As you read through the pages of Scripture, an interesting theme emerges. You see that time and again, God delights to use obscure, seemingly insignificant people and places. Hard to believe? Let’s take a look…
Obscure places
When God decided to send His Son into our world, He didn’t choose the imperial city of Rome, the cultural hub of Athens, or even the ancient city of Jerusalem. He chose Bethlehem.
We know the name well today but two millennia ago it was an obscure village a few miles outside the big capital city of Jerusalem. The prophet Micah had foretold seven centuries before that this would be God’s choice. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathath, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2)
The pattern is repeated for Jesus’ hometown. Nazareth was an obscure interior town in Galilee in northern Israel. When Nathanael (one of the twelve disciples) was first told about Jesus and where he came from, his response was “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46)
We lived in the village of Whitefish, on the western fringe of the Greater City of Sudbury, for 23 years. That’s where my country church called Bethel Baptist was located and that’s where we raised our family. We used to joke that when the Bible referred to “the ends of the world,” it was talking about us. Actually, Whitefish is not the end of the world but you could see the ends of the world quite clearly from there!
Obscure people
The same principle applies to the people God chose to use. God chose the youngest boy in Jesse’s family to be the king of Israel. When the prophet Samuel went to find him, young David was almost overlooked. He had seven older brothers but all were rejected. Finally, when David was brought in from the hills where he was tending sheep, the Lord told Samuel, “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one.” (1 Samuel 16:12)
And, most importantly, when God was looking for parents for His “only beloved Son,” He chose an obscure peasant couple. Quite frankly, Joseph and Mary were nobodies in their town, region and country. But in God’s eyes, they were somebodies who were precious, cherished, and made in His very image. Not surprisingly, the first people to learn about Jesus’ birth were lowly, scruffy shepherds who worked the fields outside Bethlehem just like young David had many years before.
The bottom line
The apostle Paul summed up this biblical pattern well when he wrote, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
So, my friend, do you feel rather insignificant at times (or most of the time)? Watch out. God may just have His eye on you. When He uses humble, selfless, ordinary people to accomplish great things, the glory goes where it belongs and people are drawn to their loving, heavenly Father.
Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor.
