What is Peace? (Micah 5:1-6)

Introduction

If you have your Bible please turn it to Micah 5:1-6.

While you’re turning there, let me give some introductory material.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, the church has historically taken time to prepare our collective heart to focus on and meditate on the birth of Jesus Christ. Usually that’s done utilizing the four themes of love, joy, peace, and hope. As I mentioned last week, we did the four themes of Advent the first year that we were a church, but the subsequent years, I decided to take one theme each year so that we could spend a little more time digging into that one theme rather than jumping from theme to theme each week—so, we started with hope in 2021 and then joy in 2022. This year, we’re focused on the idea of peace and we’re trying to answer three questions, What is Peace? Where is Peace? and Who is Peace? Now, of course, there will be some significant overlap each week because it’s difficult to divide something like this into separate sections. My hope is that when we finish this series, you’ll not only understand what true, biblical peace is, but that you genuinely have experienced this peace because of your faith in Jesus Christ and you realize that you’ve experienced this peace if you truly believe.

This morning, we’re looking at the first question, what is peace? And the reasoning for this is rather simple—how can we talk about biblical peace if we don’t actually know what it is? So, again, the question is what is peace?

If you look up the word in a dictionary like Merriam-Webster, you’ll find that the definitions vary:

a state of tranquility or quiet: such as

a freedom from civil disturbance

a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom

freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions

harmony in personal relations

a state or period of mutual concord between governments

or a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity.

And occasionally, you’ll notice that the dictionaries also account for utilizing the word peace to demand silence or calm or as a greeting or farewell.

So, the definitions for peace run everywhere from simple tranquility or a lack of disturbance to interpersonal relationships, mental health, and lack of war; really, what the dictionary is trying to do is provide definitions for different aspects of peace. And the Bible does speak of peace on occasion in these ways—it speaks of Israel having peace or not having peace with the neighboring nations, it talks of peace as an absence of strife—but that’s not what we have in mind when we’re talking about peace in the Bible. Rather, when the Bible speaks of peace—true peace, ultimate peace—it’s always talking about something that we only experience when we know God.

The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology explains it like this, “The biblical concept of peace is one in which God’s authority and power over his created order are seen to dominate his relations with his world, including both the material and the human spheres. In the OT, peace results from a person subjecting himself or herself appropriately to God . . . In the NT, . . . the language of treaties between warring parties is used to speak of the way in which God relates to humans; he demands that strife be overcome through the death of Christ.” (S. E. Porter, “Peace,” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, electronic ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 682.)

Or, in other words, true, biblical, ultimate peace is something that we only experience because of God; and true, biblical, and ultimate peace is the result of Jesus reconciling us to God, which brings us into peace with God; and as we subject ourselves to God according to Scripture, we experience more peace as we grow in holiness and become more like jesus Christ.

What Micah 5 does is show us what that peace is and how we initially experience that peace.

Let’s read Micah 5:1-6.

Micah 5:1–6 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. 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; 6 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.

As we study this passage, we’re going to break it into two parts—(1) we need the true King (1-3) and (2) the true King delivers His people. Now, because we’re sort of parachuting into this, I have to give you some background information, which will help you understand what exactly is going on in Micah, but once you understand the historical context, you’ll see this passage and it’ll click for you. In Micah, Israel is looking for someone to bring them peace—the true King brings them peace by delivering them. Keep this in mind, we’re going to pray and then I’ll give you that background information.

Prayer for Illumination

We need the true King (1-3)

Historical Context of Micah

The prophet of Micah wrote in approximately 750-687 BC, which places us in the time period that we know of as the Divided Kingdom when Israel and Judah had split apart.

Micah is a prophet that prophesied against both Israel and Judah for their sins and called them to repentance.

Really, the overarching message of Micah is really simple—in chs. 1-2, you (i.e., Israel/Judah) have broken the covenant with God, you need to repent, but if you don’t, there will be judgment, which leaks into chs. 3-4, yet there is still hope for a glorious, future restoration of God’s people in chs. 4-7.

The passage that we’re looking at is part of that idea of a glorious, future restoration of God’s people done by God Himself and that’s really the idea that’s being emphasized as we study this passage concerning the true King.

So, just before our text in Micah 5, we’re told that God will rescue His people.

There’s a lot of militaristic language utilized to show that God’s rescue of His people is part of really a war—His people are in desperate need and they need help.

Part of that terminology is for the immediate context because Israel and Judah were in desperate trouble concerning the enemy nations around them.

Part of this terminology is for us today as we look back to the life of Jesus and see how Jesus through His life, death, and resurrection won the spiritual war that was occuring, but I’ll get back to that idea a little later.

The idea in Micah chs. 1-4 is that they’re in a scenario surrounded by enemies, they’ve rejected the covenant of God, and judgment is coming (possibly by way of their surrounding enemies).

And yet, there is hope according to ch. 5.

V. 1 warns that it’s time for Israel to prepare for battle, “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.”

They need to ready themselves for war, but we’re not told too much about the war—we aren’t told of any details, we’re just told that something is going to come.

And Micah makes it clear through inspiration as part of his message, that this attack, this siege is laid against them due to their own sinfulness.

We see this concept in Micah 3:12, which comes after a statement condemning the leaders of Israel—that because the leaders of Israel were leading Israel into sin, Micah says that “Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.”

Or, in other words, God is allowing the destruction of Jerusalem as judgment against their sin.

But again, Micah points out that there is hope. He focuses in on this coming King who is to lead them.

He tells us in v. 2 that this King will come out of Bethlehem Ephrathah—he points out that this will be significant because of the small nature of Bethlehem and the fact that quite frankly, if it weren’t for this prophecy, no one would’ve expected this to happen.

The reasoning is human—Bethlehem was a small town and it was commonly underestimated by the people around Bethlehem.

Yet, a King will be born in and out of Bethlehem, this king will be the ruler in Israel.

And then we see a significant statement, that this King is one “whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

Or, in other words, this King is a King that has been since before the start of time.

He is one who has been around since the ancient days—the only person ever described like this in Scripture is God Himself, which means that this is speaking of the coming Messiah; it’s speaking of Jesus—that Jesus is coming and He will rule.

And then there’s one little bit of this prophecy that might be confusing. It’s v. 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.”

This is speaking, of course, of the nation of Israel—both the northern and southern kingdoms; and the meaning is pretty clear—that God is allowing them to experience their destruction as a result of their rejection of the covenant.

That until the birth of Messiah, the Jewish people would be rejected because of their own rejection of God, after which, those who believe can then take part in the covenant as members of the universal church.

I also want you to note that there is a bit of an eschatological aspect to this—that part of this was fulfilled in Jesus’ birth, but the rest of this won’t be fulfilled until His return.

Now, we’re already seeing that glimpse of hope, which is really the result of the future promised by God to His people, but Micah doesn’t end here, He continues by explaining what exactly this true King will do. Look at vv. 4-6 with me.

Micah 5:4–6 ESV

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.

The True King will Deliver His People (4-6)

This new King, whom we know to be Jesus based on the qualifier that He has been since the ancient days, “shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord [and] the majesty of the name of the Lord . . . and they [meaning His people] shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace.”

We would say it like this—the true King, Jesus will lead His people, He will care for His people, He will protect His people. We see these ideas in the illustration of a shepherd.

A shepherd leads and directs, a shepherd cares for His flock, a shepherd protects His sheep from those who would seek to harm them.

And in the case of Jesus being the one who does this, we know that He does this as the perfect shepherd who can rightly lead, who cares for His people, and is able to protect them from all else.

We never have to worry about our true King being unable to do these things—because He is the omnipotent one from ancient days.

The Bible says that God’s people will dwell secure and these statements concerning Jesus leading, directing, shepherding, and protecting His people aren’t based on ourselves.

The reality is that this is completely and fully based on Jesus and what He can do and accomplish—see how v. 4 says that His ability to shepherd and stand is done “in the strength of the Lord,” not that of man. Notice that He does all this “in the majesty of the name of the Lord,” that His people will dwell secure because He is great to the ends of the earth.

It is all built on who God is and God’s character; and not on us or our ability or lack thereof to accomplish these things on our own.

It is Jesus that causes us to experience peace because He Himself is our peace.

Really, the idea is that despite their present sinfulness and the danger of impending judgment, when His people return to Him, He will rule them, He will shepherd them, He will protect them. And this is done in the power and the Spirit of God, which then supplies us with safety, with security, with true, genuine peace.

Now, remember, that in this context, there is a very real threat of impending judgment by a hostile militaristic force, and vv. 5-6 reminds us of this, that when the Assyrians come and attack them, there will be devastation.

And yet, v. 6 insists that their shepherd-King will “deliver [them] from the Assyrian.s”

We can learn a lot from this in just reflecting on how devestating a militaristic attack from a nation like the Assyrians was—just think of the time period (the Ancient Near East) and the world powers that existed throughout the time period.

You had nations like Egypt, which was in Exodus a superpower that was not only able to provide food for other nations, but also a nation that enslaved whole people groups.

Afterwords, we see the Babylonians, we read about the Chaldeans, and numerous other large groups of people who not only controlled their own civilizations, but also forced their will on surrounding nations.

The Assyrians were a people group that was known for their militaristic might—they were known for their fierce fighting and their cruelty towards those whom they conquered. Knowing how cruel they were helps us understand why Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh, which was the capital of Assyria.

And, the Bible says that Israel will be destroyed by Assyria.

But, their true King, their shepherd-King will deliver them—He will save them, He will lead them, He will protect them.

What Micah 5 shows us is that Jesus, the promised Messiah that in their context is yet to come is the one who brings them ultimate peace; and that concept is seen in two ways: there will be a peace concerning their enemies and there will be peace between them and God.

There will be a peace concerning their enemies. There will be a time when God’s people will not have to worry about those who oppose Him opposing them.

Because God will have already taken care of these enemies—of course, we realize that this has yet to happen in a physical sense, but we also realize that this has most assuredly happened in a spiritual sense.

Or, in other words, we live in an unusual place in which Jesus has already won and He’s already sitting on His throne reigning at the right hand of God, but we don’t yet see the consummation of all this on earth, yet.

We still live in a physical realm in which we are surrounded by those who oppose Jesus openly, but the Bible tells us that Jesus has already won the spiritual war through His death, burial, and resurrection.

And it is through His death, burial, and resurrection in which He enables and provides peace between them and God, Himself.

This is the very essence of Gospel—that through Jesus’ perfect and substitutionary atonement for us on the cross, we can find peace in Him because He has made peace for all who repent of their sins and believe in Him.

Which brings us to our application for this morning and I want to start our application by reminding you of where we started. We started this morning by focusing in on getting a good definition for biblical peace. I alluded to the issue that figuring out what peace actually means is complicated because our world utilizes peace to mean many different things. And that lack of understanding concerning biblical peace and other types of peace leads many people to look for what is ultimately true peace in all the wrong directions—and that’s precisely where our application comes in.

Application

As we get closer to Christmas, we get closer to celebrating the birth of our true King—the one who delivers us, who keeps us safe, who is our peace. And while the world and really even while we often look in other directions for peace, the reality is that true, biblical peace is found in Jesus alone because He is our King who delivers us, keeps us safe, and is our peace. The question is, how do we apply this knowledge to our lives today? So, let me help you with this.

Again, the pattern for mankind is that we always look for peace where there might be a modicum of it, but we don’t actually find peace. Let me give you a few examples of this:

Some people, even Christians try to find their peace in politics—they believe that if we just elect the right people, then all our problems would be solved. Everything would iron itself out and things would be peaceful.

But consider the reality—even the best political minds have failed to develop what we would consider a utopia, where there is no lack and there’s no war, there’s just peace.

And even the best political minds are just as sinful as the rest of us and thus, can never provide a genuine peace.

The reality is that those who try to find their peace in politics will repeatedly find themselves disappointed—it isn’t an issue of Republicans or Democrats or democracy vs. communism. The issue is that human politics cannot provide peace and those looking for peace in the political system won’t ever actually find it.

Some look towards substances to find their peace—by substances I mean just about anything (e.g., food, alcohol, drugs, etc.) and their thinking is that if they get a little more of their substance, they’ll experience peace.

So, they drink more or they eat more or they do more drugs to satisfy themselves and find a sense of peace, but the reality is that these substances never actually satisfy, so they’re stuck eating more, drinking more, or doing more drugs to try and find that sense of peace.

And, the reality is that they just find themselves in a never-ending cycle still looking for a sense of peace in all the wrong places.

Some people look for peace within human relationships—they think that if they just meet the right person they’ll experience peace, that then extends to, “if we just have kids, our family will be complete, and we’ll have peace in the family.”

But, again, consider the reality that all of us are human and we’ve all been effected by the curse of sin—on this side of eternity, there is no chance for any one person to be perfect, which means that every family will have moments of strife and every relationship will have times of arguments, bickering, and fighting.

The truth of the matter is that if we think that a human relationship can bring peace in our lives, we’re surely mistaken because humans aren’t perfect nor are humans meant to necessarily fulfill one another—the concept of human relationships being able to fulfill someone completely is a product of romanticism and Disney.

There’s only one relationship that actually gives us peace and it isn’t between two humans, but rather a human and a fully God, fully human being named Jesus, which is where our application actually comes in.

Micah 5 shows us that it is the true King, whom we know to be Jesus that provides peace, security, ultimate shepherding, and direction in life.

So, all these alternative ideas in which we look for peace—whether that’s through politics or substances or human relationships will never actually provide us with lasting peace, true security, ultimate shepherding, and direction in life.

Rather, they only ever give us a glimpse of peace, but never the ultimate reality of peace, which we only experience and really only have as a result of our relationship with Jesus Christ—it is Jesus who gives us biblical peace.

And when we try to find the peace that only Jesus provides elsewhere, we will only ever be disappointed, hurt, and dejected; and, if we’re not careful, if we continue to search for peace other than in Jesus, we risk committing idolatry—if we elevate our desire to find peace in substances, politics, human relationships, or really anything rather than in Jesus alone.

It is Jesus who gives us peace because He is our peace.

Which means, that if you’re an unbeliever this morning and you’re searching for that idea of true peace, let me be abundantly clear:

You might experience bits of true peace because God gives common grace to everyone—so, you might experience true peace as you live your regular life, but you will not experience the full, true, biblical peace until you meet Jesus.

Because the offer of true, biblical peace is given only to those who repent of their sinful lifestyles, believe in Jesus, and follow Him.

If you’re an unbeliever this morning, I implore you to consider the state of your eternity because the alternative to the peace that Jesus offers is unending torment for your sins of which you are culpable.

This also means that if you’re a believer this morning, you’ve already experienced true, genuine peace in and through Jesus Christ, but let’s be honest. If you’re like most Christian people in America today, you’re still looking for this idea of peace in other sources—substances, human relationships, politics, entertainment, or whatnot to provide you with peace (despite the fact that you’re already in peace with Jesus).

And the reality is that the only reason you’re still looking at those other sources rather than Jesus is because you’ve turned them into idols and you’ve put them in place of Jesus when the reality is that you ought to be desiring Jesus over everything.

Or, in other words, you’re desiring something other than God or more than your desire for God.

C.S. Lewis writes, “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy [and really peace] is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory: And Other Addresses (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1976), 26.

Jonathan Edwards argues that the reality is that Christians tend to have their affections or desires placed in wrong things. Instead of desiring what God tells us to desire—ultimately Him, but also the fruits of the Spirit, we choose to desire sin and other things. He writes that if our affections or desires were that of Jesus Christ, we would live biblically or rightly and our hearts would be focused on Him and serving Him. (see Jonathan Edwards, A Treatise concerning Religious Affections (New York, NY: Leavitt, Trow & Company))

The reality is that part of the reason we look for peace apart from Jesus is because our desires or affections drive us every which way except toward Jesus and it takes intentional repeated repentance from our idolatry that drives us to desire Jesus more and more and more.

We’re looking for peace in the things that we desire instead of looking towards the one who has already made peace for us and is our true peace.

Really, while human relationships can be nice, while politics can be helpful, while entertainment brings rest, and while some substance are good in moderation (I’m thinking more along the lines of food not drugs), we will never find lasting peace in any of it; we can only find true, genuine peace in knowing Jesus and desiring Him more each and every day.

As we move towards Christmas over the next week, I genuinely hope and pray that you experience the peace that only Jesus provides because He is our peace. If you’ve never experienced this peace before, please come and talk with me, I’d love to help you know Jesus. If you have experienced this peace before, but you’ve been succumbing to idolatry or desiring something or someone more than your own desire of God, I beg you to repent, keep your eyes focused on Jesus, and desire Him—He alone gives peace because He alone is our peace and He alone leads His people and protects them.

Matthew Henry says this about this prophecy, “This is, perhaps, the most important single prophecy in the Old Testament: it respects the personal character of the Messiah, and the discoveries of himself to the world. It distinguishes his human birth from his existing from eternity; it foretells the rejection of the Israelites and Jews for a season, their final restoration, and the universal peace to prevail through the whole earth in the latter days. In the mean time let us trust our Shepherd’s care and power. If he permits the assault of our enemies, he will supply helpers and assistance for us.” (Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Mic 5:1.)

Take time this week to simply revel in the peace that only the true King provides.

Pastoral Prayer