Oh, little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shine
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep the angels
Keep their watch of wondering love
Oh, morning stars together
Proclaim thy holy birth
And praises sing to God the king
And peace to men on earth

Traditional hymn written by Philip Brooks and Lewis Redner
Arrangers for Elvis Presley: Steve Abbott / Ian Tilley / Martin Neary

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I love this song! It makes me think of the peacefulness of that night…and what Bethlehem was like. And what Mary and Joseph were thinking as Mary awaited the birth of Jesus. Here is some interesting history I found on what Bethlehem may have been like all those years ago:

“ ‘O Little Town Of Bethlehem’ is one of the most famous Christmas hymns. Bethlehem has become almost a mythological place. Children imagine it with a few “huts,” a few camels and the Holy Family. At the time of Jesus, Bethlehem was a little town of 300-1,000 inhabitants. What people might not know is that the city of Bethlehem today is not in Israel but in Palestine, and that it is a bustling city with 28,000 people.”

(Click here to read the entire article: Bethlehem, Then and Now)

Let’s look at how the Scriptures describe that night:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod,
wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?
For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
Matthew 2:1-2

I love the part in the song about ‘…Yet in thy dark streets shine the Everlasting Light.’

The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your Everlasting Light,
and your God will be your glory.
Isaiah 60:19

Jesus is our Everlasting Light.  Praises be to the Father for this precious Gift!

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to His mercy He saved us,
through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
that having been justified by His grace
we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:4-7

“God’s gift to us, however, was a complete surprise. It was not expected, and as you examine it more carefully, you realize how great a gift it actually was.
Second, God’s gift came to us in the humblest of wrappings. What would you think if you saw a gift under your Christmas tree that was wrapped in newspaper and tied up with string? At first, you would probably assume that a guy wrapped it.
But think about God’s gift to us. Jesus was not born in a palace of gold; He was born in a stable. He was clothed with rags. He was laid in a feeding trough.
Yet these things do not, in any way, diminish the story of Christ’s birth. If anything, they help us realize the great sacrifice God made for us. God’s gift to humanity, the ultimate gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, came in the simplest and humblest of wrappings.”

(Click here to read “The Greatest Gift“)

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Father, thank You for the most precious gift of Jesus. May it never be something we take for granted and may we daily remember the great sacrifice for such a precious gift…In Jesus’ name. Amen !!