December to Remember Day 8

A Royal Bread Box

Earlier in this series we learned what Nazareth meant, click here if you missed that day. I promise, you won't be sorry.


I loved learning about Nazareth, but today we are arriving in Bethlehem, Heaven's choice as a birthing center to welcome our matchless Savior. We broke down "Nazareth" to discover it's meaning, and we'll do just the same with Bethlehem. I hope you are in as
much awe over what you read here today as I was when I discovered it a few days ago.  I still get goosebumps over it. 

---

And Joseph went up from Galilee , from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.  -- Luke 2:4-5

They went to Bethlehem.  A little city with a very big name, both alphabetically and symbolically.  Bethlehem is made up of two Hebrew words beth and lehem. 

Let's get the microscope out and take a really close look at both of these, we'll start with beth.  The original word for beth is bayit which means house.  It is also used to describe a depository of certain items. 

Let's think for just a minute.  A house, a depository of what?  Keep that question in mind as we move to the next part, lehem.  Lehem comes from the root word lechem, which means bread

Beth + lehem = house, depository + bread

Bethlehem is a house of bread.  Bethlehem was a depository for bread.

.....I am the bread of life.  -- John 6:35

Bethlehem was the house where God deposited life.

.....I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  -- John14:6

Your eighth gift in this December to Remember.

Father, I can't add anything to that.  You miss no details when you plan things out, and yet we still manage to doubt You and your sovereign control over all things.  You raised your tender shoot in Nazareth after You deposited the source of eternal life in little Bethlehem.  Like a gift wrapped under the tree with the gift disguised inside, Bethlehem is but wrapping paper for a word full of significance to your master plan.  Magnificent God, Beautiful Savior, I am so grateful for the Bread that You are to me.  You truly satisfy my soul.