Study
passage Micah
5:2-9 (See Monday devotional)
As
Micah the prophet spoke to the people about God’s promise to raise up a leader,
he presented characteristics of the one God would provide to set bring the
nations to power and victory. We
recognize that these are the qualities of our Lord.
- God’s
leader would have impressive credentials. (Micah 5:2-3)
But as for
you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you
One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long
ago, from the days of eternity.
Therefore He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor
has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons
of Israel.
Micah
compared the new leader with the King David.
Yet, according to Micah, this new leader would be Israel’s Messiah and
possess much more impressive credentials than King David. Such credentials would stagger the mind of
the people of Judah and Israel. The
family tree was really what it was all about!
Kings came from lineage and had to be able to prove their heritage or
establish a new throne from their own.
The
Message states the passage, But you, Bethlehem, David's country, the runt of the
litter-- From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule Israel. He'll be
no upstart, no pretender. His family tree is ancient and distinguished.
Micah
established a whole new family tree for royalty when he stated that the new
ruler would originate, not from the ages of man, but from eternity...from God. Such qualifications would be hard to
better! The expression “goings forth” in
verse 2 comes from one word that means “origin.” It describes a child originating in the loins
of his father. God’s ruler would have
impressive credentials, for he would come from the heavenly Father. Strangely, though this man with such royal heritage
would come from Bethlehem.
God has always worked in
unexpected ways according to the wisdom of the world. Consider 1
Corinthians 1:25-29 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than
men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling,
brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to
shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the
things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God
has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that
are, so that no man may boast before God.
God
has often raised up leaders from improbable places and backgrounds. Bethlehem was certainly the least likely place
for God’s ruler to originate, yet Micah prophesied that God would raise up a
ruler from the little town. In the eyes
of the people, Bethlehem held little prominence, but in the purpose of God this
was the place of origination for the King of all Kings.
Not
only would this new ruler originate from God, He would also radiate the
character of God. New vitality would
spring out of the dead state of the Judean monarchy. Micah and the nations longed for a ruler who
would be a godly person like David. (v. 3)
Several words in verses 2-3 disclose the unique character of the new
ruler. The word ruler suggests more than an
earthly king. Perhaps Micah reserved the
title for one who would be a unique Messiah.
Scripture to claim:
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the
least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that
shall rule my people Israel. Matthew 2:6
