A Ruler from Bethlehem (Isaiah 7:10-16; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-7)
Now, O daughter of troops, mobilize your troops; for a siege is laid against us! With a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel, whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity. (Cited in Matthew 2:6) Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel. He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God.
And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth. And He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels. We will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the blade drawn. So He will deliver us when Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels.
The Remnant of Jacob (Micah 2:12-13)
Then the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind. Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it passes through, with no one to rescue them. Your hand will be lifted over your foes, and all your enemies will be cut off.
“In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will remove your horses from among you and wreck your chariots. I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers. I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands. I will root out the Asherah poles from your midst and demolish your cities. I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed Me.”
Ever wonder where the priests and scribes of Jerusalem got the information to give to the wise men as they were searching for the baby Jesus? Micah 5:2 is the source. Several centuries before Jesus will be born, God is already providing the information for the wise men to find him. But there’s a lot more to Chapter 5 than just that promise.
The rest of Chapter 5 describes a time when Messiah will come and shepherd his people. But before Messiah comes, all the cities, the strongholds, the sorceries, the fortune-tellers, the carved images and sacred pillars and Asherah poles will be demolished. God promises to remove horses, to wreck chariots, and to devastate cities. For centuries, God has watched as the Jews have wandered further and further away from His truth. Make no mistake! God is neither deceived nor mocked. When those who should be serving Him turn to idolatry and sooth-saying, God is not pleased and His divine wrath begins to accumulate. “But,” you ask, “I thought God was a God of forgiveness.” True. When people sincerely repent, then God will forgive. But the Jews of Micah’s day are not giving any indication of repentance; instead, they are simply pursuing idols even more fervently than ever. Proverbs 19:16 tells us, “He who keeps the commandment of the Lord keeps his own life, but he who despises His ways shall die.”
How furious is God with the unspeakable practices of idolatry? Jeremiah 8:1-3 gives us the answer:
“‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground. Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the Lord Almighty.’”
Each time a ruler of Israel or Judah bows to a demon, God sees. Each time a wailing infant is thrown into the arms of the red-hot Molech statue as a live burnt offering, God hears those cries. Each time these people oppress the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the aged, God is listening to their groans of agony.
APPLICATION: How different are we from the Jews of Micah’s day? True, we have organizations that help care for those in need, but what do we do as individuals? Do we beg God to show us the needs around us, or do we turn away, ignoring anything that would drag us out of our comfort zones?
What do we truly worship? God? A football or baseball team? A musician or movie star? An “influencer” on social media? How far are we willing to go in our acts of worship? Recently, Pastor Charles Stanley and George Verwer went to be with the Lord. Charles Stanley was not only a highly successful pastor but also the founder of In Touch Ministries, a group that beamed programs on radio, TV, and social media throughout the world, and the author of numerous books. George Verwer was the Founder of Operation Mobilization, a missionary organization working throughout the world. Both these men served God faithfully for many years; now they are rejoicing in His presence. Only God gives eternal benefits; nothing else can do that.
May we allow God to break our hearts with the things that break His! And may we truly worship Him in spirit and in truth.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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