas  today to prepare your family for this year’s Christmas season!
CLICK HERE for Amazon’s Kindle book of Getting Ready for Christmas.
CLICK HERE for Amazon’s Paperback of Getting Ready for Christmas.

And here’s the link to its puzzle companion book: Getting Ready for Christmas Word Search Puzzles for Advent. 

It’s a large-print puzzle book with over 1,200 hidden words taken straight from the same 25 Scripture readings. (30 puzzles in all.)

If you’re not in the U.S., you can still order the books from your country’s amazon platform. Simply search for “Getting Ready for Christmas” by Celesta Letchworth.

Thank you for your consideration! And thank you for faithfully following Tom’s SOAR blog!

---

AND NOW, BACK TO TODAY’S LECTIONARY READING:

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Micah 5:2-5a
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah, prophesying during the reigns of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah (Micah 1:1), roughly between 740-687 B.C. 

Like Isaiah, he has a kind of ‘double vision.’  He sees the contemporary events of his own day, and the threat of the Assyrian Empire to Samaria (aka Israel, the Northern Kingdom) and Judah.  But he also sees events in the future which the Christian church can only interpret as prophesies of the Christ.

This week’s Old Testament lectionary reading is a case in point.  Micah looks forward to the Messiah who is to come out of Bethlehem of Ephrathah.

But before Bethlehem grew famous as the birthplace of Jesus, or as the hometown of David, we are reminded that Bethlehem Ephrathah was merely a small, rural town in the Judean highlands.  If it was famous for anything, it was known for the grain that was grown nearby and processed in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem literally means “house of bread.”  We are reminded of Boaz, the wealthy landowner from Bethlehem who married a young woman who gleaned in his fields — her name was Ruth, and she was to become the mother of Obed, and the great-grandmother of David.

Ephrathah is identified as an older sister city of Bethlehem that was later absorbed into Bethlehem; and the region around Bethlehem became known as the district of Ephrathah.

But despite these humble beginnings, Bethlehem of Ephrathah would become famous as the hometown of David, and the birthplace of David’s most famous heir, Jesus:

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.

So, what does Micah mean when he says,

Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.

Just who is the woman who gives birth?  She is the mother of this Messianic figure of the house of David, who:

shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

This description of the Messiah as a shepherd over his people is a reminder of David, who began as a shepherd-boy before he was anointed as king.

And this Messiah’s rule will extend far beyond the humble origins of Bethlehem of Ephrathah:

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’s designation of this Messianic figure as the one of peace reminds us of his contemporary, Isaiah:

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

APPLY:  

Place and setting are important in the Bible.  But they are important not because of themselves but because of people, events, or circumstances that are associated with them.

Bethlehem becomes important because it is the hometown of David, from whom a royal dynasty is to arise.  Bethlehem is important in the prophecy of Micah not because it is such a significant place but because it becomes a kind of signpost to us that this child born to Mary:

. . . shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.

In this season of Advent, the signs are everywhere that we’ll be celebrating Christmas soon.  But even more importantly, we look to the signs in Scripture that Jesus is the one for whom we are waiting.

RESPOND: 

I think of places that have been significant in my own life. The front yard of my parent’s home in Highland, California where God became real to me as I looked out over the glittering city lights in the valley below.  The delivery rooms where my sons were born.

Small, humble places sometimes far exceed their external image.  I recall taking my sons to Independence Hall in Philadelphia.  We stood in the very room where Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and other patriots debated American independence.

The room had been cleared of all of the original furniture for the purpose of refurbishment.  So all we could see was a bare room, with the tall, paned windows.

I remember being struck with how small and simple the room appeared.  And yet the events of July 2 through 4, 1776 changed the world!

The point is simply this — the difference that a small, humble town can make, or a cattle stall, is in direct proportion to the One who comes from there!

Lord, thank you for the signposts that are scattered throughout your Word that confirm for me that Jesus is the one “whose origin is from of old, from ancient days,” and who has come to be “the one of peace.” Amen.

PHOTOS:
"11th-Dec-Advent-Quote" by Lex McKee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for December 23, 2018

Author’s Note:  I encourage all of my readers to prepare for the Christmas season with the Choose This Day Family Bible Study for the Advent season.  It’s a fun, short (10-15 minutes) Bible study that the whole family can enjoy daily from December 1 to 25.  You can visit that website  by clicking this link.

And now, back to today’s lectionary reading:

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Micah 5: 2-5a
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah, prophesying during the reigns of  Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah (Micah 1:1), roughly between 740-687 B.C. 

Like Isaiah, he has a kind of  ‘double vision.’  He sees the contemporary events of his own day, and the threat of the Assyrian Empire to Samaria (aka Israel, the Northern Kingdom)  and Judah.  But he also sees events in the future which the Christian church can only interpret as prophesies of the Christ.

This week’s Old Testament lectionary reading is a case in point.  Micah looks forward to the Messiah who is to come out of Bethlehem of Ephrathah.

But before Bethlehem grew famous as the birthplace of Jesus, or as the hometown of David, we are reminded that Bethlehem Ephrathah was merely a small, rural town in the Judean highlands.  If it was famous for anything, it was known for the grain that was grown nearby and processed in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem literally means “house of bread.”  We are reminded of Boaz, the wealthy landowner from Bethlehem who married a young woman who gleaned in his fields — her name was Ruth, and she was to become the mother of Obed, and the great- grandmother of David.

Ephrathah is identified as an older sister city of Bethlehem that was later absorbed into Bethlehem; and the region around Bethlehem became known as the district of Ephrathah.

But despite these humble beginnings, Bethlehem of Ephrathah would become famous as the hometown of David, and the birthplace of David’s most famous heir, Jesus:

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.

So, what does Micah mean when he says,

Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.

Just who is the woman who gives birth?  She is the mother of this Messianic figure of the house of David, who:

shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

This description of the Messiah as a shepherd over his people is a reminder of David, who began as a shepherd-boy before he was anointed as king.

And this Messiah’s rule will extend far beyond the humble origins of Bethlehem of Ephrathah:

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’s designation of this Messianic figure as the one of peace reminds us of his contemporary, Isaiah:

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

APPLY:  

Place and setting are important in the Bible.  But they are important not because of themselves but because of people, events, or circumstances that are associated with them.

Bethlehem becomes important because it is the hometown of David, from whom a royal dynasty is to arise.  Bethlehem is important in the prophecy of Micah not because it is such a significant place but because it becomes a kind of signpost to us that this child born to Mary:

. . . shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.

In this season of Advent, the signs are everywhere that we’ll be celebrating Christmas soon.  But even more importantly, we look to the signs in Scripture that Jesus is the one for whom we are waiting.

RESPOND: 

I think of places that have been significant in my own life. The front yard of my parent’s home in Highland, California where God became real to me as I looked out over the glittering city lights in the valley below.  The delivery rooms where my sons were born.

Small, humble places sometimes far exceed their external image.  I recall taking my sons to Independence Hall in Philadelphia.  We stood in the very room where Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and other patriots debated American independence.

The room had been cleared of all of the original furniture for the purpose of refurbishment.  So all we could see was a bare room, with the tall, paned windows.

I remember being struck with how small and simple the room appeared.  And yet the events of July 2 through 4, 1776 changed the world!

The point is simply this — the difference that a small, humble town can make, or a cattle stall, is in direct proportion to the One who comes from there!

Lord, thank you for the signposts that are scattered throughout your Word that confirm for me that Jesus is the one  “whose origin is from of old,  from ancient days,” and who has come to be “the one of peace.” Amen.

PHOTOS:
"11th-Dec-Advent-Quote" by Lex McKee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for December 20, 2015

Author’s Note:  I encourage all of my readers to prepare for the Christmas season with the Choose This Day Family Bible Study for the Advent season.  It’s a fun, short (10-15 minutes) Bible study that the whole family can enjoy daily from December 1 to 25.  You can visit that website  by clicking this link.

And now, back to today’s lectionary reading:

Start with Scripture:

Micah 5: 2-5a

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah, prophesying during the reigns of  Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah (Micah 1:1), roughly between 740-687 B.C. 

Like Isaiah, he has a kind of  ‘double vision.’  He sees the contemporary events of his own day, and the threat of the Assyrian Empire to Samaria (aka Israel, the Northern Kingdom)  and Judah.  But he also sees events in the future which the Christian church can only interpret as prophesies of the Christ.

Our Old Testament lectionary reading is a case in point.  Micah looks forward to the Messiah who is to come out of Bethlehem of Ephrathah.

But before Bethlehem grew famous as the birthplace of Jesus, or as the hometown of David, we are reminded that Bethlehem Ephrathah was merely a small, rural town in the Judean highlands.  If it was famous for anything, it was known for the grain that was grown nearby and processed in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem literally means “house of bread.”  We are reminded of Boaz, the wealthy landowner from Bethlehem who married a young woman who gleaned in his fields — her name was Ruth, and she was to become the mother of Obed, and the great- grandmother of  David.

Ephrathah is identified as an older sister city of Bethlehem that was later absorbed into Bethlehem; and the region around Bethlehem became known as the district of Ephrathah.

But despite these humble beginnings, Bethlehem of Ephrathah would become famous as the hometown of David, and the birthplace of  David’s most famous heir, Jesus:

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.

So, what does Micah mean when he says,

Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.

Just who is the woman who gives birth?  She is the mother of this Messianic figure of the house of David, who

shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

This description of the Messiah as a shepherd over his people is a reminder of David, who began as a shepherd-boy before he was anointed as king.

And this Messiah’s rule will extend far beyond the humble origins of Bethlehem of Ephrathah:

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’s designation of this Messianic figure as the one of peace reminds us of his contemporary, Isaiah:

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

APPLY:  

Place and setting are important in the Bible.  But they are important not because of themselves but because of people, events, or circumstances that are associated with them.

Bethlehem becomes important because it is the hometown of David, from whom a royal dynasty is to arise.  Bethlehem is important in the prophecy of Micah not because it is such a significant place but because it becomes a kind of signpost to us that this child born to Mary

. . . shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.

In this season of Advent, the signs are everywhere that we’ll be celebrating Christmas soon.  But even more importantly, we look to the signs in Scripture that Jesus is the one for whom we are waiting.

RESPOND: 

I think of places that have been significant in my own life. The front yard of my parent’s home in Highland, California where God became real to me as I looked out over the glittering city lights in the valley below.  The delivery rooms where my sons were born.

Small, humble places sometimes far exceed their external image.  I recall taking my sons to Independence Hall in Philadelphia.  We stood in the very room where Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and other patriots debated American independence.

The room had been cleared of all of the original furniture for the purpose of refurbishment.  So all we could see was a bare room, with the tall, paned windows.

I remember being struck with how small and simple the room appeared.  And yet the events of July 2 through 4, 1776 changed the world!

The point is simply this: the difference that a small, humble town can make, or a cattle stall, is in direct proportion to the One who comes from there!

Lord, thank you for the signposts that are scattered throughout your Word that confirm for me that Jesus is the one “ whose origin is from of old,  from ancient days,” and who has come to be ” the one of peace.” Amen.

PHOTOS:
"11th-Dec-Advent-Quote" by Lex McKee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.