[136]The place selected was Bethlehem, situated on an elevation south of Jerusalem. It was once the home of Boaz, whose fields the beautiful Moabitish woman Ruth had gleaned whom Boaz redeemed and afterward took as his wife. Here Jehovah had used Boaz as a type of Christ Jesus and Ruth as a type of the church, his bride, foreshadowing things yet to come. [137]Later Bethlehem was the home of Jesse and of David his son. The name David implies 'beloved one'; and it was here that he was anointed to be king over Israel, from which time he typified Jesus, the mighty Son of God. Jehovah had selected this as the birthplace of Jesus; hence here the birth must take place.--Matthew 2:5,6; Micah 5:2. [138]Away to the north in Galilee stood the humble and despised city of Nazareth. It was the home of Joseph the carpenter, a meek, little-known, yet honest, man. He was espoused to Mary. We should expect that Jehovah would time everything exactly; and so he did. The scepter had departed from Judah; the Romans were in control of Palestine, and the time for the birth of the mighty One was due. Exercising his perfect wisdom and power, Jehovah was overruling all things to the accomplishment of his purpose. Augustus Caesar, then the emperor and ruler over all Palestine, issued a decree that all the people should be taxed. Every one must go to the city of his nativity, there to be numbered and taxed. Joseph the carpenter, although a resident of Nazareth, was of the house of David, and hence must go to the city of David to be numbered and taxed. Naturally his espoused virgin would accompany him to that city. She likewise was of the house of David through another line--another reason why she should go there. But above all, the Lord directed them there because it was a part of his arrangement. [139]At that time there were no means of easy and rapid transit. It was a long journey, a tedious and tiresome one. Joseph, with his espoused seated upon an ass, journeyed through the hills along the Jordan probably for three days, and late in the evening reached the city of Bethlehem. The city was crowded; the private homes were full; all the hotels, inns, and other places were crowded out. Tired, worn, and weary from their long journey, they were jostled by the crowd in the narrow streets of the city. Applying to various places for lodging, at each place they were turned away; until finally they found a location where they could sleep in a stall with the cattle. And they retired for the night's repose. [140]Over the brow of the hill, in the field once owned by Boaz and gleaned by the beautiful Ruth, the faithful shepherds were watching their sheep. According to custom, they had four watches during the night. Some would watch while the others slept.