Small Bethlehem

One small village on top one ridge. Only few houses. Some barley farm. Shepherds for di hillside. Nobody go put am for map of important places. But God don write im name inside im plan.

Micah na prophet from Moresheth, one village for di low hills of Judah. E live around di same time with Isaiah, more than seven hundred years before Jesus. Micah no fear to talk against di rich and powerful people for Jerusalem wey dey cheat di poor, dey collect dia farm, and dey bend justice because of money. E warn say God go judge Jerusalem imself. For di verse wey dey just before our passage, e describe how enemy surround di city, and dem disgrace im leader so tey di enemy take stick slap di judge of Israel for im cheek. Jerusalem kings don fail. So where God go find true ruler for im people?

No be for di big city. Na for one small one. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, even though you small among di families of Judah, from inside you, one person go come out for me wey go be ruler for Israel; im going out dey from old time, from days wey don pass long-long. Bethlehem. Di old village where Ruth pick barley for Boaz farm. Where Jesse live. Where one young shepherd wey dem dey call David dey look after sheep when di prophet Samuel come find king. Ephrathah na im old family name, so dat nobody go confuse am with another town wey dem also dey call Bethlehem for up north. Micah talk say e small, e too small to count among di families of Judah. And na from inside am God ruler go come out.

But Micah talk one strange thing about dis ruler. Im going out dey from old time, from days wey don pass long-long. Dis ruler story no start for Bethlehem. E reach back far before. Then Micah explain say God go leave im people for some time, until di woman wey dey labour born. Time of waiting, like di long months before pikin born. And then di rest of im brothers go come back to di children of Israel. Di family wey scatter go gather come back home.

And which kind ruler e go be? E go stand, and e go take care of im flock like shepherd with di strength of di Lord, with di majesty of di name of di Lord im God. Dem go live for peace, because e go dey great reach di ends of di earth. Na im go be our peace. Shepherd, like David, di boy from Bethlehem farm. No be ruler wey dey use im people, but one wey dey feed dem and protect dem. And e no be say e go just bring peace. Na im go be our peace. About seven hundred years after, wise men reach Jerusalem dey ask King Herod where dem born di new king of di Jews. Herod call im chief priests and di people wey sabi di law. Dem know di answer sharp-sharp. For Bethlehem of Judea, because na wetin di prophet write be dat. And few miles south of Jerusalem, for di small town of David, di shepherd-king don born.

Since early-early time, Christians don dey remember one particular place for Bethlehem as di place wey Jesus born. Around di year one hundred and fifty, Justin Martyr, wey come from di land of Israel, write say Jesus born inside one cave near di village. For di three hundreds, di Roman emperor Constantine build one big church on top dat cave. Di Church of di Nativity, wey dem rebuild for di five hundreds, still dey stand, and for twenty twelve, UNESCO list am as World Heritage Site.

Small Bethlehem. Na Micah chapter five be dat, verse two reach five. When di big city fail, God choose one small village, and from inside am di shepherd wey be our peace come out. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. God choose small Bethlehem. You dey sometimes feel say you too small to matter? Wetin God fit wan do through you?