Covenant Christian Reformed Church

Love Came Down (Advent Series: Because of Bethlehem; Message Four) “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.” 3Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth” (Micah 5:2-4) “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie; above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by...” A. We picture Bethlehem as a Hallmark Hamlet; it’s actually dirty and smelly B. Bethlehem (lit, “house of meat” in Arabic or “house of bread” in Hebrew) was where shepherds raised sheep for temple sacrifices 1. Shepherding was top on the rabbi’s list of most despised occu