Jesus The King
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Announcing the Arrival of the King
Announcing the Arrival of the King
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.
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.
7 Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man.
8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.
10 And in that day, declares the Lord, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots;
11 and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds;
12 and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;
13 and I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands;
14 and I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities.
15 And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.
Introduction
Introduction
The budget speech by the Minister of finance was disappointing and challenging for most to hear.
Some South Africans were hoping that the new president of the RSA will step in and save our country from disaster.
Arguably the most popular evangelist of modern times.
One of our own - summed up the increase in Taxes:
“Ok. So let me get this straight. I have to pay more for petrol so that I can drive to work; then I get a salary on which I pay exorbitant tax, to spend that salary on products and services for which I also have to pay more; all this so that other people’s children (not my own) can go to university for free.”
Friends and spiritual advisor to 12 consecutive American presidents, from Harry Truman to Barack Obama.
It is an exception to ask for a more difficult life, it is close to lunacy to be happy with a difficult life.
lunacy to be happy with a difficult life.
[Billy Graham and Ruth}
[We want God to give us a better life]
Most of the time, we ask God for relief (an easier life) and God delivers.
So, what should we hope for in government and why - to give us an easier life?
We should look out for, we should hope for a better government.
Ruth Graham, lifelong wife of Billy, praying for a husband in her youth asked for: “A missionary- husband who would go to a foreign country - preferably a difficult place to live”.
God gave her a difficult life.
But Ruth was an independent woman.
Once, she crashed the family car and Billy wanted to stop her from driving.
She refused to listen to him on this topic.
Billy motivated with: “I don’t remember reading in the Bible about Sarah ever talking to Abraham like that?”
To which Ruth responded: “I don’t remember reading in the Bible that Abraham tried taking Sarah’s camel away from her.”
Ruth is the exception in praying for a difficult life - and Ruth Graham was an exceptional women who had to support an exceptional man of God.
Most people want an easier life, under a fair government.
Some, like
Actually, we should be on the lookout, we should hope for a better for a Kingdom.
That is exactly what Micah advised the faithful few in Jerusalem to do.
Some questions the remnant could have asked about the new King may have been:
[Questions in Jerusalem - 700BC]
Q: How will the King be received?
A: He will be humiliated.
Q: How will we know who the King is?
How will we know who the King is?
A: By the uniqueness of His birth.
Q: What will the King do?
A: Six specific promises
Or, we can structure the prophecy about the King in three parts:
Humiliation of the King (v1)
Birth of the King (v2)
Next time - The Job Description of the King
Job Description of the King (3-15)
Humiliation of the King
Humiliation of the King
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.
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.
Jerusalem, besieged by the Babylonians (), was called a daughter of troops.
That means, a city surrounded by soldiers.
Micah challenged the people to muster their troops, though of course her defence efforts were in vain because of Nebuchadnezzar’s siege.
An interesting side-note:
(The Heb. word for “siege” is used in the OT exclusively referring to the siege of Jerusalem, ; ; ; , ; .)
Micah did not identify the ruler of Israel except to say that He would be struck on the cheek with a rod.
[The Ruler will be struck on the cheek.
This means humiliation]
To strike someone on the cheek was to humiliate him; cf. ; ; .)
24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?”
1 Kings 22:23
Some suggest This ruler may be Jesus, because;
(a) Christ was struck on the head (; ) and face () and
(b) He is referred to in .
Other factors point to the possibility that The ruler could be Judah’s king Zedekiah:
(1) The first part of verse 1 refers to the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem.
(2) The word “ruler” translates šōp̱ēṭ (“judge”), whereas The word for ruler in verse 2, is not the word usually used to refer to Jesus.
The word for “ruler” which clearly refers to Jesus, is mōšēl.
But, Micah, playing with words uses Šōp̱ēṭ that forms an interesting wordplay on the similar-sounding word for “rod,” šēḇeṭ.)
(3) Jesus was not struck by troops of an enemy nation while Jerusalem was besieged.
However, Nebuchadnezzar did capture Zedekiah and torture him ().
(4) A soon-coming event, not a distant-future event, seems to be suggested by the Hebrew word for “but now” in (not trans. in the niv).
This is followed by the distant future tense in verses 2–6.
I hold to the belief that Micah, true to His pattern of prophecy, plays with words and structure.
While using current and soon to be revealed events, he points to distant events of much greater importance.
So, I believe in the context of the chapter as a whole, Micah speaks here in about Jesus the King.
In His announcement of the King (Jesus), Micah introduces the King as one who will be humiliated.
Not what is expected.
How will we know when the Kings arrives?
He will be humiliated.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Isaiah 53:
Reading through the Gospels, we see how many times Jesus was humiliated by the “rod” of the spiritual authority.
Those who should have recognised Him, humiliated Him.
They - no - we expected that from them!
How about you and me?
Are we guilty of humiliating Jesus?
Surely not!
Every time, you do not recognise Jesus as your King, it is as if you humiliate Him by striking Him on the cheek.
Challenging Him.
When we:
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
worry,
lie,
Isaiah 53:7
manipulate situations,
run from difficulties in stead of confronting them.
we distrust our King Jesus, and humiliate Him.
Jerusalem will recognise the arrival of the King by His humiliation.
We, who live on this side of the New Testament know that The birth, life and death of Jesus was a humiliation.
We know, that the King has arrived already.
Another fact that helps us recognise the King, is the way He comes into this world.
Birth of the King (for victory)
Birth of the King (for victory)
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.
The pattern of this verse is similar in some ways to the pattern of 4:8.
8 And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.
In each verse, The city is personified and addressed as you;
“You - Jerusalem” in 4:8 and “You - Bethlehem” in 5:2.
The words will come are in both verses; But a slight change in the sentence construction changes the purpose of the Kings arrival in, or for those cities.
The “Ruler,” Christ, will be “from” Bethlehem Ephrathah, about five miles from Jerusalem.
But, The King Jesus will come “to” Jerusalem.
Micah sees into the future and the blessedness of the arrival of the King in Bethlehem - “from”
But Micah also sees the judgement “to” Jerusalem who would reject the King.
By the way:
Ephrathah, also called Ephrath (; ), was an older name for Bethlehem.
It may also be the name of the area around Bethlehem.
David was born in Bethlehem (, ; ).
David’s greatest Descendant, Jesus Christ, was also born in Bethlehem ().
The chief priests and teachers of the Law understood this verse in Micah to refer to the Messiah ().
That confused some of the people in the time of Jesus on earth.
42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
Even though Jesus was born in Bethlehem He was raised in Nazareth, in Galilee.
[Confusion - where was Jesus from really?]
The Messiah-Ruler, who will deliver His people, was Born in an insignificant, small town - “too little”.
Bethlehem is not even mentioned in the list of towns in or where the clans of Judah lived.
And God said that this One, who will minister on behalf of God.
We see this in the words “for Me” in the middle of verse 2.
This One - will be Israel’s “Ruler” (cf. “rule” in ).
This One - will be the ruler of all of God’s people.
Christ accomplished and will accomplish the Father’s will
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
(cf. ; ).
[“Coming forth” means victory.]
This Ruler, whose “coming forth” (lit., “goings out,”) is understood in the Hebrew to mean “His victories”.
These victories are in Creation, manifestations of god-ness, and providential caring.
These victories are "from of old, from ancient days”.
The KJV translates “ancient days” as “everlasting,”.
The NIV translation is preferable because the Hebrew is literally, “days of immeasurable time.”
Other verses such as ; ; ; confirms the eternality of Jesus Christ.
Example:
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
So, we can say that the origin of Jesus, the fact of His birth prophesied to be in the future of the Jews in Micah’s time,
prophesied to be in the future of the Jews in Micah’s time in their future but in our past ensures His everlasting victories.
Guarantees His everlasting victory in our future because we now know of His predicted birth we can rely on His promise of victory.
prophesied birth
Although The King will be humiliated, He is guaranteed of everlasting victory.
So what?
Conclusion
Conclusion
All normal people hope for an easier, a better life.
That is why we work hard.
Nothing wrong with that,
But;
[Our only hope for a better life
Is life with and for Jesus]
Our only reliable hope, even realistic expectation for a better easier life is life with and for Jesus Christ.
We can trust the Bible because the Bible tells the story of the Birth of Jesus.
The Bible tells the story of the life and death of Jesus.
But, The Bible also tells the story of the resurrection of Jesus.
He came to be born as a man, to live a sinless life as a man,
To die as a man.
Jesus overcame death - completely -
for ever - Victory.
Why?
So that Everyone who belongs to God may have an everlasting - better life.
Amen
On Friday 16 February 2018, the newly elected president of South Africa delivered the State of the Nation address.
In his speech he announced what he as new president plans to do for South Africa and its people.
Although President Ramaphose probably had a lot of influence on the content of his inaugural speech to the nation, someone else actually wrote the speech.
inaugural speech to the nation, someone else actually wrote the speech.
Micah wrote the inaugural speech for the King’s.
inaugural speech of the King’s SONA explains what the King will do.
This is almost the draft version of the State of the Nation address.
Micah writes the speech that the King could deliver before taking the throne.
What will the King do for His Kingdom?
Six activities by the King to establish the perfect Kingdom
1. The King will Unite the Nation
1. The King will Unite the Nation
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.
As Micah had written earlier (4:9), Israel’s spiritual pain in being dispersed (abandoned) was like a woman’s physical pain in labor. But the time will come when the labor will end and birth will come. This refers not to Mary’s giving birth to Jesus, but to Israel’s national regathering (cf. 2:12; 4:6–7), likened here to a childbirth when His brothers (fellow Israelites; cf. Deut. 17:15) will return and join other Israelites. Christ will be one of them.
Micah 5:2–3 puts together the two Advents of Christ, much as is done in Isaiah 9:6–7; 61:1–2.
(3-15)
(3-15)
As Micah had written earlier (4:9), Israel’s spiritual pain in being dispersed (abandoned) was like a woman’s physical pain in labor.
As Micah had written earlier (4:9), Israel’s spiritual pain in being dispersed (abandoned) was like a woman’s physical pain in labor.
But the time will come when the labor will end and birth will come.
This refers not to Mary’s giving birth to Jesus, but to Israel’s national regathering (cf. 2:12; 4:6–7), likened here to a childbirth when His brothers (the fellow Israelites of Jesus; (cf. ) will return and join other Israelites.
Christ will be one of them.
puts together the two Arrivals of Christ.
Very much like in ; .
The uniting of the Nation then refers to the unity among believers expected and preached by Jesus, and expanded on by the apostles.
Example:
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
More than opening the door for Jews and others nations to be united in Christs death, they - we - will be united for ever in His risen, everlasting life.
The King will Care and give Security
The King will Care and give Security
Micah 5:
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.
The Messiah will … shepherd His flock (cf. 2:12; 7:14; ), something the nation’s leaders in Micah’s day were refusing to do (cf. comments on ).
Christ’s caring, guiding, and protecting role will be accomplished by the Lord’s strength and for His sake.
As He shepherds the nation they will have peace and security (cf. ) because His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth (cf. ).
Since He will rule over the entire world (; ), all will know of His sovereign power, which will guarantee Israel’s safety.
The King will win the war
The King will win the war
Micah 5:
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.
7 Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man.
8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.
This is one of Messiah’s several accomplishments in bringing peace to Israel (vv. 5–15).
This is one of Messiah’s several accomplishments in bringing peace to Israel (vv. 5–15).
He will be Israel’s peace because He will subdue the hostile powers around that nation.
Though Assyria will not exist as a nation in the future, it represents nations who, like Assyria in Micah’s time, will threaten and attack Jerusalem (cf. ; ).
The land of Nimrod (cf. ; ) was a synonym for Assyria (cf. Assyria as a name for Persia in ).
Christ will enable Israel to defeat her foes, giving the nation a more-than-adequate number of shepherds or leaders (on the formula seven … even eight; cf. comments on “three … even four” in ).
Whereas many nations have ruled Israel with the sword, in the Millennium the tables will be turned and Israel will rule over her foes because He, Messiah, will deliver her (cf. ).
5:7. After Christ will destroy Israel’s enemies the remnant (cf. 2:12; 4:7; 5:8; 7:18) of believing Israelites will be refreshing and influential (like dew and showers) among many peoples.
Because the rainy season in Palestine was from October through March, nighttime dew in the other six months helped nourish the crops.
As the dew and rain come from God in His timing (they do not wait for man), so God will refresh the nations in His own timing, apart from man’s doings.
5:8–9. The remnant (cf. v. 7) of Israel will also be like a lion.
Like a ferocious lion, domineering over other animals, Israel will be dominant and powerful over other nations of the world (cf. ).
God said He will lift up Israel’s hand … over her enemies, and that all her foes will be destroyed.
4. The King will remove the Army
4. The King will remove the Army
Micah 5:
10 And in that day, declares the Lord, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots;
11 and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds;
In that day (cf. 4:6 and comments on “in the last days” in 4:1), the Lord … will destroy the horses (cf. ) and chariots in which she trusted (cf. God’s prohibition in against relying on horses).
Cities in which Israel will build strongholds for protection will be demolished (cf. ).
5. The King will install True Worship
5. The King will install True Worship
Micah 5:12
12 and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;
12 and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;
13 and I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands;
14 and I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities.
Besides destroying enemies from outside Israel, the Messiah will purge the nation of every trace of occultic and idolatrous practices, which were “enemies” within.
Witchcraft (kešāp̱îm, lit., “sorceries”) is used in the Old Testament only here and in ; , ; .
In the last three of these verses the NIV renders the word “sorceries.”
The Hebrew word suggests seeking information from demonic sources. The casting of spells (from the verb ‘ānan) may refer to using demonic powers to exercise manipulative influences over others (in and the NIV translates this word “sorcery”; in it is rendered “sorcerers”).
Though prohibited in the Law, these and similar practices—common in the ancient Near East—were attractive to many Israelites throughout much of Israel’s history.
Occultism will be practiced in the Tribulation (cf. “magic arts” in ), but it will be wiped out by the Lord.
5:13–14. Carved images (pesîlîm) were idols of foreign gods (cf. pesel, “idol,” in ).
Sacred stones (or pillars) and Asherah poles (cf. ; ; ; ) were objects used in worshiping male and female Canaanite idols.
God forbade their use by Israel (; cf. ). Asherah was the Canaanite goddess of the sea and the consort of Baal.
When the Ruler comes and banishes every evidence of idolatry from His people (cf. ), they will no longer worship the work of their hands (cf. ).
Instead they will worship Yahweh, the true and living Creator.
All the cities (cf. ) where Israel practiced idolatry or relied on her military strength will be demolished.
The King will crush the enemy
The King will crush the enemy
Micah 5:15
15 And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.
Nations who refuse to obey the lord will suffer God’s anger and wrath.
He will rule with an iron scepter (; ; ), that is, with firmness, strength, and justice.
Conclusion
Conclusion