Study
passage Micah
5:2-9 (See Monday devotional)
- God’s
leader would have impressive credentials. (Micah
5:2-3)
- God’s
leader would have a shepherd’s leadership style. (Micah 5:4)
- God’s
leader would have amazing power. (Micah 5:5-6)
This One will
be our peace, begins Micah
5:5. How these people longed
for peace in their lives. War and
oppression had been their course for so long. As
Micah describes the character and compassion of this one who would come to
reestablish the throne of David and restore the glory of Israel, he also brings
word that God’s leader would be more powerful than all other leaders and able
to bring peace.
Micah
spoke of the difficult times in the 8th century B.C. Sennacherib laid siege to Jerusalem in 701 BC
and boasted of his superior strength. According
to Micah 5:5, Judah took measures to protect
the nation from the invader. When the
Assyrian invades our land, when he tramples on our citadels, then we will raise
against him seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. They
raised up shepherds and princes to oppose Sennacherib. The numbers seven and eight could have been a
Hebraic way of saying “a large group.” But
none of Judah’s leaders could stop Sennacherib.
They were well aware of the power of the enemy. The new leader would be much more powerful
than all of Judah’s other leaders.
God’s
leader is always better. Micah
confidently affirmed that God’s new leader would conquer and impose dominion
over Assyria. They will shepherd the land of Assyria with
the sword, the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and He will deliver us from the
Assyrian when he attacks our land and when he tramples our territory. Micah 5:6 Without a doubt, the Messiah continues
to deliver his people from all of their enemies. No person or circumstances can
ultimately defeat God’s people. No
matter how many times we have been defeated and driven back, God will be
victorious in our lives as well.
God’s
leader would have committed followers. Then the
remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from the LORD, like
showers on vegetation which do not wait for man or delay for the sons of men. Micah 5:7 Micah predicted that God’s ruler would work with a special group of
people called “the remnant.” These were
people who remained faithful to the Lord.
Notice how God’s leader
used the remnant. God used faithful
people as a silent influence. Micah used
the figure of dew to describe the silent influence of God’s people. It covers and impacts everything it falls
on. The remnant of Israel served as a
spiritual influence to others. God’s
people are called to live in the world and to exert their influence among the
nations like dew from the Lord.
The
second figure is the lion. The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many
peoples like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among
flocks of sheep, which, if he passes through, tramples down and tears, and
there is none to rescue. Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries,
and all your enemies will be cut off. Micah 5:8-9 God also used these faithful people as a militant
army. They would be used by God to
triumph over all their former adversaries.
Judah
had many leaders. Some of these leaders were good leaders, but in most cases
the kings and other leaders went in the way of idolatry; they forsook the Lord.
Micah looked to God for a better leader
and now the ideal leader has come: Jesus
is the long awaited Messiah. We celebrate His leadership and His sacrifice
this week. This is the week He became
the KING OF ALL KINGS AND LORD OF ALL LORDS!
Scripture to Claim:
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason
also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every
name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11
