OUR DAILY BREAD : A GIFT MOST LAVISH

[cimi]

December 25
Thursday


A GIFT
MOST LAVISH

READ:
Micah 5:2-6
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Though He was rich,
yet for your sakes He
became poor, that you
through His poverty
might become rich.
__2 Corinthians 8:9
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I have a piece of old plaster on my desk that comes from the ancient site of the Herodium in the land of Israel. It reminds me of the humility of our Lord Jesus.

Herodium was a lavish residence that served as King Herod's summer palace, a sumptuous villa with opulent apartments furnished for the royal family and their guests. It boasted a Roman bath with hot and cold pools, surrounded by colonnaded gardens.

It's said that Herod built his palace to commemorate a victory in battle, but knowing Herod's selfish ambition it's possible he had another purpose in mind. Some have conjectured that Herod, despite inquiring of the scribes (Matt. 2:4-6), knew about Micah's prediction that Israael's Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. He may have wanted israel's King to be born in his palace.

The Father's plan, however, was for our Lord to be born not in a castle but in a cave. It was in a lowly manger that the little Lord Jesus was born.

This is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Though He was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9). This is the gift of lavish salvation--of all gifts, the greatest gift that you and I will ever receive. __David Roper
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``````````````````````He did not use a silvery box````````````````
````````````````````````Or paper green and red;````````````````
````````````````````God laid His Christmas gift to me``````````````
````````````````````Within a manger bed. __Prentice`````````````
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The goodness and love of God
became incarnate at Bethlehem.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Micah 5:2-6*************

2 "But you, Bethlehem
Ephrathah, though you are
little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of you
shall come forth to Me the
One to be Ruler in Israel,
whose goings forth are
from of old, from
everlasting."

3 Therefore He shall give
them up, until the time that
she who is in labor has
given birth; then the
remnant of His brethren
shall return to the children
of Israel.

4 An He shall stand and
feed His flock in the
strength of the LORD in the
majesty of the name of the LORD
His God; and they
shall abide, for now He
shall be great to the ends of
the earth; 5 and this One
shall be peace. When the
Assyrian comes into our
land, and when he treads in
our palaces, then we will
raise against him seven
shepherds and eight
princely men. 6 They shall
waste with the sword the
land of Assyria, and the
land of Nimrod at its
entrances; thus he shall
deliver us from the
Assyrian, when he coms
into our land and when he
treads within our borders.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Seven hundred years beofre it happened, Micah prophesied that
the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (which means "house
of bread" because the area was a grain-producing region) in the
district of Ephrathah, 5 miles south of Jerusalem. So insignificant
was the town that it was not even mentioned in the list of towns in
Joshua 15:33-60 or Nehemiah 11. David, Israel's greatest king, was
born here (Sam. 17:12). The story of Ruth, which gives the account
of David's paternal ancestors, took place in this town (Ruth 1:22).
__Sim Kay Tee