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Journey to Bethlehem: The “Tax” That Changed the World.
The Gospel of Luke describes Caesar Augustus issuing a decree for a census of the entire Roman world, which required people to return to their ancestral towns to be registered.
Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem with Mary who was pregnant at the time.
Luke 2:1-5 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
The Roman government's administrative effort to count and tax its subjects became the divine vehicle for positioning Jesus exactly where he needed to be born: Bethlehem, the city of David.
What Caesar intended for economic record keeping, God used for the most profound moment in history—the birth of the Savior.
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The First National Thanksgiving
Before Thanksgiving became the national holiday we know today, it was first proclaimed by President George Washington in 1789.
His proclamation called for a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, acknowledging the many blessings bestowed upon the nation. In his words,
"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor...Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the People of the United States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."
Washington's proclamation not only highlighted the importance of gratitude but also emphasized the significance of freedom and the role of divine providence in shaping the nation's destiny.
Read the full proclamation here: 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation
