Micah - Who is Like the Lord? - Pt 8

 

Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border. (Micah 5:3–6 ESV).

 

Our reading today is actually the final prophecy concerning the coming of Jesus. We saw last week that the birth would take place in Bethlehem. We should begin with the original context of the prophecy in order to interpret the text fully. Remember that Micah prophesied during the second half of the eighth century and the first decade of the seventh century (ca. 750 BCE), a time of great moral decline in the history of Judah and Israel. The poor were oppressed and some priests were sexually promiscuous. Because of such debauchery, God sent Micah to prosecute the covenant, that is, to convict His people of their violations. During this period, the people were told that the covenant curses would fall on them, finally culminating in exile to Assyria and Babylon (cf. Leviticus 26:27–33; Micah 4:10). In fact, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V (and his successor Sargon II) captured Samaria, ending the northern Kingdom of Israel. As a result the Assyrians deported tens of thousands of Israelites, resettling them in Halah, along the Habur River, and in the cities of the Medes. This gave rise to the biblical account of the "Ten Lost Tribes"

 

We should also remember that this was not the prophet’s final word. Though judgment would fall, Micah in today’s passage says a ruler born in Bethlehem will redeem a faithful remnant (vv. 2, 7). As we have already seen, Bethlehem is the city from which David came (cf. 1 Samuel 16:1–13), which informs us that Micah is talking about a Davidic king. The Messiah will come to lead the people out of exile and back to their land where they will be sheltered from their foes.

 

Jesus was born in Bethlehem while His people suffered under the hands of occupiers. Aside from being David’s birthplace, Bethlehem in Hebrew means “house of bread,” providing a fitting place for the Bread from heaven to become incarnate (cf. John 6:22–59). Micah’s prophesy of the king also speaks of Him having an origin “from old” and “from ancient days” (v. 2). This hints at His divinity, a truth more clearly revealed in the New Testament (cf. John 1:1–18).

 

Bethlehem was tiny and seemingly insignificant (v. 2). Yet, the Lord chose to reveal His glory and salvation in this village, not a mighty city (cf. Luke 2:1–20). Needless to say, this is a perfect image of Jesus’ character. God often fulfills His purposes through those things man has forsaken (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18–31).

 

God’s often uses what the world deems insignificant or unlovely. Across the world, His kingdom is spread by ordinary people who will probably never be famous or remembered in the history books of men. Yet, those who know Christ are remembered by God and are the most significant people of all in His eyes, the only eyes that really matter. Each one of us, famous or not, can be used by the Lord in mighty ways.