Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: When people ask you where your from, they are probing into your background trying to find out who you are.

For example if you are from these states;

Texas- most would think about cattle, ranching, rodeo and oil rigs

Louisiana- most would think of cajuns, crawfish, swamps

Georgia- Peaches, pecans, farming, Atlanta

If you were born in one of these cities people might associate you with;

Atlanta- crazy traffic, crowded airport, crime

Las Vegas- Sin city, gambling, prostitution

Nashville- country music, Grand Ole Opry, music row

Many people use search tools such as Ancestry DNA or 23andMe to find out more about their heritage and family background.

But sometimes where you come from can be a stigma on your life, regardless if people really know you or not.

Such is the case in the prophesy of the birthplace of Jesus.

Text; Micah 5:2

Summary of Passage;

The prophet Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah but a man from the country like the prophet Amos.

Micah prophesied the coming judgment of God through Nebuchadnezzar and Judah being carried away captive to Babylon.

Zedekiah, the last king of Judah was carried away captive after seeing his sons tortured and then his eyes gouged out [v.1].

But Micah also prophesied of a future ruler of Israel, that would bring lasting peace and prosperity to the people and this ruler would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah.

1. Bethlehem Ephrathah; 2a

Little among the thousands of Judah- Bethlehem was a small town about 5 miles south of Jerusalem.

It was not a New York or Chicago or Atlanta.

It wasn’t even Jerusalem which had the temple.

It was so small and insignificant that when they named the major cities of Israel in the Old Testament, Bethlehem didn’t even make the list.

Bethlehem was like Finleyson without a Dollar General.

Bethlehem has a history.

Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel, died near Bethlehem when she gave birth to Benjamin, and she was buried nearby (Gen.

35:16–20).

In her pain, Rachel named her son Ben-oni, which means “son of my sorrow”; but Jacob renamed the boy, calling him Benjamin, “son of my right hand.”

These two names remind us of our Lord’s suffering and glory, the cross and the throne at the Father’s right hand.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996).

Be concerned (pp.

103–104).

Chariot Victor.

Naomi and her husband Elimelech left Bethlehem for Moab and while there, Naomi’s husband and two sons died.

When she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth her daughter-in-law, she told them to call her Mara because her life had turned bitter.

But God opened the door for Ruth to be married to Boaz, a kinsman redeemer, of which Obed was born who is the father of Jesse the Bethlehemite, the father of David.

So why did God choose this little insignificant out of the way place to bring hope to the world?

One answer is that the Messiah is of the linage of David and David was a Bethlehemite.

Matthew 1:5–6a (NKJV)

5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,

6 and Jesse begot David the king.

But the most important reason is that God chooses the small, quiet, out of the way, and does something big that changes the course of history and eternity.

Why?

Because when God acts this way man cannot boast in the merits or achievements but only in the glorious mercy of God.

Piper, J. (2014).

Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014).

Desiring God.

Bethlehem- “house of bread”, bread is the sustenance of life.

This ruler would later call himself “the Bread of Life”.

Ephrathah- [E phra thah] “fruitfulness”, a tree is known by the fruit it bears and Christ is the Vine of Righteousness.

What more of a fitting place is there for Jesus to be born!

2. One to be Ruler; 2b

Now we saw last week in the messages that Jesus born of a Virgin, a Child to the nation Israel and a Son given for the world.

But I want you to notice what Micah says here; “Yet out of you shall come forth to Me”!

Wait a minute, I thought Christ was given to us?

He was, but for the glory of God!

Jesus came to deliver God’s people from all their enemies and rule them in righteousness.

Israel was in need of a Savior.

Not just one who would deliver them from their physical enemies, but one who would redeem them from all their sin and unrighteousness.

Israel needed a Ruler to guide the people in God’s ways, one who could implant in them a new spirit and heart:

We need a Savior today to deliver us from all our enemies, starting with our sin and Satan!

Micah presented an encouraging message to the people, but they didn’t seem to grasp the significance; for if they had, they would have turned to the LORD in gratitude and repentance instead of going into captivity for 70 years!

That same message is for us today and all generations of man.

Turn with me to Matthew 2:1-6, The priests and scribes knew of the prophesy of the Messiah being born in Bethlehem, but none went to seek him out but the wise men from the east!

God’s Ruler came to save us from our sin and in doing so gives glory to God!

But we don’t need to let this message fall on deaf ears, we need to seek Him!

3. From of Old from Everlasting; 2c

From of Old- this refers to the promise of the covenant God made with David.

From Everlasting- days of eternity, Christs’ eternal nature.

Close;

The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey

A senior angel is showing a very young angel around the splendors of the universe.

They view the whirling galaxies and blazing suns, then flit across the infinite distances of space until at last they enter one particular galaxy of 500 billion stars.

As the two of them drew near to the star which is called our sun and its circling planets, the senior angel pointed to a small and rather insignificant sphere turning slowly on its axis.

It looked as dull as a dirty tennis ball to the little angel, whose mind was filled with the size and glory of what he had previously seen.

“I want you to watch that one particularly,” said the senior angel, pointing with his finger.

“Well, it looks very small and rather dirty to me,” said the little angel.

“What’s so special about that one?”

To the little angel, the earth did not seem so impressive.

He listened in stunned disbelief as the senior angel told him that this planet, small and insignificant and not overly clean, was the renowned Visited Planet.

“Do you mean that our great and glorious Prince.... went down in Person to this fifth-rate little ball?

Why should He do a thing like that?”

The little angel’s face wrinkled in disgust.

“Do you mean to tell me,” he said, “that He stooped so low as to become one of those creeping, crawling creatures of that floating ball?”

“I do, and I don’t think He would like you to call them ‘creeping, crawling creatures’ in that tone of voice.

For, strange as it may seem to us, He loves them.

He went down to visit them to lift them up to become like Him.

The little angel looked blank.

Such a thought was almost beyond his comprehension.

Don’t let where you come from define who you are, or place a stigma on your life.

Let the One who came here to earth, this dirty little ball, to the Little Town of Bethlehem, define who you are in Him, “LOVED!”