12.20.23
Laid in Swaddling Clothes
And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. (Luke 2:12)
The shepherds were in the fields outside of Bethlehem, watching their sheep. This may have been in the fall.
As the angels guarded their sheep, the angel came to announce the birth of the Savior. He was accompanied by the glory of the LORD, and this caused the shepherds great fear! The message was wonderful: Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
The angel also gave the shepherds a sign: And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
The angel was joined by a host of angels who praised God: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.
This is wonderfully exciting to contemplate. Who wouldn’t be amazed and afraid in such a situation? Our focus however, for today, is on the sign given to the shepherds concerning the swaddling clothes. This sign, or prophecy, relates to two verses in the Old Testament, both dealing with the ‘tower of the shepherd,’ a special place the shepherds used to watch the sheep.
The first verse is Genesis 35:21—And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. Jacob pitched his tent after he buried Rachel near the tower of the shepherd, which was on the road between Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
The other reference is Micah 4:8—And you, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto you shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. This is stating that the Messiah would be at this tower of the flock.
The tower of the shepherd, or ‘Migdal Edar,’ was a watchtower in the shepherd’s fields of Bethlehem. It was a two-story stone structure out in the fields.
On the top story, a shepherd of the tribe of Levi would stand watching over the flock to make certain that the sheep were not being harmed. The sheep raised in the fields of Bethlehem were destined to be sacrificed in the Temple in Jerusalem. These sheep must be without spot or blemish in order to be sacrificed.
The bottom floor of the tower was for the birthing of these lambs. From the beginning, these lambs must be perfect. The priestly shepherd would take the newborn lamb and wrap it in swaddling clothes to keep it from harming its limbs. After wrapping the lamb, the shepherd would lay it in a manger until the newborn had calmed down.
These priestly shepherds, to whom the angel came, knew this procedure. Thus, when told that it would be a sign, that the baby King would be wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in manger, they recalled the OT Scriptures and with haste ran to see the newborn Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Messiah!
The birth of the Savior was a fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies. This assures us that yet-to-be fulfilled Bible prophecy will also be fulfilled, and it could be soon!
The next event is the Rapture, which could take place today. Are you ready?