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Was Jesus Born in a Holy Stable?

Why did God choose Bethlehem Ephrata as the place for the Messiah to come into this world? Was it because Joseph and Mary’s families were from there? Was it becauseMicah prophesied it? Although these facts are true there is more to the significance of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem in Hebrew means house of bread. Bethlehem was the place that provided food. Ephrata in Hebrew means fruit. Bethlehem Ephrata was an incredibly fruitful place. Wheat, barley and olives grew abundantly there. Sheep and goats were herded in the fields surrounding Bethlehem. The city not only provided food for the people to eat, it provided something more important to God’s people. Bethlehem Ephrata provided the sacrificial lambs for the Temple.

The Mishnah (an ancient Hebrew history book) records that the sacrificial lambs were born and raised at the Tower of the Flock in Bethlehem Ephrata. Each year two lambs were raised for Temple sacrifice; the Passover lamb, whichwas sacrificed on Passover for the sins of God’s people and the scapegoat, which symbolically took away the sins of God’s people. Both lambs had to be a firstborn male without spot and blemish.

Jesus was born in the stable at the Tower of the Flock in Bethlehem Ephrata where the sacrificial lambs were raised. He was laid in the manger where the lambs that were set apart for God ate. Is it a coincidence that the Messiah was born in the stable where the sacrificial lambs were kept?

The sacrifices did not take away the sins of God’s people. They never have nor ever will. The sacrifices were a picture, or object lesson, of the Messiah that was coming. They taught God’s people about Jesus. When Jesus was born on this earth in the stable in Bethlehem, God made it clear that Jesus is the Messiah. The shepherds who were in the fields of Bethlehem understood the significance of a boy being born in the stable with the sacrificial lambs. When the angel announced to them that the Savior had been born in David’s city, they knew exactly where to look.

Jesus is the fulfillment of all the sacrifices. The location of His birth demonstrates that He is the Passover sacrifice and the scapegoat sacrifice in one. He is the true Messiah who came to be the sacrifice for the sins of God’s people and the one who would take away our sins.

To further demonstrate God’s intentional design in Christ being born where the sacrificial lambs were raised, God providentially moved Mary and Joseph from the place they wanted to go for Mary to deliver her baby. When Joseph and Mary came to the village of Bethlehem they went to the guest chamber designed to house travelers who had relatives in that city. The guest chamber (inn) was full so they moved to most holy place of all, the stable of the sacrificial lambs. Mary and Joseph knew that the baby Mary was carrying was conceived of the Holy Spirit. They knew she was going to give birth to the Messiah. There was no more appropriate place for the Messiah to be born than the stable in Bethlehem Ephrata.


© Dr. Steven L Smith 2016


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