Friday August 30
The Sovereign Hand of God
Luke 2:1-5
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
Luke chapter 2 has to be one of the most exciting, important, and special chapters in all the Bible! Luke has done his research, no doubt interviewing Mary personally, and even possibly talking with the shepherds mentioned in this chapter. He gives more details concerning the birth of Jesus Christ than any other of the Gospel writers. Matthew gives only a little description of Jesus birth at Bethlehem with the wise men visiting Him with gifts and Herod the local king attempting to kill Him. Mark leaves out any details of Jesus birth and simply tells us that He is baptized by John and He begins His ministry preaching. John highlights Jesus’ divinity as the Word becomes Flesh with no mention of His birth at Bethlehem.
While Luke 1 gives us the theme of joy and rejoicing at the coming of Jesus, Luke 2 highlights the sovereignty of God behind the scenes in the events of the world and the birth of Jesus Christ! While Jesus was born as weak as any other baby humanly speaking, He was also the center of power as far as heaven was concerned.
First His birth drew Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem (vv. 1-7). Augustus Caesar was ruling, but God was in charge, for He used Caesar's edict to move Mary and Joseph eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfill His Word. Rome took a census every fourteen years for both military and tax purposes, and each Jewish male had to return to the city of his fathers to record his name, occupation, property, and family.
When Mary said "Be it unto me according to Thy word" (Luke 1:38), it meant that from then on, her life would be a part of the fulfillment of divine prophecy. God had promised that the Savior would be a human, not an angel (Gen. 3:15; Heb. 2:16), and a Jew, not a Gentile (Gen. 12:1-3; Num. 24:17). He would be from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10), and the family of David (2 Sam. 7:1-17), born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14) in Bethlehem,' the city of David (Micah 5:2).
All of this occurred just as the Scriptures said, and Caesar unknowingly played an important part. A great pastor of yesteryear used to say, "History is His story," and even one of our U.S. Presidents, James A. Garfield called history "the unrolled scroll of prophecy." If God's Word controls our lives, then the events of history only help us fulfill the will of God. "I am watching over My word to perform it," promises the Lord (Jer. 1:12).
The tax that Caesar Augustus imposed required that every person go to the city where he was born to be registered. Joseph and Mary, married now, and the Babe who was soon to be born, had to return to Bethlehem, the ancestral home of David, Israel's greatest king. Like it or not, Joseph and Mary set out on their journey, which must have been tiring and uncomfortable for Mary. That she should be left behind in her condition was unthinkable.
The hand of God was in the whole business. The journey put Mary in Bethlehem in time for the birth of her child. Just where the prophet Micah had declared some six or seven hundred years earlier that Christ would be born (Mic. 5:2). Mary and Joseph were already husband and wife but since they did not consummate the marriage until after Jesus was born, she is called his "espoused wife" (Matt. 1:18-25).
Bethlehem means "house of bread," the ideal birthplace for the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Its rich historic heritage included the death of Rachel and the birth of Benjamin (Gen. 35:16-20; also see Matt. 2:16-18), the marriage of Ruth, and the exploits of David. It is worth noting that the name Benjamin means "son of my right hand," and the name David means "beloved." Both of these names apply to our Lord, for He is the Beloved Son (Luke 3:22) at God's right hand (Ps. 110:1).
Yes, my friend, we can be assured that even today in a world full of corruption, chaos, confusion, and war, our God is sovereign, and He is engineering circumstances for the soon coming again of His Son! We should be looking up!!!!
God bless!
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