Forecasting the Christ: Ruler
Notes
Transcript
“For me”: “underscoring the fact that the Messiah, like David, serves the Lord’s plans. He is not a sultan but a vicegerent under his superior. The prophets studiously avoid entitling him ‘king’. Note how Micah speaks instead of a ruler.” (TOTC)
“Origins”: “in cognate Semitic languages, may celebrate a supernatural, quasi-divine origin of the king.” (TOTC)
v. 6: “Today the Messiah defeats his arch-enemy, Satan, and brings the world under his dominion through under-shepherds endowed with his Spirit (cf. Eph. 4:7–12; 1 Pet. 5:1–4).”
v.9: “In the light of the promise of verses 7 and 8 the remnant is now addressed directly and commanded to fulfil its mandate. The command explains that death is dished out to their enemies and, by implication, life distributed to those who submit to God’s rule. Micah validates the command in verse 15 of the next oracle. Behind the remnant stands the command, that is, the word of God. Those who carry out the Great Commission will prevail (cf. Matt. 28:17–20).” (TOTC)
Introduction:
Christmas presents: Box, in a box, in a box...
Uncle was a professional packager
Layer after layer...
Prophecies work like this: But at the heart of these prophecies is revelations about the Messiah: Who he is and why we need to be preparing for the King’s second arrival.
Describe Advent theme
Let’s go through this passage and hear how this would have been heard to the original audience...
v.1 Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops;
siege is laid against us;
What’s happening here??
Micah: 8th century prophet who grew up in a town SW of Jerusalem
War is on its way!
Assyria is coming!
701BC: Seige will come
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel
on the cheek.
Strike on the cheek=humiliation
Hezekiah is almost completely defeated, save for a remnant in Jerusalem. Other than that, Assyria takes over Judah.
Prays to the Lord with the Prophet Isaiah
II Chronicles 32:20: “The Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warrior and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land.”
Huge moment in salvation history!
Northern kingdom: Assyria takes over the Northern Kingdom 20 years
Embarrassing seige, but the Lord spares them
This is looking into the future, but so does Micah...
Forecasting a King (vv.2-5)
Within the certain threat, Micah envisions a future King:
You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah:
Bethlehem: King David’s home town
Ephrathah=synonym of Bethlehem, but specifically focuses on family heritage
Conjuring up location but also pedigree: Local yokal Bethlehem...
“Too little” to be among the clans of Judah
Too little: Not in size but in quality. Runt of the litter...
From this local yokal hick town, will come forth for me a ruler for Israel!
What Kind of Ruler?
ESV: whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
NIV: whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
v.2: coming forth=origins. Origins is from of old, from ancient days
This guy comes from olde pedigree: Like, King David pedigree!
“Finest royal blood flowing in his veins” (Bruce Waltke)
Bethlehem=David
David was the runt of the little, so was Bethlehem
Ephrathah is also a shout out to family heritage:
Ruth 4:11
Micah is making these links between King David and this new ruler
A ruler from with humble beginnings, but with the right pedigree, and possibly even divine pedigree!
Christmas Box:
Unpack the boxes, we see that Micah is forecasting the Messiah!
Scribes and Chief priests told the Magi that they can find the “King of the Jews”. Where? In Bethlehem. How’d they know this? By quoting Micah 5!
What will this ruler do?
vv.3: When this ruler is born, “the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel...
So he will bring Israel together— all those scattered everywhere.
vv.4: 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.”
v.5: Back to present day: When the Assyrians come, “he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border”
Amos is bringing us back to his current problem with Assyrian occupation, and he foresees this ruler who will overcome the enemy once and for all.
The King will Gather together Israel
He will be their Peace
And when the Enemy comes, he will deliver us from the enemy when he comes into our land...
Micah is using his current situation to help us understand about events to come!!
Ascension Box:
He will rule over the ends of the earth. He will reign as the Prince of Peace.
Not just about an Assyrian seige here, this is about the whole earth!
He will protect!
Pentecost Box:
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.
Picked the 12, and then Israel was together, Spirit came, and the Jews from around the World heard...
A Remnant Will be Left Over
v.7: Remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples
Like dew and rain
v.8: Remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations
Like a lion!
Treads, tears, and there is none to deliver.
Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries and all your enemies shall be cut off...
But what does this all say about us??
Remnant=the Church
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.
If this is the future vision of the church, what does that mean?
It means the Messiah has come!
It means Jesus is the ruler
It means Jesus gather together Israel
It means the Spirit has gathered together Israel for a new purpose
It also means we are the remnant!
Throughout our sermon series on Acts, we’ve covered a lot of these themes!
Acts 1: We have talked about how God’s reign will expand from Jerusalem—end of the earth
Acts 1: We talked about how God restores “Israel” by having Mathias substitute in from Judas, and that that needed to happen before the Spirit came!
Acts 2: The Spirit comes and Peter preaches a sermon all about how the Messiah came from David’s lineage.
Acts 3: We started that Lame Series?? Where the disciples start preaching and their message was Great News to some, but terrible news to others...
The church’s message will always be a double edged sword: For some, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will come across as dew and rain:
It will be a covering, it will bring peace, it will bring hope!
But it’s message will also be one that’s like a destructive lion among the flock.
II Corinthians 2:15-16: For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.