In Micah 4:8, the prophet speaks of the “tower of the flock” and the “hill of the daughter of Zion,” referring to Bethlehem, where Jacob buried Rachel “beyond the tower of Eder” (Genesis 35:19-21). This same area, known as the Shepherd’s Field, was where Ruth and Boaz gleaned wheat and married (Ruth 4:11-13), and King David was born and crowned king (1 Samuel 16). Bethlehem Ephrathah, meaning “house of bread of fruitfulness,” later came to be known as the City of David.
The Roman census brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, fulfilling prophecy (Micah 5:2): “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.“
The Shepherd’s Field was no ordinary place. The Jewish Talmud specified that lambs for temple sacrifice must be born and raised within five miles of Jerusalem. These lambs were born in the Shepherd’s Field, watched over by trained shepherds who inspected them for defects. The worthy lambs were wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in stone mangers to protect them from bumps, bruises, and blemishes. Laboring sheep were brought into the protective lower level of the migdal in the Shepherd’s Field. Rather than a stable with donkeys, chickens, and cows, this tower sheltered only lambs consecrated for holy use.
On that sacred night, angels appeared to the shepherds in the Shepherd’s Field, announcing Jesus’ birth: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah). And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in [swaddling] cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10-12).
The shepherds knew exactly where to find Jesus – in the Tower of the Flock, where the sacrificial lambs were born. The sign of a baby in a manger was unmistakable, reminiscent of the lambs they had cared for. The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem, recalling Micah’s prophecies of the Messiah’s birth in the town of David.
God used the untimely census to get the Holy Family to Bethlehem, and the inhospitable crush of the crowds to get them to the Tower of the Flock. As Joseph and Mary approached the Tower of the Flock, they must have understood the implications of Jesus’ birthplace. The prophet Isaiah’s words echoed in their hearts: “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7). The birth of Jesus, the Lamb of God, was a fulfillment of prophecy, a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Mary’s thoughts must have returned to that night as she later watched Jesus hang on the cross, like a Passover lamb.
That first night, Mary had a little Lamb, born in the Tower of the Flock, announcing salvation to the world. The shepherds, who had cared for the sacrificial lambs, were the first to witness the birth of the ultimate Lamb of God, who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The angels’ announcement to the shepherds marked the beginning of Jesus’ mission to redeem humanity, a mission that would culminate in His sacrifice on the cross.
