“But You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me, the One to be the Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).
We have considered the fact that when God decides to do a great thing, He often chooses the least likely people and places in which to do His work. Case in point: Israel.
On my first trip to Israel, I was surprised at how ordinary the landscape was. Of course, there were beautiful scenes, but I could never say Israel was the most beautiful place on earth. New Zealand, Austria, Hawaii, Thailand, all would rank far above that narrow strip of land on eastern shores of the Mediterranean, yet that is precisely where God accomplished the work of redemption.
Bethlehem is primarily, like much of Israel, a rock pile. No one expected this humble “village on a hill” to rank at the top of the heap once it was designated as the birthplace of the Messiah.
Yes, it was little among the 1,000s of Israel. No one expected it to be the chosen landing zone for the Christ. Bethlehem figured large in the story of Jesus’ ancestors when Ruth, the Moabite widow, found favor and love and a home among the privileged Boaz. It had been the scene of a rescue before, and here it is again. Out of the way, off the radar, unexpected and yet chosen by God. That just might describe you as well. God measures differently than men. No one and no place is little in God’s eyes. God has big plans for you too. Right there in your little town.
