This morning, we’re going to examine a passage from the book of Micah that relates to the Christmas season; and I’ve entitled our message, “A Ruler Called Peace.” “Micah [prophesied] during the reigns of four kings in Israel and three kings in Judah. He probably wondered, as he watched the parade of monarchs pass by during his lifetime, whether any administration would last. It was to this humble prophet that God sent a prophecy of the birthplace of a Ruler whose kingdom would never [fade away].”(1)
Now, since we’re going to be viewing a prophecy, I want us to consider some things first. When God is up to something He will speak through His prophets, in order to let His people in on it. In Amos 3:7, we read, “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Now, keep in mind that a lot of times prophecy can be a hard pill to swallow, because the Lord will often rebuke, correct, and even pronounce judgment through the words of a prophet.
However, another aspect of prophecy is encouragement. 2 Chronicles 15:8 says, “When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage,” and in 2 Chronicles 18:12, we read, “The words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king.” So, God will use prophecy to encourage His people; and let me tell you, prophecy is especially encouraging when it speaks of future blessing. But something even more encouraging is the fulfillment of prophecy, as the confirmation will increase our faith; and as we view a prophecy of the Messiah this morning, in Micah chapter 5, we will be both encouraged and strengthened in our faith.
A Ruler Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-5a)
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. 3 Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. 4 And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; 5 and this One shall be peace.
In verse 2 of this prophecy, we find some interesting phraseology. First of all, we read about “Bethlehem Ephrathah.” So, why was this particular designation used for the birthplace of the coming Ruler? The city was identified in this manner to distinguish it from another Bethlehem, which was in the tribe of Zebulun, as seen in Joshua 19:15.(2) “Bethlehem” means “house of bread,” and “Ephrathah” means “fruitfulness.” The slopes surrounding it were filled with abundance, such as figs, almonds, grapes and even olives. It was a fitting place for the birth of the One who will be called the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35)!(3)
Next, we see the phrase “thousands of Judah.” So, what does this mean? Well, “the tribes were divided into small portions called thousands,” similar to what is seen today in the country of England, where “certain divisions of counties are called hundreds.”(4) “Each tribe was divided into its thousands, but those places that were too small to get a thousand people together were put into other tribes. Bethlehem was so lowly that it was not even counted among the possessions of Judah.”(5)
“Bethlehem had always been a small, out-of-the-way place. It was not the magnificent city of commerce, politics and religion that Jerusalem was. When thinking of a place for the Savior to be born, Bethlehem was one of the last places anyone would think of – anyone except God. As so often happens, good things come in small packages,” right? Think about it. If you get a Christmas gift in a tiny box, there might be some expensive jewelry in it! Well, “Bethlehem was one of those small packages. But [let me remind you that] some good and significant things had already happened at Bethlehem!”(6)
For example, “Rachel gave birth to Benjamin in Bethlehem (Genesis 35:18). Before she died, she called the name of her infant son ‘Benoni,’ which means ‘the son of sorrow.’ But his father, Jacob, called him ‘Benjamin,’ which means ‘the son of the right hand.’ Jesus Christ was seen as the man of ‘sorrows’ (Isaiah 53:3) and the Son of the [heavenly] Father’s right hand (Acts 5:31).”(7) “Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel, was buried [near] Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19). The [account] of Ruth, the Moabite woman, had a happy ending at Bethlehem. There, she won the heart of a man named Boaz as she gleaned in his fields. She also became one of Jesus’ ancestors there at Bethlehem, [and let’s not forget that] King David was born [near] Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16:1, 17:12).(8)
Next, we read, “out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel” (v. 2). So, another Ruler in the line of David, the Savior of mankind, would come from Bethlehem. This was the exact Scripture quoted to King Herod when he asked about where Jesus would be born. The Scripture says in Matthew 2:4-6, “And when he [or Herod] had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel’.”
“However, while the Savior would be born at Bethlehem, He would not originate from there. ‘His origins are from of old, from everlasting’ (v. 2) our text says [in the NIV].” “The word translated “from of old” is used elsewhere [in Scripture] to describe the eternity of God. In fact, this expression in Hebrew is used only to describe God.”(9) Now, the phrase “from everlasting” in Hebrew means, “From the days of all time,” from time as it came out of eternity. Commentator Adam Clark says, “There was no time in which He has not been going forth – coming in various ways to save men.”(10) You see, “The Savior already existed long before He was born. He existed in eternity. That’s because the Savior would not only be a human being, but also God. This verse from Micah is one of several in the Old Testament which foretold that the Savior would be [both] God and man in one person.”(11)
“Isaiah, who preached at the same time Micah did, also spoke of the coming Savior as [being both] God and man . . . Isaiah 9:6 says, ‘For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ He wouldn’t be called ‘Mighty God’ if He were not Mighty God! Isaiah 7:14 says, ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.’ In the Hebrew language ‘Immanuel’ means ‘God with us.’ Again, He wouldn’t be called ‘God with us’ if He weren’t God with us.”(12) “There is no doubt that the coming Ruler who will be born in Bethlehem is no ordinary individual. He will be human, yet He is fully divine – He is everlasting.”(13)
What an amazing thing was going to take place at Bethlehem! But when would this happen? Well, let’s take a look at verse 3. I need to point out that in verse 3, God did not have Micah tell the exact time that all this would occur, but he did have Micah point to several events surrounding the Savior’s birth. “The first event is this: ‘Israel will be abandoned.’ . . . How so? It will be emptied of what it once was – a nation in its own right, with its own rulers. The time was coming when other nations would rule over God’s people politically. Not long after this prophecy the Babylonians came and ruled over Israel. Then came the Persians, the Greeks, and [then] the Romans. The scepter, the right and authority to rule themselves, would be gone.”(14)
“While it was humbling and stressful for Israel to be ruled by others, it was also necessary. For God had said through their patriarch, Jacob, in Genesis 49:10 that the Savior would not come until the scepter had [departed from] Judah.”(15) Let me read that verse for you: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” “So, while it was among the worst of times to be ruled by others, it was also among the best of times for Israel, for the Savior was about to come [onto the scene].”(16)
“Another event would surround the coming of the Savior, namely ‘the time when she who is in labor gives birth.’ Now, at any given time there would be any number of women giving birth among the Jews. [So], which woman is meant here? Again, we turn to Micah’s fellow prophet Isaiah who was [declaring] how ‘the virgin will conceive and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel’.”(17) In Matthew 1:18-23, we read these familiar words:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’ So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’.”
Now, one more event was connected with the time of the Savior’s birth, which is this: “The rest of his brothers [would] return to join the Israelites.” What brothers? The Jews were the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson, Jacob. But Abraham also had a son named Ishmael who became the father of a number of nomadic tribes in that part of the world. After Sarah’s death, [Abraham] remarried (Genesis 25:1) and had a number of sons who became the ancestors of [the] present day Palestinians, Iranians and Iraqis.”(18)
“The Savior would be born at a time when these “Gentile” people, as the Jews called them, would start coming to faith in Jesus as their Savior. We think, first of all, of the Magi who came from the east to worship the infant King . . . [and also] the woman at Jacob’s well, the Roman Centurion, and [the] other non-Jews who came to faith during Jesus’ ministry. And, of course, after Pentecost . . . the floodgates were opened, as the Holy Spirit was poured out and started bringing great numbers of people to faith in Jesus as their Savior [and Lord].”(19)
Now, let’s take a look at verses 4-5. “Old Testament believers probably saw the glory spoken of [here much] more than we New Testament believers do. That’s because they were very familiar with shepherding.”(20) When the Old Testament believers heard that the coming Savior “shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace,” “they pictured something glorious in their minds, [and] it wasn’t a beautiful pastoral scene of a flock of sheep in a lush green pasture with a quiet pool of water nearby, and a shepherd tending them.”(21)
“An Old Testament believer pictured himself being taken care of by someone who loved him, who knew his every need and supplied it, was strong to protect him from any danger, and would even lay down his life for him. How glorious it will be when the Savior comes to shepherd us! [At that time] we will be at peace.”(22) Now, when we come to the New Testament, we see how Jesus knew what people were thinking, and that’s why He described Himself as “the good Shepherd who knows each of His sheep by name, supplies each of his needs, [and] protects him from all enemies.”(23)
Now, let me transition to the New Testament, and we’ll see how this prophecy unfolds. We read in Luke 2:1-7, “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
What we just read in Micah chapter 5 is remarkable. “Micah was moved by the Holy Spirit to record a predictive prophecy which stated that the Messiah had to be [born] in Bethlehem. Seven hundred years go by, until one day God [breaks] into human history by sending His Son to be carried in the womb of a woman named Mary. God then moves in the heart of a pagan Roman emperor, who lived 1,500 miles from Israel, to declare that a census had to be taken of the entire world. Oh, and not just any census. People had to travel back to their family’s hometown in order to be counted. It just so happened that Joseph was from the family of David, and that meant he had to go to Bethlehem.”(24)
“Notice how precisely God orchestrated everything . . . Mary was close to her delivery date, and so Joseph decided to bring her along on the eighty-mile journey to the city of Bread, [when] technically, he could have gone by himself. [And] when they finally arrive, Mary is ready to give birth, and Jesus is born in the place that Micah foretold.”(25)
Time of Reflection
Now, let me back up and point out something from verse 4. In Adam Clark’s Commentary, we read that the phrase, “and they shall abide,” can also be translated from the Hebrew as, “and they shall be converted.”(26) This is significant, because “conversion” speaks of a spiritual change! We just learned that the coming Ruler will feed His flock as a Shepherd. I must point out that something must take place on a spiritual level, in order for someone to become one of His sheep.
In John chapter 15, Jesus said, “As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 15:15, 27-28). The very moment we choose to become a follower of Christ – or rather, become one of His sheep – is the moment that we receive eternal life; and John 3:16 tells us how to be “converted,” or rather, how to receive eternal life. It says this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
The greatest gift anyone can receive this Christmas is the gift of eternal life. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Living in our sins apart from God as some wayward sheep leads to spiritual death, or eternity in hell; but the greatest news of all time is that we can be forgiven of our sins by faith in Jesus Christ, and receive His gift of eternal life so freely offered unto those who believe in Him.
NOTES
(1) Jerry Shirley, “Christmas, B.C. – The Time & Place,” Grace Notes Ministries: https://www.gbcdecatur.org/sermons/BCTimePlace.html (Accessed December 6, 2020).
(2) Adam Clark’s Commentary, on the Power Bible CD.
(3) Jerry Shirley.
(4) Adam Clark.
(5) Jerry Shirley.
(6) John E. Warmuth, “An Old Testament Christmas,” http://www.immanuelglobe.org/home/180005487/180005487/Images/Micah%205.2a.pdf (Accessed December 6, 2020).
(7) Ibid.
(8) Ibid.
(9) Jerry Shirley.
(10) Adam Clark.
(11) John Warmuth.
(12) Ibid.
(13) Jerry Shirley.
(14) John Warmuth.
(15) Ibid.
(16) Ibid.
(17) Ibid.
(18) Ibid.
(19) Ibid.
(20) Ibid.
(21) Ibid.
(22) Ibid.
(23) Ibid.
(24) Jerry Shirley.
(25) Ibid.
(26) Adam Clark. Newcome’s observation based on the MSS.
