Often when my boys were younger and they'd leave the front door open, I say to them, "Shut the door! Only Jesus was born in a barn!" But I couldn't have been more wrong.
Sometimes the Christmas story is hard to understand -- what righteous, very Jewish parents would even want to give birth in a very unclean, smelly stable or barn? Here's the thing: Jesus being born in a manger was so much bigger than just a circumstance of not finding a hotel room.
It was a prophecy come true. It had everything to do with His death.
In order to understand this, we must look in the Old Testament at the numerous animal, particularly lamb, sacrifices. We must not only study the Bible but also look at ancient Hebrew culture and tradition -- for in Jewish history, tradition and religion are inseparable...and this, thankfully, helps the modern day biblical scholar understand points in Scripture, thanks be to God.
First, let's examine two passages in Micah, 5:2 and 4:8:
“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 over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.” -- Micah 5:2
"As for you, watchtower of the flock,
stronghold of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored to you;
kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.” -- Micah 4:8
We know from Micah 5:2 that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. In ancient Hebrew tradition and history, Bethlehem was a central location for shepherds who kept flocks of sheep. Located about 4 miles from Jerusalem and the temple where animal sacrifices were a daily occurrence, the shepherds had to keep an astronomical amount of sheep for the sacrifices.
Because of the magnitude of sheep needed, they could not be housed indoors. They were pastured outside. Ezekiel 46:13 states, “‘Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the ; morning by morning you shall provide it." That's 365 lambs a year. That's a flock in itself!
But now read Numbers 29. That is a huge amount of sheep! Perfect, unblemished sheep. It would take someone acquainted with religious rites and temple requirements to make sure the lambs brought to the altar were, in a word, kosher. That is why the shepherds that guarded the flocks by night were not ragamuffin shepherds but temple shepherds. According to Hebrew culture, temple shepherds specifically trained for this task. They knew what to look for in the lambs: No blemishes. Nothing physically wrong with them. Many needed to be male, but some female lambs were used (see Leviticus 4:32 and 5:6).
Micah 4:8 talks about this intriguing phrase, "watchtower of the flock." This tall stone building was where the shepherds could keep a watchful eye over the large flock as they grazed nearby. The bottom of the watchtower, called Migdal Eder in Hebrew [which means "watchtower of the flock"], afforded the shepherds a safe place in which to pregnant ewes.
Because it was of utmost importance that the lambs remain holy to the Lord, it was crucial that where the perfect lambs were born in an environment that was not unclean, safe, and not around filth as in a common stable. In biblical times, barns or stables were used to store grains, produce, etc -- not animals, especially sheep (see Proverbs 3:10; Haggai 2:19; Matthew 3:12, 6:26, 13:30; Luke 3:17, 12:18; 12:24 and Psalm 144:13).
The bottom of the Migdal Eder, was where the pregnant ewes were taken to safely and cleanly birth the perfect, unblemished lambs for temple sacrifice was called a manger.
I've got goosebumps all over just writing that. God didn't haphazardly send His Son down to the earth. Every part of His sending was part of the plan of salvation. Think about it: Mary is in labor pains, Joseph in his panic after knocking on inn doors, looks out, sees the tall tower of Migdal Eder, knows about the manger, knows that it would be clean and safe. He takes Mary there, sees that the shepherds are not there but are out in the fields, and gently helps Mary down among the hay and straw.
"While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them," Luke 2:6-7.
Think about this. The Lamb of God, born of a virgin, in a manger -- in a manger where the sacrificial lambs of God destined for the altar are born.
Then, out in the fields -- Gabriel, who could barely contain himself, appears to the shepherds. "But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger," Luke 2:10-12. Notice Gabriel did not give them further directions. He only said "town of David" and "manger." You can almost see the shepherds look at one another and say, "We just came from there!" They didn't need any other directions because they knew what the angel was talking about when he said "manger."
Then, in the first ever Hallelujah Chorus, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests," Luke 2:13-14. Poof! The angels were gone, leaving darkness swallowing up the shepherds, who immediately ran to the manger.
Abraham, leading Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed in an act of obedience, told his boy, "...God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together," Genesis 22:8.
Indeed, God sent His only son to be, like the story of Isaac, a substitution for us, being born to die so that we may be reborn and live. Every aspect of Christ's birth, life and death is rich in detail and meaning. The word "manger" has been translated and changed over 2,000 years to mean a place where wheat is put for cattle, but even that has meaning -- the Bread of Life....
There are many explanations behind the manger -- born in a cave, because that's where animals were kept, and the cave was like a tomb, etc. But I think God in His attention to detail would provide more for His Son and the young couple He chose and invited on this journey. The thought that God would send His Son to be born, live, die and -- Praise God! -- live again! makes me want to pull a Gabriel and shout it!
Jesus! Jesus! The only answer is Jesus!
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