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The House of Bread

Words of Faith Final

The House of Bread
Words of Faith 12-31-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Matthew 2
 [4] When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. [5] "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
    [6] " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

      Herod was a conniving evil despot. And that is a nice description. He called himself "Herod the Great," but he was primarily great at murdering family members and anyone he believed to be a threat to his power. He was particularly threatened by the prospect of the birth of a king because he was not the rightful heir to the throne from the line of David-- but he claimed that title.
      In fact, Herod was not even a descendant of Jacob but was descended from Esau and thus was an Edomite. He was despised by most Jews despite his great public works, such as refurbishing the Temple and building a port city. As a "tax and build" politician, Herod always tried to impress Rome to keep his power.
      The arrival of a rightful heir to the throne of David could have unseated Herod, especially if Rome saw value in having an actual heir on the throne. Herod had to find out where and when this child was to be born so that he could eliminate the threat.  Where was simple. It had been prophesied in Micah 5:2 that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."  
      Bethlehem holds a special place in the history and heart of Israel. It was near Bethlehem that Rachel was buried. Ruth and Naomi gleaned wheat in the fields of Bethlehem. David was born in Bethlehem, and this was where he was anointed by Samuel. It was a village known for its wheat. In fact, the name Bethlehem means "house of bread." It is particularly appropriate that Jesus came from this place.   
    Jesus was once asked, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
    Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
     "Sir," they said, "from now on, give us this bread."
     Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:30-35).
      Jesus is the bread of life. In the ancient world, having bread meant survival for many. Bread was life in terms of physical life. But now, Jesus made it clear that He is the bread of spiritual life. He was born in a village called "the house of bread." If you come to Him, you will never go hungry. If you believe in Him, you will never be thirsty.
      Have you been in a desert place in life? Are you needing some manna? Are you thirsting? Try Jesus, from the house of bread. He is the bread of life.

      Lord, I don't want what you can give me-- I want You. I need You. I need the bread of life. Sir, from now on, give me this bread. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2021 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.