Luke 2:1
King James Version (KJV)
2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree
from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
This week congress passed the revised tax law for Americans.
President Trump touts this as a great step forward for America in his goal of
“making America great again.” He is, of course, totally unwilling to
acknowledge that America became great initially when almost no American paid
any income tax. He tells us confidently that everybody’s taxes will go down.
His opponents point out that the taxes of the middle class will go up and that
Social Security and Medicare will go down, giving me a double whammy! Secondly,
I had over $2,500 tax wrested from my account a few days ago because I live in
house in California. Furthermore, the California legislature is doing
everything it possibly can to push that amount up to $10,000 and more.
The Old Testament predicted that our Lord and Savior would
be born in Bethlehem. His father and mother, Joseph and Mary, were betrothed to
be married and living in Nazareth in a different province of the Roman Empire
that was several days’ walk from Bethlehem. Mary was “great with child.” Other
Old Testament prophecies indicated that this was indeed the exact time Christ
was to be born.
God in His infinite wisdom knew that both evil angels and
people (both Jews and Gentiles) eagerly awaiting this birth. He didn’t dare
have the parents either married or living in Bethlehem lest they be destroyed
before Christ was even born. So He had the great Augustus Caesar suddenly
decide he wanted to know exactly how many subjects he had, who they were, and
where they came from.
Only an absolute dictator could demand such from his subjects.
He issued a decree that everyone should be taxed, in Greek ἀπογράφεσθαι, which
looks to me like it means something like “written down.” Various English Bible
translations render this as taxed, enrolled, registered, census taken, and even
“names written down in a book[i].”
This must have been the greatest data base every assembled in antiquity. Whatever
it was, it was instrumental in getting the Joseph and his “espoused wife” to
the right city at the right time while many others were also there so that
Jesus had to be born in stable. Of course, to the watching universe, Jesus
anonymity was shattered that very night by the visit of the shepherds.
Thank You, Lord God,
that You are willing and able to “pull strings” to get Your will done even when
it means going to the very top of earthly powers. I trust that You are willing
to do this even today to prepare the world for Your Second Coming.
[i]
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
©
1969, 1971, 1996, 1998 by SOON Educational Publications
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