A Ruler Who Would “Feed” His People

A Ruler Who Would “Feed” His People

Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

            We are told that the name Ephratah (672) was the ancient name for Bethlehem. It means “fruitful” which is significant because it was a very small city but it was chosen because it was the place where Joseph would have to be to register for the Roman census of Caesar Augustus at the time Christ was born.

            Beyth Lechem (1035) i.e. Bethlehem means “the house of bread”. Matthew 2:6 explains, “And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”  This Governor was promised to be different than the Quirinius who was the Governor of Syria. Christ was to rule poimaino (4165), but this word connotes one who “feeds”.  So God promised that, from the “fruitful” “house of bread”, one would come who would “feed”. Today  is Sunday--it is the day that we go to church to worship God and to receive strength and sustenance from God--we should rejoice n the knowledge that Our God is a ruler who feeds.