This post begins with some ???s

How are Rachel, Jacob, swaddling clothes, shepherds, a manger and a lamb connected to Ephraph and the mysterious Edar tower prophesied by Micah 700 years BC?

Also do we even have a marginal mental grasp of who Jesus, son of Joseph, (Yeshua ben Joseph) was; what His culture was like, and who His family was?  The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had a specific time, place and purpose for His Chosen Son. 

Does our religious imagery reflect the life He really lived? Maybe we need to take another look at some details surrounding the birth of Jesus, our Messiah.

It’s in the Gospel of Luke chapter two and is known virtually the world over. It has been told countless times in one form or another, in a wide variety of depictions and performances and is one of the most iconic of all narratives.

Sometimes we become too familiar with what we think we know and miss some amazing details.Even non-believers are familiar with the story.

As we read its words once again,

take special note of its

historical, geographical, political

and prophetic aspects;

for without this story,

we would not be preparing for annual

Christmas Day celebrations every 25^th December.

“1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. (Lk. 2:1-18).

Here is the story of all stories, involving a young Jewish couple. The setting was at a time of socio-economic unrest following the mandates of a census being taken by the leaders of the Roman Empire. It involved two cities of Nazareth and Bethlehem.

(The distance of 96 miles or 155 kilometers, that was a long way to travel!)Nazareth is a village in northern Israel, and serves to remind us of the close family relationship and seclusion that Jesus experienced as He grew to manhood.

Bethlehem is the site at the center of this story and also the focus of numerous prophetic events, being inextricably connected with the “Royal house and lineage of King David.”

Leaving Luke’s famous narrative of Messiah’s birth, we need to go back in time to Micah where the most famous prophecy of His coming birth came forth through that prophet. It was written at least seven hundred years before Messiah Jesus was born.

“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” (Mic. 5:2).

In this verse, Ephratah, (Ephrath) was an ancient city originally located on the outskirts of Bethlehem, it was associated with the death of Rachel and the amazing prophecy that accompanied her burial. To this day, her tomb is still known and honored in this region.The Momentous Death of Rachel an important incident.. ..everything is connected!

In Genesis 35, God instructed Jacob to rise up and take his entire family to Bethel. Arriving there, he purified himself and erected an altar to God. After this, God appeared to him and pronounced that his name would be changed from Jacob to Israel:

“10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land” (Gen. 35:10-12).

Shortly after this, they travelled southward to the place that has been known ever since as Bethlehem, the Hebrew word that translates as “House of Bread.” This was the place where Christ was to be born about eighteen centuries later:

16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. 17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. 18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. 20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day. 21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. (Gen. 35:16-21).Rachels Tomb

Migdal Eder—the “tower of the flock”—was first mentioned here in Genesis 35:19-21.

 “So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder” 

In the context the “tower of Eder”

or “tower of the flock”

was located near Bethlehem.About 1,000 years after Rachel’s death, the prophet Micah spoke about the still-future birth of Israel’s Messiah.

Everyone is familiar with the prediction that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah. 5:2), but few look at the larger context.

Micah also predicted the reappearance of God’s kingdom

at Migdal Eder—

the tower of the flock.

“And as for you, tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come—even the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem” (Mic. 4:8) Beginning In Micah 4:1 and connecting the verse above with some verses right before it, the prophet was speaking in the same context, Micah lays out the distant future in a prophecy of the coming Kingdom. Here he refers to that time period as “the last days.” Then, he goes on to say the following:

“6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; 7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. 8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. (Mic. 4:6-8).

The location mentioned here was marked out for the amazing future fulfillment of prophecy. In Hebrew, the term “tower of Edar” is migdal eder. Its literal meaning of this title is “tower of the flock.” It would seem that this is the place where Christ was born, as described by Luke’s Christmas story.Here, we have a prophecy that describes the mysterious location, the strange edifice was a watchtower – and here it is presented as the key to understanding the birth of the Messiah. these words were written by Micah in the 8th century, B.C., long before Israel’s Babaylonian captivity, which Micah describes in the following verses:

“9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. 10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. 11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. 12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. 13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. (Mic. 4:9-13).

Micah’s prophecy notably goes well beyond the Babylonian captivity and into the distant future.

He describes Israel as being regathered and fully established as a people and as being invincible against all the people who are gathered against her.

Migdal Eder – Tower of the Flock.Amazingly the strange watchtower over the flock

is the centerpiece of an ancient drama

which tells the story of the Kingdom of Israel

of its downfall and of its rising once again. Jacob was the father of the twelve tribes,

his name being changed by God to that of Israel;

from his day to the present,

God’s will has unfolded an immense plan

which is centered upon the most important person in all history.

Jesus, Messiah,

Yeshua, Son Of God,

Lamb of God, Savior..Here is where it gets interesting

and we remember everything is connected

and is not without significance in God’s plan.

Luke 2:11-12 NKJV 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Scholars interpret Micah 4:8 as a prophesy indicating that the Messiah would be revealed from the

“tower of the flock” (Migdal Eder)

which is connected with the town of Bethlehem, southeast of Jerusalem.

Micah 4:8 NLKV 8 And you, O Migdal Eder (tower of the flock), the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

Mishnaic sources (Jewish sacred writings) indicate that animals “found” (meaning, ‘that were kept’) in the fields were within 5 miles of the Temple.

This Migdal Eder was NOT the watchtower for the ordinary flocks which pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem.

 The shepherds keeping watch over these sheep all year round knew the purpose for the lambs under their care. And their job was to keep the animals under them from becoming injured or blemished.Only in warm weather do the Shepherds keep their flocks outdoors at night in Bethlehem so it could not have been winter because when it was cold they sheltered in nearby caves. Could it be that the birth was closer to the date in  Israel’s calendar celebrating the Feast of Succoth?It was to those watching over animals destined for temple sacrifice that the angels announced Jesus’ birth.

“For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

It may not be so far fetched to see that

the arrival of the ultimate Lamb of God

was revealed to those responsible

for watching over the sacrificial lambs

that had always pointed toward Him.

Another passage in the Mishnah leads to the conclusion that the flocks which pastured there, were destined for Temple-sacrifices, and, accordingly, that the shepherds who watched over them were not ordinary shepherds.

The latter were under the ban of Rabbinism, on account of their necessary isolation from the religious ordinances, and their manner of life, which rendered strict legal observance unlikely, if not absolutely impossible …” The same Mishnaic passage also leads us to infer that these flocks lay out all the year round, since they are spoken of as in the fields thirty days before the Passover—that is, in the month of February, when in Palestine the average rainfall is nearly greatest. Thus Jewish tradition in some dim manner apprehended the first revelation of the Messiah from that Migdal Eder, where shepherds watched the Temple flocks all the year round. Of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence, it is needless to speak (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 186–87).

Mary and Joseph may well have passed those same fields on their way to Bethlehem.The male sheep (Jesus) was a ‘burnt’ (sin) offering and the female was for a ‘peace’ offering and at birth they were wrapped in swaddling cloths to keep the new lambs without spot or blemish, then they would be laid in a manger until they had calmed down.

Their swaddling cloths no doubt stained with blood!

Newborn lambs.

So the shepherds near Bethlehem are quite special. The location where they are tending and keeping watch over the lambs destined for Temple sacrifice is quite near the place where Messiah was born. It also marks the site of the ancient prophecy. As lambs destined for Temple sacrifice were born in these special flocks, they were inspected to make sure that they were perfect, not having any defect, so that they were suitable for sacrifice by the priests at the Temple. The Apostle Peter refers to Christ in precisely this way:

“18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (I Pet. 1:18-20).

Some sources have declared that the “swaddling clothes” mentioned in Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” were the pieces of woven material that the Temple shepherds used to wipe off the newborn lambs prior to their inspection. So here we have some interesting things to ponder on, the ‘Christmas’ prophecy of a very unique flock, and a very special watchtower.

With the Lord, nothing happens by accident or chance and there is no word in Hebrew to be translated for coincidence!! He plans everything perfectly!Only Luke talks about Jesus being wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Had it not been for this passage in Luke, most of us would never have heard of the practice of wrapping a baby in swaddling clothes.

This practice ceased around the sixteenth century as it was considered either too barbaric or that it really served no practical purpose at all. It was just a tradition that continued for no other reason than the fact it was tradition. It is even believed by many medical specialists to be harmful to the child.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

It’s an expression that was never used at any time except when we hear the Christmas story and no one ever really explains what the swaddling clothes are. A usual answer to such a question was that it was just a Bible term for blankets or cloths for sanitary purposes.

Swaddling clothes in the Aramaic is ‘azrura’, which really means ‘a bandage’. The word that is used is ‘esparganosen’ which is the Greek word for ‘a bandage’.

We have the word ‘swaddling’, used in Ezekiel 16:3. The Hebrew word used here is ‘chatal’, which is the Hebrew word for a ‘bandage’. It seems that this was more than just a bandage or blanket.

The practice of swaddling is very ancient practice and is believed to have been devised around the Paleolithic times about 4500 years ago during the Bronze Age around 2600 BC. Interestingly, archaeologists have uncovered small models of babies wrapped in swaddling clothes which dated back to this period.

After an infant was born the umbilical cord was cut and tied; as in this case, there was no midwife and either Mary or Joseph would have had to perform this. They would then sprinkle the baby with a powder made of dried myrtle leaves. Then they would gently rub the baby’s skin with a very small amount of salt that has been finely grounded into a sort of paste, which it was believed would make his or her flesh firm. For young Jewish parents this represented a testimony that that the parents would raise the child to be truthful and faithful.The swaddling cloth was a square yard of cloth which had a narrow band attached at one corner. The mother would wrap the child in this swaddle with its arms close to its body and its legs stretched out. She would then wind the narrow band around the body from the shoulders to the ankles until the baby resembled an Egyptian mummy. This ritual was performed as often as we would ‘change’ the baby and would be done until it was no longer required by the growing child.

The practical understanding was, that it helped the childs body grow strong and firm. It’s interesting to note that today medical science has learned it’s best to just leave them alone, that babies will develop naturally without artificial help. It took four thousand years for man to realize that God did a perfectly fine job creating us without artificial intervention.

However to the Jewish parent, this practice carried a symbolic meaning, and as we are learning every practice in Judaism carries some significant symbolism. This was a sign to the parents that they would teach the child to become honest, straightforward, and freed from crookedness.
This brings up the question as to why Luke felt it was important to mention this, not once, but two times, again is verse 12 where the angel tells the shepherds that the child will be found wrapped in swaddling clothes. Why was that necessary, if every baby is wrapped in swaddling clothes, how were the shepherds able to use that fact to distinguish Jesus from any other baby?These priestly shepherds knew the ‘swaddling’ procedure and, when told it would be a sign, they recalled Micah 4:8 and, with haste (Luke 2:16) ran to see the newborn Jesus, the Son of God.

There was no need for the angel to give these shepherds directions to the birth place because they already knew.
They, who raised the sacrificial lambs for the Temple, knew exactly where to go, as Luke 2 indicates, for the sign of a manger could only mean a manger at the tower of the flock in their fields.

Remember when the father of a household presented a lamb to the priest to be examined, he had tied the family name around the head of the potential sacrificial lamb so that the meat could be returned to him to be used during their Passover meal.

Luke 2:11 -12 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Scholars interpret Micah 4:8 as a prophecy indicating that the Messiah would be revealed from the tower of the flock Migdal Eder which is connected with the town of Bethlehem southeast of Jerusalem.

Micah 4:8 And you, O tower of the flock,
The stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
To you shall it come, 
Even the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”Shepherds watching over their Flocks by NightThis was the last few weeks before the harsh winters would set in, and the shepherds spent a lot of time allowing the sheep to fatten up before winter.  The dreaded heat of summer was over, and the evenings were cool, crisp and pleasant. 

Did the Shepherds visit the baby Jesus/Yeshua

in an animal succoth?An infant, now wrapped in swaddling clothes for protection in the cool breezes of evening and the curious stares of the domestic animals is a scene familiar to all.  Nearby, shepherds on a grassy sloped hillside suddenly found themselves serenaded by a chorus of supernatural choristers, saying,

Luke 2:8-10 – “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, Peace, Good Will towards all men on whom his favor rests…”

When that inter-dimensional gateway into the world of the Divine opened and again there

“stood before them an angel of the Lord, and the splendor of the Lord shone round them. They were terror-stricken…” (Luke 2:8-10)  Others had also been visited by angelic messengers.

First there was Zacharias, then Miriam, afterwards Joseph, and now the shepherds. What was the message of the angelic messenger?  “Fear not!”

Luke 2:10-12 – “I have good news for you: there is great joy coming to the whole people. Today in the city of David a deliverer has been born to you – the Messiah, the Lord.  And this is your sign: you will find a baby lying wrapped in his swaddling clothes, in a manger.

Quickly, they headed to town, were they searching and winding in and out among the multitude of Sukkoths, asking, have you seen a newborn child?

When they found Joseph and Miryam, “they recounted what they had been told about this child; and all who heard were astonished at what the shepherds said.”  (Luke 2:17-18)Why had Joseph and Mary come all this way from their hometown when she was in the late stages of pregnancy? Because their registration was decreed by the bureaucrats of the Roman Empire. Their genealogies were both out of the line of Judah. Joseph’s ancestry – the royal genealogy of Jesus in Matthew – came through King David, himself.

Bethlehem, the city of David, was the place where Roman magistrates had located themselves to receive those who were of the tribe of Judah. Sukkot is also one of the 3 Moedim that EVERY Israelite was commanded to be present in Jerusalem.Was this the reason everywhere was full?

In Ezekiel 16, the prophet is speaking out against the citizens of Jerusalem who were unfaithful to God and His commandments and uses the symbolic reference of washing, salting and swaddling. The failure to perform this tradition was symbolic of disloyalty and unfaithfulness to God.       

The term swaddling clothes to the Semitic mind was expressing the idea of loyalty and faithfulness to God. So with this narrative, Luke wanted to make sure that we realized that this child that was born, was not only the Son of God, but a Son who would be loyal and faithful to Heavenly Father. Nothing could have been more accurate; Jesus was so loyal and faithful, that He would be faithful and loyal even unto the death on the cross.

Later, as Jesus began His public ministry, He came to John the Baptist who rightly discerned His historical role and destiny:

“And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith,

Behold the Lamb of God!” John. 1:36.

How amazing that in John’s Gospel, He also referred to Himself as the “bread of life” (Jn. 6:48).

At a precise moment in the timeline of human history,

in the City of David,

the Lamb of God

came to the House of Bread – Beth Lechem

at Migdal Eder – the Tower of the Flock!

As final food for thought……..  

With the proximity of the Tower so close to where we are told Messiah was born, is there a possibility that Mary and Joseph sought refuge in that very tower, the one where the new born lambs were protected at birth and raised for sacrificial purposes? Did they use the

swaddling clothes on Messiah

that had been readied to wrap those new born lambs?

The pieces of cloth that had once been part of the High Priests garments that were regularly replaced but not thrown away as they were considered Holy; they were reused for the newborns after they had been soiled with blood from the sacrificial lambs and animals!

Was the manger in which He was placed located in

the Tower of the Flock/Migdal Eder

and was it the first resting place of the Chief Shepherd?

The Spotless Lamb of God?So now we know how Rachel, Jacob, swaddling clothes, shepherds, a manger and a lamb are connected to Ephraph and the mysterious Edar tower prophesied by Micah 700 years BC!

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.