The explanation for the uniqueness of the Passover sacrificial rite may be found in its commemorative aspects. New-born lambs were put in a manger after swaddling them to keep them from being trampled and to keep them calm. The daily Temple sacrifice required two unblemished sheep from Bethlehem. Migdal Eder was a tower used from ancient times by the Levitical shepherds to protect their sheep and lambs from enemies and from wild beasts. On that night, the Israelites were ordered to eat the paschal lamb, and several restrictive rules were added to this feast. The shepherds of Bethlehem were in charge of raising sheep for the temple sacrifices. Their job was to raise animals that were healthy and without blemish and pure enough for the temple sacrifices as stated in the Eternals instructions in the book of Leviticus. Used by permission. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told by the shepherds. Here it is said that the Israelites, led by Joshua, successor to Moses, kept the feast at Gilgal. Migdal Eder was a tower used from ancient times by the Levitical shepherds to protect their sheep and lambs from enemies and from wild beasts. Sheq 7:4, nor anything about priests. This was an exception to the general rule that all festival offerings are to be sacrificed on the day of the festival. A swaddle keeps baby cozy and warm until her internal thermostat kicks into gear. WebIt is likely that the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem were raising lambs in the very fields that King David, as a boy watched over his sheep and composed Psalms to honor his God. Jesus was not born behind an inn, in a smelly stable where the donkeys and other animals of travelers were kept. In fact the shepherds may have been on the same land that Boaz redeemed for Naomi and passed on to his son Jesse, Davids father. Only the Passover made an exception and allowed the unclean to keep the holiday (Numbers 9:10-13). (Genesis 35:521), And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem. (Genesis 48:7, KJV). Nothing is too difficult for God! This all said, again there are much better arguments to use in disproving the Dec 25 brith date of Yeshua. We know that these things occurred somewhere in the city of Bethlehem. Just try to leave out the pagan trappings! Ibelieve he was making a statement which, among other things, pointed to a particular place in Bethlehem as the birthplace of Christ. Being Christmas season now, mid December, I keep hearing the old saying that December could not have been Christs birthday because the shepherds were out tending their flock in the Bible, implying it was too cold to be around December 25. Passover again assumed its prime function as a religious festival. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Both were used, depending on the sacrifice. They were special too, trained by priests to inspect the newly born lambs who were destined for sacrifice. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly valued possession. So an event as important as his birth would have to coincide with a Festival as well. But Deborah, Rebekahs nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth. According to theMishnah(a rabbinic Jewish legal-historical document from the end of the second century AD), these were no ordinary sheep or shepherds, but were shepherds who watched over sheep that were destined to become burnt offerings, peace offerings and the Passover offering for the temple service in Jerusalem (Mishnah Sheq7:4;The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, by Alfred Edersheim, pp. Yeshua is the Lamb of the Eternal so, who better than the shepherds to welcome him at birth. For about three centuries after the death of Joshua, anarchical conditions loomed as a result of lack of leadership and constant harassment by hostile neighbors. In addition to the more commonly known prophecy of the Messiahs birth in Bethlehem cited above from Micah 5:2, there is a more specific reference to Migdal Eder, also in Micah. This tower of the flock mentioned in Micah 4:8 is in Hebrew Migdal Edar and literally means watch tower of the flock. Consequently, the Old Testament tells us that the Messiah, Jesus, would be born at Migdal Edar, in Bethlehem. Nothing suggests there were full time special shepherds enlisted to keep watch over sheep. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Renewed Covenant is the Covenant of newness, it never gets old. [8] In Micah, after the prophecy of the coming Messiah Who In that day will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever, referring to the Kingdom of God and the Lords rule of the Earth, there is this prophecy of the first appearance of the Lord:[9], And you, Migdal Eder [tower of the flock], hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it shall happen and shall come, the first [or beginning] dominion, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.[10]. They were Levitical shepherds (shepherd-priests). The church was designed to have only one high point in order to represent a tent that the shepherds would live in. 3 What does it mean that baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes? The new community kept the festival of Matzot seven days with joy, for God had made them joyful (Ezra 6:22). How did they know about Yeshua? We do it on December 25th merely because it is a centuries old, entrenched tradition and we use this time to bring the good news and of the Nativity story in Matthew and Luke. Leviticus 22:27 is pretty clear: When an ox, sheep or goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days; from day eight and on, it will be accepted as a burned sacrifice to God. What they saw was not a star but a rare phenomenon that happens every 6000 years and it pointed them to Israel and to Yeshua. The lambs were born in this Tower of the Flock known as. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Personally, I lean towards Him being born closer to September but, it is really an endless argument with each side presenting their evidence. 2 This month is the beginning of months for you, it is the first month of the year for you. First His birth, then His death, resurrection, etc, The Eternal commands us to begin the year and everything on the first day of the month of Nissan. The shekalim 7:7 of the Mishnah does not suggest that Migdal-Eder was used as a permanent location for sacrificial lambs. . It is also widely known that the word Bethlehem means house of bread. This too may be a referenceto Jesus, as He stated during the Seder (Last Supper) with His Disciples that He is the bread which is broken for each of us (Luke 22:19); and He had previously said that He is the true bread which came down from heaven (John 6:3233) and that He is the bread of life (John 6:35). An earlier verse in the book of Micah tells us exactly where to expect His birth: 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 [the Messiah shall bring the Kingdom] shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem [Mary the mother of Jesus]. (Micah 4:8, KJV). Probably not. The Magi, who were astronomers from the east saw a special star in the sky. With the destruction of the Temple, the offering of the paschal came to an end. When the Magi from Persia came to Jerusalem in search of the Jewish Messiah, they called upon King Herod as a courtesy and inquired of him where the Messiah was to be born. People finding free livestock would want to offer something they did not have to pay for. We see from the New Testament Scripture that Jesus was, indeed, born in Bethlehem. But the New Testament does not state the exact place in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The place these special Temple sheep used for delivery of their lambs was the tower of the flock, The first appearance of the Messiah was to be at the tower of the flock. The hill of the daughter of Zion, the daughter of Jerusalem was this a reference to Mary, that long awaited daughter of Eve, whose seed was promised in Genesis 3:15 after the fall of mankind? A public celebration of Passover with the slaughtering of paschal lambs was the climax of the festivities. A Talmudic passage (dating from the period of the Second Temple [515 BCE 70 CE]) describes the Temple ritual on the 14th of Nisan. Understanding how Passover was celebrated in biblical times. Actually, scientists now know that these ancient astronomers saw a series of conjunctions involving Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Regulus (the brightest star in the constellation of Leo), Mercury and Mars. a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger? To be a sign, it would have to be distinctive, understandable, and unique. They attended other tasks not related to the incense or sacrificial service. Yeshua was born around the Passover season. Indeed, that was a unique sign to these shepherds that this baby was, indeed, the Savior, Christ the Lord, the promised Messiah, as told to them by the angel which appeared to them, and as foretold by the Prophets of Israel. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. Some of you here know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem-Ephrathah not Bethlehem (there were two). King Josiah, in 637 BCE, next spearheaded a Jewish spiritual revival with the accidental discovery of a Torah scroll in the course of repair work to the Jerusalem Temple. In this sheltered building/cave the priests would bring in the ewes which were about to lamb for protection. This parallel passage is part of an extensive section of Micah dealing with the first advent of the Lord. I believe all of the following will ultimately be shown to point to Migdal Edar as the birthplace of Jesus: The shepherds who while watching their flocks by night became aware of exactly where to find the newborn Messiah in Bethlehem, The special lambs born and raised in the fields of Bethlehem, to be used specifically as Temple sacrifices, The account of the death of Jacobs wife Rachel, on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Cody Buresh 15 Looking back over the experiences of this trip I am extremely grateful and amazed that this group of Wabash men have had the opportunities to go on many adventures such as: staying on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, visiting the city of Jericho, having the privilege to tour the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and many other mind-baffling occurrences. While this ritual was performed the Levites sang the Hallel [Talmud Pesachim 64a]. This is not a good argument to use to try to disprove the Dec. 25 brith of Yeshua. [2] Temple sacrifices used only perfect lambs, without spot or blemish and the sacrificial system needed lots of lambs: two lambs a day for the daily sacrifices, and many thousands more for holidays, individual sacrifices, etc. Howard Hewitt; France, The Gospel of Matthew, New International Commentary on the New Testament He was born in the small city of Bethlehem. . So an event as important as his birth would have to coincide with a Festival as well. 2) lying in a manger. [6] In fact, the angelic message did not say, You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in A manger as the story is told in our English Bibles, but rather, lying in THE manger. This is like the difference between telling someone that you are visiting a white house rather than visiting the White House. To these shepherds, the manger meant a specific place. When the shepherds heard the spectacular announcement by the multitude of heavenly host praising God, they knew exactly where to go to find the baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths, just like the newborn Temple lambs. WebWhen the ewes were ready to deliver, the shepherds moved them inside a manger. In the year 932 BCE, Jeroboam, the first king of Israel, reintroduced idolatry. The shepherds of Bethlehem were in charge of raising sheep for the temple sacrifices. Is there a logical place where God would choose to have His Son born, one which would be described by the angel to the shepherds in the country as being . Thankfully, on our farm, we only raised biblically kosher animals, so there were no pigs. Every important event in Yeshuas life corresponds to a Festival or day commanded by the Eternal.
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