2022-10-22 09:15:26 -04:00
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2022-10-23 10:27:39 -04:00
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title = "Luke 2:1–7"
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2022-10-22 09:15:26 -04:00
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date = "2022-10-22"
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+++
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2022-10-23 10:27:39 -04:00
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk2.1-7)
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2022-10-22 09:15:26 -04:00
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In order to fulfill the prophecy in Micah that the Messiah would be born in
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Bethlehem, Mary needed to travel there. God directed the Roman government to
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conduct a census that required Joseph to pack up with his whole family there.
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It's interesting that Mary and Joseph still aren't married yet, as v. 5 calls
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her "his betrothed". Popular imagery always depicts this journey as Joseph
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leading Mary on a donkey, by themselves. But in reality they would have been
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too poor for even a pack animal, and both their extended families would have
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needed to travel to Bethlehem at the same time since they are descended from
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King David too.
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The Greek word for "inn" in the first century doesn't have the connotation of a
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professional room renter. It's really just a general term for "place you stay".
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Both Mary and Joseph probably had relatives living in Bethlehem that they
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stayed with. Have you ever had a Christmas or other event where _all_ your
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cousins were under one roof for an extended stay? Every room in the house will
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have temporary beds set up, with as many people together as you can fit. Now
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add a birth to the mix. It was also common in that time for livestock to live
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in the same buildings as people, especially when you can't afford a separate
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barn or stable. There probably was literally no more room for a tiny baby to
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sleep in, so they put him in a food trough until they could figure out
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something else.
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* * *
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You are sovereign over the nations, and no detail escapes Your notice.
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