Serving the Ruler Out of the House of Bread

WHAT an honor, what a privilege, what a blessing it is to serve the Ruler out of the House of Bread! He is no ordinary, imperfect, selfish or even well-intentioned feeble human that has a fading glory and a fleeting life. No, this Ruler is one that Jehovah God himself chose. Foreseeing mankind’s need of a righteous ruler, God caused one of his prophets long ago to foretell concerning this Ruler: “O Bethlehem Ephrathah, . . . from you there will come out to me the one who is to become ruler.”—Mic. 5:2.a

When Jesus came to earth more than nineteen hundred years ago, he was born in Bethlehem in initial fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy. Most fittingly God’s angels at that time announced: “There was born to you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in David’s city. Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of good will.”—Luke 2:11, 14.

With full confidence Jehovah God could appoint this one to be Ruler, for had he not faithfully served with his Father from time indefinite, gaining experience, adding to his knowledge and wisdom in his exclusive association with his Father? (Prov. 8:22-31) No question about his being the best one that God could possibly have chosen. And after his coming to earth and learning obedience from the things he suffered, Jehovah God exalted him to his own right hand, awaiting the time for the fulfillment of Micah 5:2 on a grander scale.—Heb. 5:8.

Bible prophecy locates the grander and complete fulfillment of Micah 5:2 at the end of the times of the nations, which came in 1914. At that time the words of Jehovah applied: “I, even I, have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain. . . . You are my son; I, today, I have become your father. Ask of me, that I may give nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your own possession.”—Ps. 2:6-8.

How can it be said that this glorious divine Ruler at that time came out of Bethlehem? Because Bethlehem means ‘house or place of bread,’ and the place from where this great Ruler comes is the House of Bread for all mankind. What caused it to become this House of Bread? Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, the merit of which he presented to his Father upon his ascension to heaven. It is by means of this merit that Jesus Christ can give life to all obedient ones of mankind, he being, as he himself stated, “the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and, for a fact, the bread that I shall give is my flesh in behalf of the life of the world.”—John 6:51.

Further, just as the little town of Bethlehem was located in Judah, meaning [Jehovah-] Lauded, so this greater Bethlehem is situated in the heavens among the angelic hosts, all of whom laud Jehovah. And even as Bethlehem was not situated all over Judah but had a definite location, a certain spot or point or territory in Judah, so the symbolic Bethlehem, the spiritual House of Bread, does not take in all of heaven, but is located where Jesus himself is, since he is the life-giving Bread.

Associated with this Ruler out of the House of Bread, not as Bread Providers, or as coming themselves out of the House of Bread—for they themselves first had to take of the living Bread—are his faithful footstep followers, the “called and chosen and faithful,” who, with him, constitute God’s capital organization that rules over his universal organization.—Rev. 17:14; 14:1, 3.

Of course, if Jesus Christ had been made Ruler without coming from this heavenly House of Bread, without his first having ransomed mankind and presented the merit of his sacrifice in heaven, he could not give everlasting life to mankind, regardless of how able and beneficent his rule might be. On the other hand, without his being sent forth as the Ruler, he could not give mankind the benefit of his being the Bread of life in the House of Bread.

How much all of us are indebted to this Ruler out of the House of Bread! What a fine example he set for all his followers! Dedicated Christians who appreciate the benefits that are and will yet be theirs and the example he set will delight to serve him. They will do as he did when upon earth, go about “preaching and declaring the good news of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 8:1) And as he trained others, so these will also do. For many, January will be a long, cold month, but what are the discomforts of inclement weather compared with the joys that come from being in the direct service of the Ruler out of the House of Bread, bringing the Bread of life to deserving hungry and dying ones!

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