Truth Magazine

Bethlehem is first mentioned outside the Scriptures in a 14th century B.C. letter from the king of Jerusalem who wrote to his Egyptian overlord asking for archers to help him recover Bit Lahmi which had seceded from his dynasty (Amarna Letters, quoted in Oxford Archaeological Guides 199).

Bethlehem is best remembered by Christians as the place where Jesus was born and where Herod the Great slaughtered the innocent babies under two years old in his attempt to kill the Messiah. Bethlehem is located six miles south of Jerusalem. Since the second century, men have been identifying a cave at Bethlehem as the site of the birth of Jesus (Justin, Protoevangelium of James). From Hadrian’s time (A.D. 135) to the reign of Constantine (about 180 years), the site was over- shadowed by paganism. On May 31, 339, the first church building was dedicated on the site of Jesus’ birth. In 384 Jerome took up residence in Bethlehem, which led to its become a monastic center. Jerome worked from this church building to translate the Bible from Hebrew into Latin (Vulgate). This translation became the official Bible of the Catholic church for the next 1500 years.

In A.D. 529, Emperor Justianian ordered the destruction of the older building and the construction of a new building to mark the birth of Jesus (the Grotto [cave] of the Nativity). That 6th century church building built by the Emperor Justinian remains essentially as it was built, although the roof and floor have been replaced several times. Known as the Church of the Nativity (one of the oldest churches in the world and the oldest in Israel), this church has a silver star to mark the place where Jesus came out of the womb of Mary which has become somewhat of a modern idol for many “Christians.” This church is divided among the Roman Catholic, the Greek Orthodox and Armenian denominations and conflicts occur among them over control of the building at various times.

Also located here are the Field of Boaz and Shepherds’ Field, Rachel’s Tomb (built in 1860 by Moses Montefiore, a Jewish philanthropist), and King David’s wells. These sites are not authenticated but one can get a sense of the terrain where these important Bible events occurred by being in the area.

Here are some important events that happened at Bethlehem:

• Bethlehem first appears in the Scriptures, nearly 2000 years before Jesus, as the burial place of Rachel (Gen. 35:19, 48).
• It is mentioned as one of the towns captured by Joshua (Josh. 19:15).
• The judge Ibzan was from here and was buried here (Judg. 12:8, 10).
• The story of Ruth occurs in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:1).
• David was from Bethlehem and there was anointed king (1 Sam. 16:4; 2 Sam. 23:15). It was from the well of Bethlehem that David longed for water when his mighty men broke through the lines of the Philistines to get it for him.
• Asahel was buried here (2 Sam. 2:32).
• Rehoboam strengthened Bethlehem (2 Chron. 11:6).
• Micah foretold that the Christ would be born there and he was (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:1, 5). There the shepherds came to worship him (Luke 2:4).
• Herod the Great slew the male babies under two years

He paused and looked outside,
unaware of the time of day,
Patiently searching the scriptures
for what they had to say.

He knew the significance of study
and was confident that he would find
The truth of the Word imparted
for all of mankind.

He diligently examined each passage to
discern right from wrong.
The sun was slowly setting
as his day grew long.

His wife passed by the doorway
and he turned and looked her way.
She started to ask him to rest awhile,
but smiled and walked away.

She realized the importance of his
study and trusted him to stop when he could.
Sometimes he pushed himself too hard but,
 his reasons for doing so were good.
Oh, sometimes he was late for supper
and there were times he didn’t come at all.
But, she knew when it came down to it,
he answered to a much higher call.

Someone has said, “If you have trouble remembering things and you fear you are losing your mind — don’t worry about it — just forget it.” While this contains humor, losing memory is a serious matter.

Memory is the “power of the mind that retains knowledge acquired by the perception and consciousness of the past.” Marjorie Holmes, in her book, You And I And Yesterday, said, “man is the only creature whose emotions are entangled with his memory.” Memory is the record of man’s experience. It is the ability to review the events of yesterday, and bring meaning and purpose to present experiences. Without memory we would be ignorant of the past and incapable of understanding the present. We would be void of lasting impressions; no process of reasoning; no conscience nor sense of responsibility.

On a bright February morning, Beverly Slater, then 48, stepped off the curb as the traffic light turned green in her direction. She was struck by a car, flung onto its hood, car- ried 50 feet, and dropped headlong onto the pavement. The impact of the collision was so great that her outstretched hand left a palm print pressed into the car hood. She remained in a coma for four days. When she opened her eyes she was surrounded by strangers. Who was this “Hal” asking her if she was “all right”? And what did he mean by “husband”? Forty-eight years of memory — her entire past — was erased instantly on the morning of February 13, 1980, in Philadelphia. Imagine, waking up some morning with no memory of the past!

Memory forms an individual’s identity. Much of our lives are shaped by what we have learned. We can relate to the past — good or bad. We can relate to getting married, having children, but when we lose memory we cannot relate to any of these things. Memory is essential to human individuality. Tying the past to the present creates a continuing sense of identity. Memory helps to identify who we are — our roots.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to go back to the community where I was born and where I spent the early years of my life. It was a delightful journey back in time. I could visualize the men, long since gone, gathered in the shade of the old tree, whittling and making conversation, waiting for someone to signal that it was time to begin the church services.

I remember the three-room schoolhouse, which once stood a short distance away, and the happy experiences enjoyed there. As I sat in the old meeting house, I sat approximately where I sat years ago as a cotton-headed, barefoot boy in overalls. I looked across the room to a most familiar spot and recalled the features of an old grayhaired gentleman who always sat there — one whom I loved very much, and followed many a mile — my granddaddy Fite. I looked where he always hung his hat and remembered vividly the way he prayed.

Memories of childhood flooded my mind as I traversed the grounds of the old home place. As I gazed toward a corner of the pasture I could envision the small house in which I was born. It was there my brother died, and where I became deathly ill as the result of slipping a plug of Brown Mule chewing tobacco out of my granddaddy’s pocket and partaking of it. But now on that spot the green grass grows and the cows graze.

I looked at the sycamore trees alongside the house remembering the hours I played in the shade they afforded. It was there I gained my first experience and appreciation of the power of a 12 gauge double-barrelled shotgun when both triggers are pulled simultaneously.

I remembered the location of the wash pot in which we boiled clothes and made lye soap, and of the time when trying to be of help to my mother — but incapable of reaching the wash pot, I dropped various articles of clothing into the fire, and burned that which we could ill afford to lose.

Although all trace of it has been removed, I could see through my mind’s eye the barn, in which I sat and ate raw peanuts by the hour, shelled corn, fed the stock, and upon which I sat and contentedly smoked corn silks.

The tank of water where I watered old Nig and Preacher (our mules) still looked the same. The pastureland, which once grew cotton, presented a picture to me of one sitting on a cotton sack on a cool, crisp fall morning, waiting for daylight, wondering why his daddy didn’t let him sleep a little longer.

I remembered the spot where my dad shot my hound dog because he was sucking eggs, and the area around the woodpile where I spent many an hour and rode a broom stick many a mile while visualizing myself as the hero who wore the white hat and rode the magnificent white stallion.

Precious father, loving mother,
Fly across the lonely years
And old home scenes of my childhood
In fond memory appear.
Precious memories, how they linger,
How they ever flood my soul In the stillness of the midnight Precious, sacred scenes unfold.

Now these things identify me. This is who I am — my roots. Without memory I am a nobody. Memories can help us live in the present and future. God called upon his people to remember the past to secure obedience to the future (Deut. 8:1, 2).

We must remember our spiritual roots. Look back to when you were “dead through trespasses and sins,” without God and no hope of heaven. How you were saved from past sins by the grace of God coupled with faith (Eph. 2:1-8). You became a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). We must always remember our cleansing from old sins (2 Pet. 1:8). This reminds us who we are (our spiritual roots). We are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26). We have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20); our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20ff).

Our memory will play a part in judgment as God calls upon us to “remember” (Luke 16:25).

How wonderful that memory lingers still.

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Unfortunately, many people have been blinded from the light of Jesus Christ because they live in extreme darkness. By their wicked works, they have separated themselves from God, who is the source of light (Col. 1:21; 1 John 1:5). Paul, seeing the lure of this sinful lifestyle, gives the church at Ephesus sundry exhortations and admonitions concerning walking in the darkness of the world. We read this discourse in Ephesians 5:1-12.

We Once Lived In Darkness

In our reading Paul tells the Christians, “ye were sometimes darkness” (v. 8). Here he acknowledges the universality of sin. At one time all of us walked in darkness, loved it, and attested to this by our lawless deeds. Many times today people never see the light of the gospel because they have never been shown the darkness in which they now live. We must never stray away from telling the sinner of his sin. People will never see the need for a physician if they don’t see the symptoms of their sickness. A person will never seek to be found if he is not convinced that he is lost. In the same way, one will never see the light unless he is caused to first recognize the darkness. Let us never lose sight of the deplorable darkness that once was in our lives and still may be in that of others (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10).

Now, Avoid The Darkness

After acknowledging the former state of the Ephesians, the apostle states that now they are to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (v. 11). In the context of this verse, he states the reason. They are now the children and followers of God (v.1). As Christians they have been sanctified and should act accordingly (v. 3). Although they did walk in darkness, now they are the children of light, and should so walk in the light (v. 8). If after we have been cleansed we walk in darkness any longer, we are lacking the fellowship of God, consequently we are lost (1 John 1:5, 6). We must shun things that are ungodly and avoid the darkness of sin.

Expose The Darkness

Not only were the Christians at Ephesus to have no fellowship with the works of darkness, they were also to “reprove them” (v. 11). Too often I fear we get the idea that we will just keep ourselves right and leave everyone else alone. This will not work! We must see the danger a lost soul faces, and being moved by love and compassion, expose the sin so that it may be repented of before it’s too late. This is a God-given responsibility (1 Tim. 4:2; Tit. 2:15). Some people may bless us (Prov. 24:25), some will hate us (John 7:7; 1 John 3:13), but regardless of others’ approval or lack thereof, it must be done. We must develop through righteous living an intolerance for sin.

Be Ashamed of the Darkness

Speaking of those who walked in darkness, Paul said, “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret” (v. 12). In speaking of homosexuality, the apostle calls it a “shameful” act (Rom. 1:27). However, shame is not attached to one or two sins; it is tied to all sin. When we sin, we disappoint our Father, reject his will, belittle the sacrifice of Jesus, and condemn our souls to Hell. There is nothing to be proud of, yet there is everything to be ashamed of when we sin. We should abhor sin to the point that when we commit it or see it committed, we feel a deep shame. As we see many fight for the “right” to murder unborn babies, practice and embrace perversion, and commit travesties right and left, how do we feel? Are we deeply ashamed of mankind, or are we like those of Jeremiah’s day who, “were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush” (Jer. 6:15)?

Conclusion

Realize that we have escaped the darkness of sin and have been set at liberty. Determine not to become entangled in it again. Admonish and reprove those that practice lawlessness and be ashamed of your own sins as well as their sinful deeds. Always remember, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).