Anticipate the Coming

"Anticipate the Coming" Micah 5:2-5a. Safe Haven Community Church. Sunday December 20th, 2020. Micah 5:2-5a [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) (ESV) Towards the end of every year, polling companies and news outlets ask people what they expect to occur in the days and months ahead. People are making predictions on economic growth, real estate values, company closures, infection levels and the prospect of widespread vaccinations. Many responses have indicated that people expect things to get worse before they get better. For the people of Israel in the 8th Century BC, Micah gives the setting for a remarkable messianic coming. Yet, he calls upon his people to prepare for an attack and a siege, the impending siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib in 701 B.C. The enemy would "strike Israel's ruler on the cheek," that is, humiliate him in his office. King Hezekiah was forced to pay tribute to the Assyrians. The shameful and painful exile followed, a thousand miles away from home. The people of Judah had to submit to the power of Persia, then to Alexander and the Greeks, finally to Rome. The scepter of ruling power had departed from Judah. All that was left of a once great nation was a stump of Jesse, the royal family of King David (Isaiah 11:1). At such a time of deep humiliation and degradation, the Messiah would come! His birthplace would be Bethlehem of the clan of Ephrathah, to distinguish it from the other Bethlehem in Zebulun, up near Nazareth (Joshua 19:15). Bethlehem had a notable history. Benjamin, a son of Jacob, was born near the town; his mother, Rachel, was buried here. Ruth gleaned the fields of Boaz at Bethlehem; here King David was born. Yet Bethlehem had remained a small town, too small to be named among the more than one hundred cities belonging to the clans of Judah (Joshua 15:20-62) (Spaude, C. W. (1987). Obadiah, Jonah, Micah. The People's Bible (144). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.). Perhaps you don't think of yourself as significant. You may not come from a significant family, hold a significant job or wield much power. You may not anticipate amounting to much and don't see much coming. The picture in Micah 5 is of a simple town, being used by God at a particular time, through a particular people to achieve a significant result. To "Anticipate the Coming" of the Messiah is to see and experience the wonder of His birth and be a part of the radical change that God can bring through that which the world sees as insignificant. God calls us to "Anticipate the Coming" of the Messiah through: 1) The Coming Town (Micah 5:2), 2)The Coming Time (Micah 5:3), 3) The Coming Tenant (Micah 5:4), 4) The Coming Tranquility (Micah 5:5a). First, God calls us to "Anticipate the Coming" of the Messiah through: 1) The Coming Town (Micah 5:2), Micah 5:2 [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. (ESV) The opening and emphatic 'But you ...' is the hinge of the passage, leading into the 'hope' section, in contrast to the disastrous 'now' situation of verse 1. The prophet speaks to a town, 'Bethlehem', and includes with it what was probably its older name, 'Ephrathah' (see Gen. 35:19; 48:7). Specifically, Ephrathah, meaning 'fruitful', is the name of a district in Judah where Bethlehem was located (Ps. 132:6) (Wiseman, D. J., Alexander, T. D., & Waltke, B. K. (1988). Vol. 26: Obadiah, Jonah and Micah: An introduction and commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (199). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) But Micah is doing more than just referring to a town five to six miles south of Jerusalem. The mention of Bethlehem has a slightly ominous ring to it: 'The birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, and not in Jerusalem the city of David, presupposes that the family of David, out of which it the said birth is to spring, will have lost the throne, and have fallen into poverty. It's as if the quest for the coming king must go all the way back to the 'stump of Jesse' (Isa. 11:1). There will be no royal 'starter kit' still available in Jerusalem; the Davidic dynasty will have been cut off (Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets, vol. 1, p. 483.). * If you've noticed a common thread through our Advent studies, is the consequence of judgement. God is not beyond putting aside the involvement of a disobedient people to use another people for His purpose. It's not that they have eternal salvation taken away but a proud, sinful people will experience judgement. God will often humble someone so they are oriented less about themselves and more towards what God desires, so He can properly use them for His service. The primary significance of Bethlehem is its very insignificance. The name Bethlehem means "house of bread," a fitting name for the birthplace of Him who said, "I am the bread of life" (Jn 6:48) (Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (1350). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.). It is 'too little/small to be among the clans [or, thousands] of Judah'. The focus is not so much on its physical size, as on its political insignificance. In terms of the traditional subdivisions of the tribe of Judah it had not been very important (MacKay, J. L. (1998). Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. Focus on the Bible Commentary (136). Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications.). Bethlehem is 'not named among the more than hundred cities allotted to Judah' in Joshua 15:21-63. Here then we see a frequent tendency in God's ways, for God is prone to choose the obscure, the insignificant, the lowly, the common, the unnoticed as the very instrument(s) through which he displays the brightest flashes of his glory (Laetsch, The Minor Prophets, p. 271.). The second part of verse 2 begins with a double emphasis: 'from you shall come forth. The expression "to come/go forth" means primarily "to conduct one's activities" (cf. 2 Kings 19:27). Beyond that the phrase has a military connotation referring to the departure of an army for battle (2 Sam 3:25; cf. 3:22, 5:2, 10:16, Num 27:17; Isa 43:17) and may speak of the kingly activities of the Messiah in terms of his might and power, a fitting contrast to the weakness and subjugation of the Israelite monarchy pictured in the preceding verse (McComiskey, T. E. (1986). Micah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 7: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (427). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.). It is noted to come forth "for me'. (God the Father) is speaking, and He stresses that this coming ruler will come forth 'for me'. We easily forget this-that the coming kingdom is God's show and that what matters is what God wants. (God) spoke this way to Samuel when he first sent him to Jesse's farm; He said, 'I have seen among his sons a king for myself' (1 Sam. 16:1). It's only one Hebrew syllable (lî) but it can knock down mountains of our idolatry, as does Paul's concise confession in 1 Corinthians 8:6: '... but for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for him'. If you are in Christ by faith, you will inherit all the promises of God. Christmas is God's great nullification of all human boasting, and confirmation of all divine promises (Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000-2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.). This coming one will be ruler 'in/over Israel'. He will rule over the whole reunited people, north and south. This reunion of the two 'nations' is a recurring theme in the prophets (see Isa. 11:13-14; Hosea 1:11; Jer. 3:18; Ezek. 37:15-22). Although Israel's contemporary situation might be discouraging, yet all would be changed when the Messiah came (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1135). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.). * This is the whole point of considering the incarnation and return of Christ. To Anticipate His Coming is to realize that present difficulties will not remain. When Christ rules our hearts and minds, we see a wholeness that transcends present difficulties. His coming/going forth is from old/long ago, from ancient/distant days" speaks of His origin as being from antiquity, from eternity', which suggests the eternal preexistence of the coming ruler; or, 'whose origins go back to the distant past, to the days of old', which implies that his roots are in distant historical time. 'Old/long ago' (qedem) can connote eternity when used of God (Deut. 33:27; Ps. 55:19; Hab. 1:12), but more usually refers to events associated with the Exodus (Ps. 74:2, 12; 77:11; Isa. 51:9) and conquest (Ps. 44:1), to the days of David (Neh. 12:46), or to a time years before when (God) had announced his 'Cyrus' predictions (Isa. 45:21; 46:10). Micah himself speaks of 'days of qedem' (7:20), referring to the times of Abraham and Jacob. 'from ancient/distant days' (from days of 'ôlām')is explained by Micah himself in 7:14, where it refers to the conquest and settlement period (and/or, as some suggest, the days of the empire under David and Solomon). In Amos 9:11 'days of 'ôlām' refers to the time of David's kingdom; in Isaiah 63:9, 11 it alludes to the Exodus period and the time of Moses' leadership. With 'days of' or 'years of' in front of 'ôlām the phrase points to some distant historical time(s) (Bruce Waltke, A Commentary on Micah, pp. 276-7). Put together, the terms "from of old" (miqqedem) and "from ancient days" (mime 'olam) are used of the Patriarchal age (Micah 7:14, 20) and even of eternity prior to creation (Prov 8:22f.). The reference is probably to the revelations of Messiah as the Angel of (God) throughout the Old Testament. This Ruler who would go out from Bethlehem had already gone out of heaven on many occasions to lead his people (Smith, J. E. (1994). The Minor Prophets. Old Testament Survey Series (Mic 5:2-3). Joplin, MO: College Press.). Please turn to Matthew 2 Given more than seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophecy of verse 2 is unique for its great detail It was this passage to which the chief priests and scribes referred when Herod demanded information from them concerning the birth of Christ. This verse reveals the exact location of Messiah's birth, His destiny, and His eternality (KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1744). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.) It is here as Matthew explains in Matthew 2 Matthew 2:1-6 [2:1] Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, [2] saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." [3] When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; [4]and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. [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.'" (ESV) * Matthew includes the chief priests and scribes' citing of Micah 5:2 in his account of the arrival of the Magi. They wanted to find 'the king of the Jews' (Matt. 2:2), and this troubled Herod, which in turn troubled Jerusalem, because when Herod was troubled it meant trouble (Matt. 2:3). He assembles the professors of systematic theology and Old Testament to find out where the Messiah was to be born (Matt. 2:4), and they answer, 'Bethlehem', citing Micah 5:2. One of the standing Jewish objections to Jesus' messiahship was that he was from Galilee, not Bethlehem (John 7:41-42, 52). Perhaps those who pressed home this seemingly obvious point would say, 'Read your Bible, man!' Matthew may be answering this position, as if to say, 'He may be from Nazareth and Galilee, but Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as the prophet said; check the courthouse records, man!' Poem: We often object to our calling as insignificant, but God knows what He is doing. A poet wrote: "Father, where shall I work today?" And my love flowed warm and free. Then He pointed me out a tiny spot, And said, "Tend that for me." I answered quickly, "Oh, no, not that. Why, no one would ever see, No matter how well my work was done. Not that little place for me!" And the word He spoke, it was not stern, He answered me tenderly, "Ah, little one, search that heart of thine; Art thou working for them or me? (Bethlehem) was a little place, And (My Ruler came for Thee)." (Modified from Edman, The Disciplines of Life, 209.) Second, God calls us to "Anticipate the Coming" of the Messiah through: 2)The Coming Time (Micah 5:3) Micah 5:3 [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. (ESV) Verse 3 explains how the clear disaster of verse 1 and the bright promises of verse 2 can possibly fit together. (God) will 'give them up' (the covenant people) to severe affliction (cf. 5:1) before the coming ruler is born (5:3) and begins his reign (5:4). Before they ever enjoy the promise of verse 2 they will experience the abandonment of verse 3, and it is crucial for believers in Judah to realize this lest they lose heart. Israel was without a Davidic king from the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. until the Advent of Christ (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Mic 5:3). Nashville: T. Nelson.). * Micah proclaims that even the faithful will experience being given up for a time. It's as if he were saying, 'My friends, God is going to allow your enemies to afflict you, and you will experience no relief during your sufferings. Why? Because God is going to give you up, as if he could not care less about you. That is why he warns you, that you might be disposed to receive your afflictions with patience (Calvin, Sermons on the Book of Micah, p. 277.). From the Babylonian Exile to the present day, God has abandoned Israel and will continue to do so "until" the one in labor has given birth (cf. the Virgin Birth in Is. 7:14 and the national birth in Rev. 12:1-6). Thus, all the births in the line of Eve, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David, since the earliest announcement of the promise doctrine, are one with the final and ultimate promised Seed that is to come. The women who has given birth, then, are in one sense the mothers of the next heir in the promised line, while in another sense they are the people of Judah predicted in Genesis 49:10 (Kaiser, W. C., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1992). Vol. 23: Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. The Preacher's Commentary Series (64). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.) Please turn to Galatians 3 Therefore, the 'she' in verse 3 who 'is in labor has given birth' is same term (yôlēdâ) in 4:9-10, refers to Daughter Zion, therefore this could carry a 'corporate' sense-i.e., Zion, or the remnant of Judah from which the Messiah springs. But this all springs from the individual prophecy referring to the mother of the Messiah (wholly apart from any consideration of Isa. 7:14); if Yahweh gives 'them' (the nation, including the remnant) up, the 'she' that immediately follows more naturally designates an individual (Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets, vol. 1, pp. 483-4.) The prophecy found fulfillment about 700 years later through the faithful Zechariah and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna, Joseph and, above all, Mary (Lk. 1:5-2:40; cf. Is. 7:14) (New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Mic 5:1-6). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.) Galatians 3 explains the timing and the necessity of the birth of Christ for us: Galatians 3:23-4:7 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. 4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (ESV) * The law, as guardian, had the positive functions of highlighting and restraining transgressions and also of foretelling the coming of Christ. God sent his Son at the right moment in human history, when God's providential oversight of the events of the world had directed and prepared peoples and nations for the incarnation and ministry of Christ, and for the proclamation of the gospel. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2251). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.) As Micah develops the prophecy who are 'the rest of his brothers', and what is involved in their 'return'? The subject, 'the rest of his brothers', carries some emphasis since it is placed before the verb. Therefore, 'his' seems to refer to the 'ruler' of verse 2, the Messiah. It can refer to a remnant from the Messiah's own tribe, from the 'clans of Judah' (5:2), who survive, or endure, the 'giving up' of the opening line of verse 3. He is not some isolated Messiah-he has 'brothers'. Jesus seems to revel in being joined to his people in this way (cf. Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:11-12, 17). He is not only a saving but a social Messiah. * We do not come here this Advent season as individuals, hearing an individual message. We come together as a community of faith to hear of a prophecy foretold in communal anticipation of the Messiah. This remnant of Judah will return to/along with the people/sons of Israel. "Return" ( Shuv) is used here to indicate repentance as well as physical return (Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Mic 5:3). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.). The text points to the reunion of the covenant people, always a 'hot topic' for the prophets (Hosea 1:11; 3:5; Isa. 11:12-13; Jer. 31:2-6; Ezek. 37:15-28), and probably to their conversion ('return', šûb, may point to a 'return' to (God) more than from exile). Some would see this fulfilled in the conversion of thousands of Israelites after Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:41, 47;); and future in the salvation of all Israel (Romans 11:23-27) (Waltke, A Commentary on Micah, pp. 281, 302.) * When we and the rest of the community look to celebrate the birth of Christ should not be so much as us coming together but corporately coming to Christ. We want to present Christ, submit to Christ, confess our sins, pray and glorify Christ. We don't invite people to Safe Haven but to Christ. Illustration: (Christmas, 1 & 2nd Comings) The Lord Jesus Christ whom we exalt at Christmas is not just a baby in a manger. He is not a character in a children's story. He is far more. The first time he came, He came veiled in the form of a child. The next time He comes, and we believe it will be soon, He will come unveiled, and it will be abundantly and immediately clear to all the world just who He really is. The first time He came, a star marked his arrival. The next time He comes, the whole heavens will roll up like a scroll, and all the stars will fall out of the sky, and He himself will light it. The first time He came, wise men and shepherds brought Him gifts. The next time He comes, He will bring gifts, rewards for His own. The first time He came, there was no room for him. The next time He comes, the whole world will not be able to contain His glory. The first time He came, only a few attended His arrival-some shepherds and some wise men. The next time He comes, every eye shall see him. The first time He came as a baby. Soon He will come as Sovereign King and Lord.(Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 sermon illustrations arranged by topic and indexed exhaustively. 1989 (M. P. Green, Ed.) (Revised edition of: The expositor's illustration file). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.) Third, God calls us to "Anticipate the Coming" of the Messiah through: 3) The Coming Tenant (Micah 5:4) Micah 5:4 [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. (ESV) Please turn to Ezekiel 34 In verse 4 Micah describes the rule of the ruler of verse 2: 'he shall stand and shepherd'. As David was a shepherd (Pss 23; 78:70-72), so his antitype, the royal Shepherd, will lead, feed, protect, and exercise authority over his own. As a Shepherd, he will be invincible: David protected his flock from the lions and bears; the ruling Shepherd will be endowed bĕ ʿōz yhwh (with the strength of the Lord), exercising divine strength to protect the flock (Van Groningen, Messianic Revelation in the Old Testament, 505.). This is how Ezekiel describes the work of the ruling shepherd: Ezekiel 34:22-24 [22]I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. [23] And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. [24] And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken. (ESV) This care that the LORD has, as a shepherd, occurs after the 'giving up' of verse 3; that giving up would last until the birth of the messianic ruler and the reunion and conversion of his people. There is nothing unsteady, hesitant or tentative about His dominance, for He rules 'in the strength of the LORD/Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of the LORD/Yahweh his God'. 'He asserts that God is the one who will sustain this kingdom and government that He gives His Son.' (John Calvin, Sermons on the Book of Micah, p. 281.) The strength of His rule guarantees the security of His people, as it says: 'and they shall dwell secure'. 'Dwell secure' translates the verb yāšab, literally, 'to sit'. The Messiah shall 'stand' ('āmad), and His people shall 'sit' (yāšab). Because He stands and vigilantly shepherds, they sit and enjoy security (E. B. Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1968 reprint), vol. 2, p. 73.). * 2020 has been such a trying year that we all desire rest from constant vigilance, adjustment, extra procedure and threats. * The coming Messiah offers a rest from trying to please others, an incessant working, or worry. He promises to take care of all our threats and worries. Only when this occurs, can we truly and eternally rest. There is a reason that Messiah's people are secure: 'for now he shall be great'. Don't miss that particle 'now' ('attā). Remember how Micah has used that 'now' to introduce the 'down' situations, the disaster times in 4:9, 11 and 5:1; those were the 'nasty nows' depicting (the Lord's) judgements on them. Micah reverses all that with a climactic, triumphant 'now'! 'Now he shall be great'-and that greatness will be worldwide, 'to the ends of the earth'. Messiah's reign, then, is mighty, steadying, triumphant and universal. In the face of the sad 'nows' of our history (4:9, 11; 5:1), of the mystery of divine abandonment (5:3) and of the threats from the 'Assyrias' of this age (5:5b), this Shepherd himself is our peace and holds us fast. Jesus is the eternal, all-powerful, unexpected, humble, Good Shepherd (Jn. 10). He is the leader and guide that all of us seek for. He seeks his sheep, he guides us into fresh pasture, and he protects us; ultimately, he laid down his life for us. He is our divine Shepherd. And he is supremely, uniquely, perfectly good at it. (Um, S. (2018). Micah for You. (C. Laferton, Ed.) (p. 98). The Good Book Company.) Illustration: (Christmas: The Harbinger of Peace) The statue entitled: "Christ of the Andes" is an impressive symbol of peace. Once Chile and Argentina were enemies and fought constantly. At last, they decided it was in their mutual interest to live in peace. So, high upon their natural boundaries, the Andes Mountains, they erected a great statue of Christ with outstretched arms. The inscription reads: "Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust than the Argentines and Chileans break the peace sworn at the feet of Christ the Redeemer." Christmas reminds us of the coming of peace to earth. Jesus was known as the Prince of peace. His motives, manner, and ministry all reflect peace. He said, "Blessed are those who make peace, for they will be known as sons of God!" (Matt. 5:9) (Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (60). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.) Finally, God calls us to "Anticipate the Coming" of the Messiah through: 4) The Coming Tranquility (Micah 5:5a) Micah 5:5a [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) (ESV) Micah 5 has sketched out the future of God's people who "Anticipating the Coming" of the Messiah. We have seen that this future will involve, first, limited affliction (5:3a). Some time after the birth of this David-to-come, Israel's affliction will come to an end. Though the affliction is grievous, it is not perpetual. It is God's way to place limits on the affliction of his people. Secondly, this future consists of restored unity (5:3b). This takes place some time between the Messiah's birth (5:3) and his consummated rule (5:4). Finally, lasting security (5:4-5a) is the third component in this future. The time comes when (God) arises and places His people in the safety for which they long (Ps. 12:5). Micah presented an encouraging scenario to the people, but they didn't seem to grasp the significance; for if they had, they would have turned to the Lord in gratitude and repentance. Whenever a prophet foretold the future, it was to awaken the people to their responsibilities in the present. Bible prophecy isn't entertainment for the curious; it's encouragement for the serious. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be concerned (pp. 104-105). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor.) * To Anticipate the coming of Christ, we do so yes to assure us now of His promises but also to prepare us to be ready for His coming. Please turn to Luke 2 The Davidic Messiah that Micah describes would be "our peace" (cf. Eph 2:14). In Isa 9:6 he is called "Prince of Peace." In addition to denoting peace in the sense of the absence of war and hostility, šālôm also connotes security, prosperity, general well-being, and at times even internal, spiritual peace (Isa 53:5; 54:10; cf. Luke 2:14). (Barker, K. L. (1999). Vol. 20: Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah. The New American Commentary (102). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.) Luke describes the peace that the Messiah will bring: Luke 2:8-14 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" (ESV) * This man shall be the fountainhead of peace between God and man, between Israel and Israel's justly offended God (Ge 49:10; Is 9:6; Eph 2:14, 17; Col 1:20), and, as the consequence, the fountain of "peace on earth," where previously all is strife (Mic 4:3; Ho 2:18; Zec 9:10; Lu 2:14) (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Mic 5:5). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.). For Micah, with only three short words in the Hebrew, "And he shall be their peace" gives a grand and glorious message! This same Ruler will not only bring peace, and be the Author of peace, but be himself Peace; as Isaiah (9:5) calls him "Prince of Peace," and St. Paul (Eph. 2:14) "our Peace." His is Peace personified (comp. Zech. 9:9) (Micah. 1909 (H. D. M. Spence-Jones, Ed.). The Pulpit Commentary (68). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.) He will be our Peace, our Shalom, the One through whom we have a relationship of complete unity, perfect harmony, and peace with our heavenly Father. (For those who repented of their sin) the Savior's atoning death made peace between God and us guilty sinners (Ephesians 2:14). His daily intercession with the Father gives us peace of conscience (Romans 8:33, 34). His shepherd's love and guardian care allow us to live in peace in this vale of tears (Psalm 23; Romans 8:35-39). His death and resurrection will provide peace in the hour of our death (John 11:25, 26). No wonder the angels outside Bethlehem announced his birth with their heavenly chorus: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:14) (Spaude, C. W. (1987). Obadiah, Jonah, Micah. The People's Bible (147). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.). (Format note: Some base commentary from, Davis, D. R. (2010). A Study Commentary on Micah. EP Study Commentary (101-108). Darlington, England; Carlisle, PA: Evangelical Press) Closing Hymn: "Joy to the World" (v.1,3,4) Benediction: May the one who has come down from above, the eternal God, our saviour and King. May this one born in Bethlehem, born of a virgin, born to live a sinless life, born to die, may He be your bright morning star. May His light shine upon you and you wonder in our savior's birth. May the Christ of Christmas, be you hope, peace joy and love. In His name we pray. Amen. 8