Micah 5:1-5a (3)
Notes
Transcript
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Taking our leave of Luke 7 for a couple of weeks.
This morning we’re going to look at...
…a Christmas passage from the Old Testament.
We’re going to be in Micah chapter 5 today.
Encourage you to follow along
Micah is after Jonah and before Nahum and Habakkuk.
-While you’re finding it, let me give you...
…a little background information.
Micah prophesied in the Southern Kingdom of Judah...
…around the same time as Isaiah (750-700 B.C.).
The Northern Kingdom actually fell during Micah’s ministry.
Micah foretells the fall of Judah...
...that would happen over 100 years after his death.
But, like most of the OT prophets...
…his oracles of doom...
…are interspersed with promises of blessing and restoration...
…at least for the faithful people of God.
Our Christmas text this morning...
…falls into that category.
And I call it a Christmas text...
…because Matthew does!
Matthew tells us that this text...
…is about the incarnation of Jesus Christ!
Let’s read it together.
Micah 5:1–5 (ESV)
1 Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
3 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.
4 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.
5 And he shall be their peace...
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Pray
-As I mentioned before...
…this glorious promise of restoration...
…is nestled between indictments and promises of impending judgment.
Verse 1, itself, is such a promise.
Let’s look at it again.
Micah 5:1 (ESV)
1 Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us....
What this most likely means...
…is that, Jerusalem, who...
Had a powerful army
Strong fortifications
Tended to confide in those things...
...Is being warned that a siege of the City is coming.
We need to remember that in ancient times...
…these heavily fortified cities...
…weren’t easily captured!
It required long, difficult sieges...
…that would sometimes take:
months
years
Micah is telling the people of Judah...
…to brace for this...
…because it’s on its way...
…and it’s going to be successful in the end.
Look at the last part of the verse:
Micah 5:1 (ESV)
1 Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
Do you see the imagery there?
It means the “judge” or king of Israel...
…is going to suffer a humiliating defeat!
Some think the word “rod” refers to a scepter.
In any event… the connotation is clearly:
Shame
Reproach
Humiliation.
And if you’ll remember...
...Zedekiah’s sons were killed in front of him...
…and then his eyes were gouged out...
…and he lived the rest of his life as Nebuchadnezzar’s slave.
-But… Verse 2 begins with “But!”
This oracle isn’t all doom and gloom.
It include some really bright light...
…that’s going to pierce the backdrop of this darkness!
Look at Verse 2:
A different city is addressed...
(If you can even call it that).
Micah 5:2 (ESV)
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah...
You see, Bethlehem was in the territory of the tribe of Judah...
But, it’s population was so small...
(only a few hundred at the time)
…that:
It didn’t have enough men to constitute a “clan:”
i.e., 1,000 soldier military unit
So, it wasn’t even listed as a city of Judah in Joshua’s tabulation.
-Contrast this city:
“The house of abundant bread” . . .
…with the city that was called:
“The daughter of troops”
One had might and strength and recognition.
The other was insignificant and obscure!
But, it is to this humble, meager village...
…that the Covenant Lord says this:
Micah 5:2 (ESV)
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah . . . from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel...
A new Ruler/King was going to come forth “for God”
Meaning that He would:
Serve the purposes of God...
Obey the will of God...
…as it pertained to the People of God.
-Now, this new ruler would still be from Judah, because:
Genesis 49:10 (ESV)
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah...
But, while coming from Judah...
…He wouldn’t come from its capital city of Jerusalem...
He would come from the obscure little village of Bethlehem.
Why is that important?
Because that’s where King David was born!
Isaiah had also foretold:
Isaiah 11:1–10 (ESV)
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him...
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord...
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb...
10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
That’s why it’s so important.
Because of the promises attached to the final Davidic King!
-Now, already we’re left with an unavoidable conclusion, aren’t we?
Of whom does verse 2 speak?
Of whom else, can it be said, that He is:
The Offspring and Heir of the Davidic Kingdom
A fully faithful servant of the LORD?
Remember the Angelic announcement?
Luke 2:11 (ESV)
11 ...unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Remember what the angel had told Mary?
Luke 1:32 (ESV)
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
Remember what Jesus prayed?
John 17:4 (ESV)
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
Remember what the Father affirmed from heaven?
Matthew 3:17 (ESV)
17 … “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
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There can be no doubt...
…that "the One” coming forth in our text…
…is Jesus the Christ!
-Now, notice what else it tells us about His coming forth.
We have already read that He would come from Bethlehem, indicating:
a real
humble
human birth.
But, look what else we’re told:
Micah 5:2 (ESV)
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah . . . from you shall come forth for me one . . . whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
“Of Old” is something like,
“from before”
“from olden days”
“ancient days” is “Olam”
“eternity”
“everlasting”
Psalm 102:25 (ESV)
25 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth...
Habakkuk 1:12 (ESV)
12 Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? ...
Psalm 90:2 (ESV)
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
John 1:1 (ESV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 8:58 (ESV)
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
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This ruler, who was said to be coming forth...
…is without a shadow of a doubt:
The Eternal Son of God
This Messianic King...
…would be God in human flesh.
That’s what Christmas is about…
Immanuel… God with us!
-Now, I'm sure that that’s old news to most of you...
…and I’m happy that that’s the case.
But, the verses that follow...
…may stretch your understanding of Christmas a little further.
Look at the next verse:
Micah 5:3 (ESV)
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth...
What in the world is that talking about?
Some think the Virgin Mary.
I think we have to take it in light of the preceeding verses:
Micah 4:10 (ESV)
10 Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon...
Simply put, what this means is that:
Yahweh will abandon the Israelites until their time of suffering is over. — Faithlife Study Bible
-Now, that sounds daunting, doesn’t it?
But remember the principle that almost always lies behind this metaphor:
John 16:21 (ESV)
21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
It’s a similar concept here.
Travail was sure to come upon them, but:
as a result of that travail
on the other side of that travail...
…the Messiah would come and accomplish...
…a glorious restoration for the People of God!
That’s what we see in the last part of verse 3
Micah 5:3 (ESV)
3 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.
Do you see the picture?
After this time of dispersion and captivity...
…there will be a return (a gathering together)...
…of the “rest” (remnant) of Messiah’s brethren.
-Look what Micah had predicted prior to this.
Micah 4:6–7 (ESV)
6 In that day, declares the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have afflicted;
7 and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore.
So, here is an ingathering of the:
lowly
meek
afflicted
despised...
…and they’re being constituted as a strong nation...
…over which the LORD himself is going to reign, right?
Now, Look at verse 4
Micah 5:4 (ESV)
4 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...
Ezekiel’s parallel prophecy will help us to put it all together:
Ezekiel 34:11–15 (ESV)
11 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock . . . that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered...
13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land...
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.
Ezekiel 34:22–25 (ESV)
22 I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.
24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them...
25 “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely...
Look at what our text says next:
Micah 5:4–5 (ESV)
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock … and they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace. . .
What did Jesus say?
John 10:27–30 (ESV)
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.”
What did Paul say about Jesus?
Colossians 1:19–20 (ESV)
19...in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And finally, this:
Ephesians 2:11–19 (ESV)
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh...
12 … you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
This is what Christmas is about.
This is what God has done by entering into His creation.
What was foretold and anticipated for millennia...
…has now been accomplished...
…in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Look to him in faith.
Be reconciled to the God you’ve offended...
…through the blood of His Cross.
He is the only way (for Jew of Gentile)
He is the only conduit of true blessing.
Attach yourself to Him...
…in repentance and faith.
He will be your peace.
Let’s pray.