(Micah 5:1-6) Hope in the Bethlehem King!

INTRODUCTION:

We are in the time of year when it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Isn’t it.

We admire

the snow

the trees

the joy of giving gifts to those we love.

The visiting of friends and families.

In fact,

from Thanksgiving weekend to December 25th >>> we become a nation mesmerized with decorations and happy holidays.

But in the midst of all the decoration,

when our lost neighbor next door is celebrating Christmas too,

we as Christians sometimes get distracted and forget about what it means that Jesus was born.

we as Christians sometimes get distracted and forget about what it means that Jesus was born.

Further,

even when we are not distracting – we often only understand the Savior in light of the cross.

Luke 2:11 ESV

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Why is it important that Jesus was born in the city of David?

What does it mean that Jesus is the Savior?

What does it mean he is Christ the Lord?

In many ways Christ is the Savior that died on the cross to save us from our sins.

As John says,

John 3:16 ESV

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.

It is true - he is that kind of savior,

but the birth of Jesus represents more then just salvation.

Luke very intentionally points us back to the full meaning of the Savior.

But here very intentionally you points us back to the full meaning of the Savior.

An Old Testament Idea.

The Savior is not simply the one who died on the cross,

but the promised Messiah who will be a king that rules the nations.

Our text this morning is one of a number of Old Testament passages

.... that tell us what kind of king that Christ will be.

Note that Christ is the New Testament word for Messiah.

It will help us understand -

Why it is important that Jesus was born in the city of David?

What it means that Jesus is the Savior?

What it means he is Christ the Lord?

Look down at your text.

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.

I challenge us,

the Birth of Jesus should point us to

The Birth of Jesus Should Cause Us to Look to the Future Reign of Christ.

And this text explains to us why.

Why should the birth of Jesus Christ cause us to look to the future reign of Christ?

To begin with,

we must understand what is going on in the book of Micah.

Micah is a prophet testifying of God's coming judgment against Israel as a whole.

Micah is a prophet testifying God's coming judgment against Israel.

At times he addresses

1) The Coming Judgement. ()

The book of Micah as a whole works as an indictment against Israel.

An indictment that declares how Israel has broken the law,

and how God's coming judgment is justified.

Although the Old Testament records many ways Israel broke the law,

Micah in particular focuses on three.

First,

Micah promises judgement for:

a) The idolatry of Samaria. ()

Micah 1:7 ESV

7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return.

Secondly,

b) The coveting of their neighbors land. (, )

describes

how the wealthy royal bureaucracies were stealing the land from the poor and middle-class.

A combination of the Biblical and historical record

>>>> shows that that this bureaucracy had commandeered both the legal and economic system of the land.

They had used

bribery,

taxes,

and interest rates

to slowly confiscate the land.

And specifically forbids this.

Exodus 20:17 ESV

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Israel had rampant thievery going on.

And thirdly,

c) The false prophets.()

- The people tolerated

- and even enjoyed

>>>>>> false prophets who promised grace for sinful indulgence rather than the coming judgment of God.

The book of Micah acts as a indictment of these sins,

but also very clearly promises judgment.

Micah promises the judgment and Exile of -

a) Samaria by the nation of the Assyria. ()

”6

Micah 1:6–7 ESV

6 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations. 7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return.

Micah 1:6 ESV

6 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations.

Samaria is the name of the northern kingdom of Israel at this time.

Samaria is the name of the northern kingdom of Israel at this time.

But

Micah also promises judgment and exile of –

b) Judah by the Babylonians. () .

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. There you shall be rescued; there the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.

And may I say - God fulfilled both of those promises.

Samaria was exiled by the Assyrians.

And Judah was exiled by the Babylonians.

God keeps his promises.

And that brings us up to date with .

And that brings us up to date with .

Here's the bad news of the text – at least for Israel.

Observe the bold judgment of .

(ESV)

1) The Coming Judgement.

5  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.

5  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 word “judge” here means the king – is a word used to describe many judgments the king makes while he sits on the throne.

“Daughter of troops” is a colloquial expression describing a city surrounded by an army.

“Daughter the troops” is a colloquial expression describing a city surrounded by an army.

What Micah is saying here is - call upon your troops because your judgment and defeat is at hand.

You might as well already considered yourself defeated and in exile,

because God is sending the Assyrians and Babylonians to conquer you.

It's an affirmation of the guarantee that judgment is coming.

But interlaced in between these sections of judgement, are promises of hope.

Micah is not only a indictment and promise of judgment,

but a book full of wonderful hope and mercy.

What great mercy?

For Even as God judges the repeat, and brazen sin of Israel… he is giving them promises of mercy and hope.

While promises judgment,

promises rescue and restoration.

2) The Promise of Rescue and Restoration. ()

The thing about this section is that we almost have to divided it in half.

Because Micah 5:2 – 3 describes a promise that already been fulfilled.

Let’s Consider the -

a) The Already Fulfilled Promise. ( )

For most of us we have to strain to remember what the book of Micah is about,

yet we often are quite familiar with .

Because promises that the Savior will be born in Bethlehem.

(ESV)

a) The Already Fulfilled Promise.

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. 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.

Micah prophesied that the coming Messiah, the Christ, will be born in Bethlehem.

Remember when said Jesus was born in the city of David.

Why is that important?

Because God promised that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem,

the hometown of David.

Though the town of Bethlehem was yet a small clan of the tribe of Judah…

It would be the hometown of King David and the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

We know this is talking about the Messiah because the person to be born is from the ancient of days.

This doesn't simply promise that a future king of Israel born,

This doesn't simply promise that a future king of Israel born, but that's somebody in the ancient days will be born.

but that's somebody from the ancient days will be born.

The only person who actually qualifies as being born, but at the same time ancient would be God.

In other words,

this is promising the son of God, Jesus Christ, would be born in the lowly city of Bethlehem.

But even further,

Micah clarifies that Israel will not to be rescued or restored from Assyria or Babylon until he is born.

This passage sets it up for Israel to wait another nearly 700 years

for the day when they will see their Messiah Born.

THEOLOGICAL EXPLANATION:

For you theology buffs,

this is the reason why I do not believe the return from the Exile in Ezra and Nehemiah is actually the restoration of Israel.

>>>> Because the Savior has not been born yet.

May I say again, God keeps his promises.

Let's now consider –

b) The Still Future Promises. ()

The rest of our passage doesn't describe what has happened,

but what will happen.

It Describes the time when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, will rule and reign for a 1,000 years .

A 1000 years in which humanity will experience unprecedented peace and prosperity.

1000 years in which humanity will experience unprecedented peace and prosperity.

Consider this chart for a second,

While describes the time when Jesus will be born.

describes a future time when Jesus will reign as king of Israel, a ruler of the nations.

Let's jump into what this future reign of Christ looks like –

It will be -

(1) A Reign of Strength and Majesty.

(ESV)

b) The Still Future Promises.

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.

According to this passage, Jesus shall Shepherd Israel.

Certainly the idea of shepherding here is of a king ruling,

But particularly a king who cares for his people.

He shepherds his flock.

And he does so in strength and majesty.

Strength showing the power of his rule.

Majesty showing the grandeur and glory of his rule.

And whose strength and majesty is he ruling in - the LORD's.

Capital LORD is a translation of Yahweh - the title of Israel's God.

And How shall this rule compare to the great kings of history?

Because it is in the majesty and strength of Yahweh,

it is a strength and majesty incomparable to any other king.

ILLUSTRATION:

I contest that his rule will make Alexander the great's look weak.

His rule will make the majesty of Rome look like amateur hour.

His rule will be incomparable in strength and majesty – because Yahweh is the one who empowers his rule.

CAVEAT:

I don't mean to deny the deity of Jesus Christ

– because Scripture teaches us that he is the exact imprint of God the father.

The what of our text says here is that he is ruling in the strength and majesty of Yahweh.

But what our text says here is that he is ruling in the strength and majesty of Yahweh.

Not only is it a reign of strength and Majesty, but

(2) A Reign of Unmatched Sovereignty.

(ESV)

(ESV)

b) The Still Future Promises.

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.

Micah comforts Israel by telling them a time when they will dwell secure.

ILLUSTRATION:

Israel has been a nation torn by war for thousands of years.

Everyone from the

Egyptians,

to the Syrians,

the Persians,

to Greece,

the Romans,

and even in modern history they faced

the Holocaust,

the Six-Day War,

and the modern Palestinian – Israeli conflict.

Some points in their history they have pulled off amazing victories,

but many points in their history they faced oppression and defeat.

But this passage teaches us that when Christ rules – it be a rule of unmatched sovereignty.

His kingdom shall be the greatest kingdom on earth

and Israel in particular will rest in safety and security.

His greatness shall reign unto the ends of the Earth.

And finally, it will be -

(3) A Reign of Peace and Dominion.

(ESV)

b) The Still Future Promises.

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.

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

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. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Jesus Christ will be the Peace - Israel has so longed for.

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

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. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Consider what Micah has already said in .

Micah 4:3–5 ESV

3 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; 4 but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. 5 For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.

Having read about the peace that Christ will bring… Does anybody wish the millennium was here now?

Jesus literally will bring unprecedented peace.

ILLUSTRATION:

Woodrow Wilson after World War I established the league of Nations

in hope that they could accomplish worldwide peace in their lifetime.

Of Course we know World War I ended in 1918,

But war would return in Europe in 1938.

We as Americans went into the war in 1941.

And since then, there certainly no shortage of conflict since.

But Jesus Christ and his reign will bring peace like we have never had it before.

CONCLUSION:

So what we do with the book written with promises for Israel.

I think we need to note that God kept his promises.

- God promised in that is a Syria will conquer Samaria as part of his judgment.

That happened in 722 BC.

- God promised in that the Babylonians would conquer Judah.

That happened in 597.

- God promised that the coming Savior would be born in Bethlehem

And teaches us that Christ was born in Bethlehem just as God promised.

God keeps his promises… And we should rejoice because Micah gives us not just the place the Savior will be born,

but he describes a reign that is literally the most wonderful rule that any nation has ever had.

It is a time of unprecedented restoration and rescue of Israel,

but also unprecedented peace and prosperity for us all.

We are all blessed when God keeps his promises to Israel.

Luke 2:11 ESV

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

This text helps us understand -

Why it is important that Jesus was born in the city of David?

What it means that Jesus is the Savior?

What it means he is Christ the Lord?

I challenge us this Christmas,

when we think of the birth of Christ that we would look forward to the coming reign of Christ.

I hope when you read your Bibles that you get excited

because you know who the Christ is

and you're just waiting for him to come back.