God’s Faithful Love For All Time - Advent Week 4
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Focus on Advent 4th Week Theme of Love
Focus on Advent 4th Week Theme of Love
What does it mean to love someone? What traits do you look for in someone that proves their love for you?
In most scenarios, if you asked someone to tell you about how Jesus showed you he loved you, they would probably answer in one of two ways.
He died for me on the cross
He came as a baby in order to live and die for me
I would add a few things to that personally. Imbedded in these two points are a list of things that are present in the character of our God and the second person of the trinity, Jesus Christ.
I would add, faithful, trust worthy, consistent, well intended, good follow through, just, righteous, gracious, merciful, these are just to name a few.
As I was leading up to today’s service, especially since Tuesday is Christmas Eve and we won’t have a Wednesday Service, I wanted to touch on something other than Daniel but still focused on Christ’s birth as a result of his love for us, which we read about earlier in our advent reading. As I was reading, praying and asking God to show me what he wanted me to share I came across another passage used in Advent from the book of Micah chapter 5.
This is a passage where we find a prophecy about where the Messiah will be born, but the entirety of the chapter says so much more.
Context shows Character
Context shows Character
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.
The timeline here for the book of Micah picks up with Jotham, King of Judea, who reigned from 749 BC to 733 BC. Even though he was like his father Uzziah, being faithful to the Lord, the people of Judah were still rebelling against their God and Yahweh was going to use the prophet Micah to tell them of the coming judgement. Here Micah is being told to send a message to the ruler and people of Judah that a siege is coming so they should rally the troops but ultimately they will be overthrown and taken into captivity. We know this from our study of Daniel.
Even though this first verse isn’t encouraging, where do we see God’s love in this intimidating verse? We see the loving character of God in his follow through. He is now warning them of something he told them day one would happen if they turned away from Him. He is consistent in his message. He doesn’t change. This is loving because He can be trusted in all situations, even those where his trusted response is judgement.
The message of this chapter shifts immediately in verse 2.
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.
This passage in Micah was also quoted by the Chief priests and teachers of the law when Herod asked about where the Messiah would be born in Matthew 2:5-6
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
In the same breath where Yahweh speaks of impending judgment and seige, He comforts his rebellious children with news of a new ruler over Israel and he will come from one of the most insignificant clans of Judah. Bethlehem Ephrathah!
From the tribe named Judah, or “celebrated”, from the clan named Bethlehem, meaning “house of bread” and Ephrathah, meaning “fruitfulness” will come a ruler.
House of Bread, and Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). “And now for that word Ephratah. That was the old name of the place which the Jews retained and loved. The meaning of it is, ‘fruitfulness,’ or ‘abundance.’ Ah! well was Jesus born in the house of fruitfulness; for whence cometh my fruitfulness and thy fruitfulness, my brother, but from Bethlehem? Our poor barren hearts never produced one fruit or flower, till they were watered with the Savior’s blood” (Spurgeon).
This ruler will come forth “for me”, for Yahweh. He will be a ruler that will be sent from Yahweh, for Yahweh, and is already part of the Elohim, or God head. He will be from Ancient days and his coming forth will be from of old. In other words, His coming will have been for told from ancient days.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
God’s plan from before the beginning of time.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
Again, the trustworthy consistency of a faithful father who loves his children reveals the truth of who he is and who our messiah is and has been. He’s revealing this to those he has known before the foundations of the world.
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Because of His character trait of omniscience, all knowing, past present and future knowledge all at the same time, he knew us and predestined us for adoption to himself through Jesus for the purpose of his will. Out of love.
He loves us!
Too often we can focus on the fact that we should love him but we couldn’t have loved him if he hadn’t first loved us. Listen to the love and joy that our Lord has for us!
We love because he first loved us.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
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;
Micah anticipated a future time, one that was partially fulfilled in the Assyrian and Babylonian exile and return. After the exile was finished the other tribes of Israel rejoined Judah to reform Israel. This is also a future time prophecy that will be fulfilled in the Great Tribulation and restoration of Israel. In both those eras, when the LORD will seem distant from Israel until the time for restoration is ready. After the time of Israel’s trial the LORD will restore gloriously. The Ruler born in Bethlehem will tenderly care for His flock in the strength of the LORD. In His millennial reign they, Israel, will dwell secure in the perfect rule of Jesus their Messiah and King!
He shall be their peace, “prince of peace”. Isaiah 9:6
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
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
One cannot have peace until he experiences the one who is peace, and this is only found in a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
This dividing wall of hostility is speaking of the mystery from Ephesians 3.
6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
This is another example of God’s love for us! It didn’t start with Jesus but through Jesus sacrifice and revelation through His apostles the mystery was made known that the salvation of the Lord is for all people who believe and receive and come to faith as a result of the grace of God.
The rest of the chapter of Micah 5 speaks to how God will maintain a remnant in Israel. Even though God used nations to judge Israel he will still bring judgment on those who did not believe in Him. God will always maintain a remnant in Israel, even to the end of the age through the 7 year tribulation. He does this because of His faithfulness to his chosen people and his own word, for his glory!
This passage is but one glimpse into the timeless love story
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
This advent season, especially as we reflect on the Love Jesus showed to us, may we be compelled by His love to love others, reaching them with the love and hope of His gospel to salvation! We thank you and praise the Lord for sending His son Jesus as a little baby, out of Love for us! We look forward to His second coming!
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Let’s Pray
