December 9, 2018 - The Ruler

Turn in or or turn on the the coffee with me and go to Micah The Book of Micah chapter 5 verses 1 through 5. Micah 5 1 through 5 family and children around the world have have really grown to love the the telling of the Christmas story and they love to go to those stories that did are found throughout scripture from the Old Testament all the way through to the New Testament and and they see these and they go wow, that's that's amazing. And there's one one children's book called The Jesus storybook Bible in and I think it's a very good one. It's it's written by Sally lloyd-jones. And in the introduction to the big story of the Bible. This is what she says. There are lots of stories in the Bible. But all the stories are telling one big story the story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them. It takes the whole Bible to tell this story and at the center of the story there is a baby. Every story in the Bible Whispers his name. He's like the missing piece in a puzzle the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together and suddenly you see the big beautiful picture. That's Jesus. That's who we worship. And as we continue our adventure Series this morning, we're studying these texts from the Old Testament and we're able to study them and understand them rightly because we can look at them through the lens of the New Testament. We can look at them through the lens of Jesus Christ and understand who it was the Micah was speaking about in his passage who it was the God spoke of in Genesis 315 who it was that Isaiah spoke of in in Isaiah 7 and 9 and and several other places throughout that prophecy. It's all there until this morning. We're going to see that the coming king would be a ruler for his people and for this we turn to Micah chapter 5 verses 1 through 5. So we stand with me in the honor of the reading of God's word this morning the prophet Micah under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit rights. Now muster your troops o daughter of troops Siege is laid against us with a rod. They will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. But you o Bethlehem ephrathah who are too little to be a bong the clans of Judah from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel. Who's coming forth is from of old from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth then the rest of his brother shall return to the people of Israel 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. Gracious Heavenly Father. We thank you for your word. Thank you Father for the big story that we seeing scripture the story of redemption that Scarlet thread that we saw last week that runs all the way from Genesis through Revelation that thread that ties it all together and it all is tied together in Jesus Christ father help us to see just as those disciples on the road to Emmaus. Saw how Jesus is in all of scripture help us to not only see that but to live it father help us to as we look at these passages and we see Christ and we see what he has done for us and we see what he is to us. Father let us then go out from here better stewards of that Grace ready to share that good news to a lost and dying world who need so desperately to See the Light of Christ. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Thank you.

Now Micah was a prophet who hailed from a very small town south west of Jerusalem in any prophesied during the reign of three Judean Kings. He prophesied during the reign of jotham. Ahaz and Hezekiah. We don't know exactly how long his ministry was but it was probably between 20 and 25 years. He prophesied for a very long time there. He spoke out against corruption in the city of Jerusalem, and he also spoke out against the oppression of the poor and the needy by those who had much in addition. He also prophesied the fall of the northern kingdom at this time. Israel was divided into two kingdoms the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah now Micah was in Judah, but at the same time he was prophesying about those who were In Israel, and he said there's coming a time when the impending Judgment of God will be on the northern kingdom in and the Assyrian Empire will come and take them down and take them into Exile. But you know what? He also foretold the coming Judgment of God upon the southern Kingdom of Judah and they're coming Exile at the hands of the Babylonians. You see understanding this Jewish context helps us to better understand why this passage would have been so important and so uplifting and so assuring to the original audience just as it is to us today. Now the Northern Kingdom of Israel was in steep decline because there had been several terrible Wicked Kings for a long time up to this point. They had just been the series after series after series of evil Kings they did terrible thing. But you know what God and His Mercy he kept calling is real back to himself. He kept sending profits to them saying repent and return to me. I know you've been faithless. I know that you have been adulterers, but but come back and I will forgive you and I will heal you and I will restore you. And there were prophets like Amos and Hosea and Nahum and Jonah and many others that aren't even named in scripture who were sent there to speak the word of God and call them to repentance. You know, what's interesting. One of those who was sent to Israel. Jonah was also sent to the Assyrians that evil empire to the north that was threatening Israel in threatening the Jewish people. And they repented they heard God's word and repented at least for a while. Is real wood not that should tell you something right there. That's how far gone Israel was. Now the northern kingdom had followed after bail for sometime. Thank a have and Jezebel. They were king a king and queen there in the northern kingdom. And in fact two places of worship of Baal had been established by the first king of the divided Kingdom in Israel. Jeroboam. He set up two places one in Bethel and one and Dan and he built these temples and he set up Golden calves to be worshipped in both of them and he did that for a reason because once the the kingdom divided he was afraid that if everybody kept going down to Jerusalem to worship at the temple as God had commanded they'd want to reunite they'd want to bring the kingdom back together and they wouldn't want to be under him. They'd want to be under the king of Judah. So he said in and we have this recorded in in second KR 1st Kings 12:28 to 29. It says so the king took counsel in May to calves of gold and he said to the people you have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your God. So Israel who brought you up out of the land of Egypt? That's what he did. And we see that that idolatry would not have bait and it would eventually bring the Judgment of God on the people there in Israel at the hands of the Assyrians. We see that in Second Kings 17 7 through 18 and this is a little bit longer send me to put it up on the screen for you. It says in this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God who brought them up out of the land of Egypt and from under the hand of pharaoh the king of Egypt and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nation's whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel and in the Customs that the Kings of Israel had practiced and the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right they built for themselves high places and all their towns from Watchtower to fortified City. They set up for themselves pillars and Asher room on every high hill and under every Green Tree and there they made offerings on all the high places as the nation's Did whom the Lord carried away before them and they did Wicked things provoking the Lord to anger and they served Idols of which the Lord had said to them. You shall not do this yet. The Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every Seer saying turn from your evil ways and keep my Commandments in my statutes in accordance with all the law that I commanded your father's and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets, but they would not listen. But we're stubborn as our fathers had been who did not believe in the Lord their God. They despised his statutes in his Covenant that he made with their fathers in the morning City gave them. They went after false idols and became false and they followed the Nations that were around them concerning whom the Lord has commanded them that they should not do like them and they abandon all the Commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves metal images of two calves and they made an asherah and worshipped all the host of heaven and served bail and they burn their sons and their daughters as offerings and use divination and Omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord provoking him to anger. Therefore. The Lord was very angry with Israel and remove them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only the ruler Of Israel were faithless man who pursued their own Hearts, they led the people astray and they suffered God's judgment just is Micah promised to know the southern Kingdom of Judah wasn't that much better? There were several evil Kings in that lineage as well. Although not all of them. Were there were some good ones as well and my co Warren the rulers of Judah that God's judgment would not be withheld from them. If they continue to follow the way of the Kings of Israel if they would keep doing that then there would be judgment on them as well. And he said there's going to be a coming exile for Jude at the hands of the Babylonians. If you don't turn from your ways now Micah was prophesying under the rain primarily of King ahaz who was described as a wicked King. A wicked King in Sac 2nd Kings 16 two through four says he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God as his father David had done but he walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering according to the Despicable practices of the nation's whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel and a sacrifice and made offerings on the high places in the Hills under every Green Tree. This was incredibly Wicked King indeed. It was awful sacrificed his own son till false. God.

He would be considered one of the evil Kings of Judah.

But God still used him because his son was named Hezekiah. And Hezekiah was exact opposite of a has where a has followed false gods Hezekiah returned to the worship of the one true God and he led Israel. Are you let Judah back to worshipping God? But then his son became probably the most evil and all the king's Man by the name of Manasseh. Horrible, you see the history of the Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah demonstrate how those Nations followed the example of their rulers when the kings were evil. They were evil when the kings were righteous and holy the people followed righteousness and Holiness that's what would happen and and they were always looking to these rulers to see which way to go and when Mike is prophesying here in the fifth chapter of the book that bears his name. The people of God were in a grave situation. Things were terrible. It was during the time of ahaz they were in need of a righteous ruler one who would lead them to God? Can heart conditions not any different? Are conditions not watch the way a nation goes a nation will go the way of its its leaders. It just will. What the leaders say are right and good and honest and faithful is what the nation will do. That's what will happen. And so we like the ancient Israelites we're seeking after a ruler as well. But here's the problem like the ancient Israelites were seeking after the wrong rules were seeking after the wrong kind of ruler because the rulers did Israel sought-after were men. The rollers we seek after our men. and even the best of them Hezekiah for example still sinners We're still with fault. And still from time to time did what was wrong they were fallible. All of these rulers all the rulers who have ever existed on the face of the Earth every human leader. Every King every president every every Viceroy every prime minister. It doesn't matter what you want to call them. Every one of them has failed to meet our most pressing need. What we need and what Micah prophesied that we would receive is the ruler who would be the Messiah the Messiah. That's what we see here in our passage this morning. In fact, we have a need that's unlike any other but praise God he sending a ruler that is unlike any other that's his plan. That's what we see right here. And that's what that's what Mike is speaking of In this passage. This this is not someone who can be compared to any other ruler across the history of this Earth this ruler that Micah is prophesying about stands alone. He can't be compared. You can you can't compare them to anyone else? He's amazing. And as we move through this passage, we're going to see several aspects of this ruler who is Jesus Christ that sets him apart from all the other rulers who never held power in this world. The first characteristic that I want you to see is that he will have the humblest of Origins. We see that in verse to read that again with me, but you o Bethlehem ephrathah who are too little to be among the clans of Judah from you shall come forth from one who is to be ruler in Israel. Who's coming forth is from of old from ancient days. You see the city of Bethlehem. It was a it was a small City. It was pretty Rollie was well outside of Jerusalem, a pretty good distance and it took a little while to get there. We wouldn't even call it a suburb. It was a little far. Other than that of of Jerusalem, it was just a small little place. It was not a center of political power. It was not a center of military power. It was not an economic power it held no strategic position for military or economics. It wasn't on a trade route. It wasn't any of these things. It was just a little village where people had gathered to live. That's all it was. And yet out of the small town then and this most inauspicious setting. This town that was too little Mica says to be important on its own. Out of this little town would come the ruler of all. Out of this little tiny town would be the Messiah you see God uses. What is loli he uses that which doesn't seem to have much value to the world uses those things that don't seem to to be important. A raises them up and he demonstrates his power and his grace and his Mercy through them. That's what we see here. We see his grace on display because if if the ruler had come from Jerusalem Then it would make sense that will of course he did. That's the capital. That's a big city. That's where all the power Brokers are. That's where all the politics are ya. That's not what happened. What happened is Jesus came from Bethlehem tiny little town with no power. No Prestige now, it's not to say the Bethlehem did not have a history of did. David was born in Bethlehem the greatest king of Israel the man after God's Own Heart born in Bethlehem. So people knew that. But they probably thought that's all that came out of Bethlehem. That's it. Nothing else has come out of Cincinnati thing else did before. the Micah says that the ruler of all the Messiah is going to come out of this small and seemingly insignificant place and God's going to do it now. It's not only the town that Jesus was born into there was seemingly insignificant. It was his family as well. He was born into this Earthly family that consisted of a carpenter and his young wife. These were peasants. These are people that that did not have wealth. Joseph didn't make a whole lot of money. He didn't just sit back and let the let the interest off of his loans and everything come in and live comfortably off of other people. He didn't have a whole lot of land. My goodness, you got to Bethlehem try to get into it and he didn't seem to have enough wealth to force the poor people out, right he was poured. He didn't have any political power. This was a family that did not sway elections. Hey, this is Joseph didn't sit in the Sanhedrin. He didn't have any kind of power like this. He was not a ruler in the province of Judea and he didn't have any connections to those who did have power there. And they didn't have any religious influence either Joseph was not a rabbi. He was not ascribe. He was not a Pharisee. Just a carpenter. a laborer Who lived this assistance life? day today truly relying on God for their daily bread. UC he was a good and godly man to be sure but he didn't have the kind of religious influence that the privileged classes did know when the Son of God took on flash. He did not come to a powerful wealthy family. He did he came to the lowest he was born in a place where the livestock were kept and he found his first crib to be a Manger a food trough for animals. That's a humble origin the humblest of Origins and let's not Overlook the appearance of Mary's. Condition right? I ain't think about that story. We know from from Matthew and and Luke's gospel to the story of how Jesus came to be and we know that Mary was found to be with child. She was a virgin. She never known a man know she was betrothed to Joseph, but that didn't mean that they were husband and wife in that sense yet. And we know that that when Joseph found out that Mary was with child because you can't hide that eventually it's going to become obvious. when Joseph found out

could have taken her to the council. Could have brought her forth and said look at this adulterous this Unfaithful woman this harlot. Do with her as you see fit. We know what the consequence for adultery was staff. Joseph was a good and godly man. And he loved Mary now. I know he was hurt. How could he not be? I'm sure Mary tried to explain things to him. Would you have believed her? Probably not. But he did a gracious thing. He sell put her away quietly. I'll divorce her quietly so that she doesn't have to suffer because of this.

And then God stepped in so Joseph through a dream, right the angel comes and speaks to Joseph in a dream that says Joseph. That child that Mary is caring as God's child. marry her and Joseph did see good and godly man. He he love God. He tried to follow God even when things were. unbelievable, frankly

This condition that Mary was in.

It wasn't unknown to the rest of the world. Everybody else saw that to you know, you know how to count. You know, how many months someone is pregnant and you know when they got married and you just go backwards and you wait a minute, that doesn't work mats not adding up here. It was so much that even in the second century ad a pagan philosopher named Celsius. He wrote this book against Christianity. It was called the true Doctrine. He was taken just ignore. It is in that he said that Jesus was the product of an adulterous relationship between Mary and a Roman soldier named Pantera. That's what he said. Did he have any evidence for that know but you know what the Jerusalem talmud that collection of Jewish readings and in teachings from the rabbis. They said the same thing. In fact, they called him. Yes. You were being Pantera. Jesus Son of Pantera Because that's what they try to do. Now course, none of this has any evidence none of it is there? this this is slander, but that's what the world is trying to do to undermine Christ. We know that Jesus had to be born of a virgin. We saw last week the prophecy in Genesis 3 15 that the seed of the woman would be the one to crush the head of the serpent the seed of the woman. As a virgin birth, it had to be that way so that so that Jesus would be free from the stain of Adam sin. So here again, we see the humblest of Origins born in Bethlehem born to a peasant family born with a questionable appearance. And do you see how God used all of that to magnify his name to magnify his power and His glory that's what's happening here that which seemed to be the lowest of the low for the lowest family born in the lowest town would be the greatest ruler of the world. That's what we have and though his human Origins were low Leaf his eternal Origins War not his eternal Origins were from he says from you shall come forth from me one who is to be ruler in Israel. Who's coming forth is from of old from ancient days. I like the way the nasb renders this last phrase from the days of Eternity. You see the coming King Jesus Christ was God's plan from the vert. Beginning he was God's plan from before the foundations of the earth that's hard for us to wrap our heads around the magnificence of this truth in eternity past before God ever uttered a single word of creation. Not even once when the only thing in existence was the perfect Triune godhead and perfect relationship with each other in need of nothing truly self-sufficient. God's plan was for the sun to take on flesh to live the perfect life. To Die the death on the cross and your place in mind and be resurrected the third day and defeat of sin.

Can you get your head around that? That's amazing. Sometimes brothers and sisters when you come to something like this. You just got to stand and all of God's grace. Hold your God. Not those golden calves a jeroboam built with the one true God.

That's what's Happening Here. And because Jesus is eternal Origins can be so difficult for us to wrap our heads around.

We sometimes get it wrong. Getting really wrong. In fact pretty much every heresy of the church. Almost all of them have to do with who Jesus is what we call Christ ology we get that wrong and really we see that very early on in the history of the church. And and we see a man whose name was Arius Arius was a bishop in Antioch in the 202 early 300 zadie an area started teaching that Jesus was not Eternal Jesus. Jesus was a created being in fact Arias's famous formulation of this is there was a time when he was not There was a time when he was not and this started spreading out and people start going all okay, that sounds okay. Yeah, because it was hard for them to understand about Jesus is eternal Origins. And it led to the Council of nicaea in 325 and it seemed that the entire Christian world was going to go with areas and say you hate Jesus was creating we get that house. Now area said look, he's the very first of all creation. There is nothing else is was created before Jesus. He is the first of all creation. He is most perfect of all creation. He achieved Divinity. He is God, we we grant that but he became God he wasn't always God. and are two men at the Council of nicaea, two men who stood up against this athanasius and Nicholas athanasius who wins when they were trying to get the council to approve Arias's theology. They came to athanasius and said, the whole world stands against you and athanasius said then I stand against the whole world. Would that we had men and women like that today in the church? Then there was Nicholas. necklace at Bishop from Turkey who came to the council when he heard area speak and start explaining his ideas his heretical ideas about who Jesus was couldn't take it. He gets up and he starts beating areas about the head.

Nicholas is also the man from whom we have derive Santa Claus so Jolly Old Saint Nick was a heretic slapper. I just want you to know that that's the kind of Santa Claus that I like, but You see Jesus was not created. He was from Days of Eternity. He was the Ancient of Days. He was his his certain Advent his coming forth is from old. This is who he is. He's always been I haven't seen his Origins. I want you to see his authority. First of all his ultimate Authority look with me and verse 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. This coming King will stand in the power and strength of God. Almighty. That is where his authority comes from and he does not rule through the typical means of human beings the people of ancient Israel would have known about all that. They had all those intrigues ain't seen assassinations. They had seen cuz they seen people fight each other to get power. This ruler isn't going to do that this role or has Authority because he has Authority in the name of God himself. That's ultimate Authority as authority over everybody. That is authority over every thing remember Moses when Moses was on Mount Sinai any standing before it actually, you know kneeling before the burning bush and God speaks to him and commands Moses. He says go to Egypt and tell pharaoh to let my people go Moses has a question. Moses says Lord, if it if I go there and I tell the Israelites the god of your fathers has sent me and they say what's his name?

What are you going to tell him? Yeah, cuz they know and I apparently don't remember Moses had been raised in the Egyptian Court had not been raised as a Hebrew. Why would he have known the personal Covenant old name of God with his people? And God says tell them I am that I am sent you tell them y'all way sent you. That's the name of authority. It's the name of majesty. It's a name of power. And that's the name that the ruler Micah is prophesying of is going to rule by. That's pretty amazing. He's going to rule just by the Majesty of the name of the Lord his God. Look at that connection the Lord his God. There's an intimate relationship here between the two of them between the father and the son. And because of this ultimate Authority his rule is going to be Universal. It's rule is going to stretch every where there is not going to be any corner of the universe that is not under the authority of Jesus Christ the King not one square inch.

He will rule universally listen brothers and sisters. This is a blessing and an insurance to us today because we live in a world where rulers come and go and we live in a world where Satan who is often described in the Bible is the ruler of this world did the prince of this present age seems to have authority but I love the way that Luther put it said the devil is God's devil. In other words the devil can't do just whatever he wants to do. The devil is under the authority of The Sovereign god of the universe the devil can only do what God allows him to do. We see that in Jo 1 and 2. I know everything even Satan is under the authority of the ruler Jesus Christ, but is Authority is not only ultimate. It's a protecting Authority as well. He's described. Here's a Shepherd who is standing watch over the flock of God now next week. We're going to look at the king's role as Shepherds. I don't want to get into a lot of the details of that right now, but I do want you to see this. This means that those who are under his careful and loving watch are protected and secure. That's what Mike has says here at at the end of this first and they shall dwell secure. Remember the context of our passage this morning the the people of Israel and Judah. We're living in a time when there were enemy Nations all around. There was Assyria there was Babylon there was Egypt and all of them wanted to land all of them. Wanted to come in and take over and bring these people under subjugation. And so often the rulers of these kingdoms were pursuing the false gods. They were pursuing all these Idols. So why in the world would they look to Yahweh is the ultimate protector? They didn't see protection coming from Yahweh. They were worshipping Idols. So, you know what they would do they go and try to make treaties with these other nations. They try to make a treaty with the Pharaoh in Egypt syrians wouldn't come down and if that didn't work, they make a treaty with the Assyrian. So the Egyptians wouldn't come up there were constantly trying to play the geopolitical game when all they needed to do. was follow God If they would have been obedient to him if they would have followed him. They would do well secure under his ruler and we see the same thing don't we we seek Assurance under with with everything under the sun. We seek Assurance from our political leaders. We seek security there, right? If only if only the right party is in power will be okay. If only we were allies with this group of people will be okay. If only we have enough wealth will be okay.

I know you won't. Because all of those things will crumble and fail. Every one of them but I'm here to tell you this morning. There is one who will not fail Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter. What comes your way. Jesus will not fail. I'm not saying that you won't have trials. I'm not saying they won't be hard times. I'm not even saying you won't be poor. I know there's some preachers out there. That'll tell you that. I'm not one of them. you may be

but in the end you should go pee factorias in Christ. And I assure you that's where you want to be victorious. You do not want to have your best life now. Cuz that doesn't bode well for the rest of Eternity.

You want your best life then? Jesus Jesus he is the ruler and under him we have this security. But finally, I want you to see this the coming King who Micah prophesied would be the source of everlasting peace. So there in verse 5 and he shall be their peace. Can you sense the crescendo of what Mike is saying here? I mean, it's just been building this rule or he's going to come from Humble Origins, but wait, he's not really rather humble by our looks but he's Eternal. This is God God coming into flashing and he's going to become the ruler of all in and he's going to Shepherd his own people. He personally is going to Shepherd them and stand watch over them and protect them and they will be well-secured and he will be their peace.

peace Patron Israelites didn't know peace. Was Wars all the time there was turmoil all the time. There was a conflict all the time and it wasn't just from outside influences. It was internal as well. We know that. We see that we see riots in Paris. We see wars in the Middle East. We see all kinds of stuff and I'm frankly we don't have to look outside the country. We can look right into our own families and see the conflict and turmoil that exists in this world. I will try everything to bring peace. We do everything that we can.

The peace lasting Eternal. Peace Only comes through Jesus Christ. That's it. He shall be their peace. You see in that first Advent his kingdom was established in peace with God was secured by the work that he did on the cross and when we behold his second Advent when he returns and power and Glory, he will Vanquish his enemies once and for all and he will usher in the Eternal peace of his kingdom. And so I have to ask you. Do you know him now? because if you wait until his second Advent It's too late. It's too late. There is no chance at that point. Why the Bible says today is the day of salvation. Do not Harden your hearts against him. And so is the praise team comes up and they sing that final song Evie right down here on the front row, like I am every week and if you want to come down and talk about what it means to know Jesus as your savior, please come and see me this morning. I want to tell you about him. I want to introduce you to the Prince of Peace. I want to introduce you to the ruler of all that Micah prophesied. He's ready to receive you. This very morning. So will you pray with me gracious? Heavenly father? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for sending your son Jesus. Thank you Father that you have given him power and authority by the strength of your name by the Majesty of your name. Father we know that elsewhere in Scripture. It says it at the sound of your name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord father. I pray this morning that those who are here. Already do that because they know him. They are not putting it off until sometime in the future thinking that there's plenty of time. Father we simply do not know and so if your spirit is drawing them to yourself father, I pray that they don't leave here this morning until they have had a chance to come talk to me or to talk to another believer here this morning who will share with them the good news of Jesus Christ. Because we know it is it is the only way to Salvation. There aren't there aren't many roads to you. There's one road. It's narrow. Be difficult. But it's worth it. That way is Cheese's. Father we we ask these things in the power of your Mighty and holy name. Amen.