15 December 2024 // Micah 5:1-5
APPLICATION: Read & watch/listen to Micah 5:1-5
Christmas in the Old Testament
SERMON REVIEW:
Hope in desperation.
Humiliate.
Great Ruler
From Eternity
Shepherd
Secure
Peace
A. The birth and the work of the Ruler from Bethlehem.
1. (Micah 5:1-2) From the lowly and humble in Israel comes a Ruler.
Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us;
They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from old, From everlasting.”
a. He has laid siege against us: Micah announced that Israel will be humbled by foreign powers, and even her judges will bear insults.
b. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah… out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel: In the coming time of humiliation under foreign powers, God would raise up a great Ruler from a humble place — Bethlehem.
i. Bethlehem was well known as the hometown of David, Israel’s greatest king; yet it was never a great or influential city. It was truly little among the thousands of Israel. Yet God chose it as the birthplace of the Messiah, the Ruler in Israel.
ii. This passage from Micah 5 was quoted by the chief priests and teachers of the law when Herod asked about the birth of the Messiah (Matthew 2:5-6).
iii. Bethlehem means House of Bread, and Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). “And now for that word Ephratah. That was the old name of the place which the Jews retained and loved. The meaning of it is, ‘fruitfulness,’ or ‘abundance.’ Ah! well was Jesus born in the house of fruitfulness; for whence cometh my fruitfulness and thy fruitfulness, my brother, but from Bethlehem? Our poor barren hearts never produced one fruit or flower, till they were watered with the Savior’s blood” (Spurgeon).
c. Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting: This glorious promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and Micah’s prophetic voice declared that though Jesus came from Bethlehem, He did not begin there. His goings forth are from eternity past.
i. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13). This means from the very beginning, Jesus was there. There was never a time when Jesus did not exist.
ii. Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He existed as the Second Person of the Trinity (John 17:5, 17:24). These passages tell us that there was a relationship of love, fellowship, and shared glory that the Father and the Son shared in eternity past. The name “Jesus” was not known as a name for the Second Person of the Trinity until the angel Gabriel announced it to Mary (Luke 1:31). But the eternal Son existed before He revealed Himself as “Jesus.”
iii. Before Bethlehem, Jesus was the creator of all things (Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:1-3). “He was before all things. As he is the Creator of all things, so he is the Eternal, and no part of what was created. All being but God has been created. Whatever has not been created is God. But Jesus is the Creator of all things; therefore he is God; for he cannot be a part of his own work” (Clarke).
iv. In the Old Testament, Jesus appeared as God made visible or The Angel of the LORD. There are many instances in the Old Testament where individuals are shown to have had a face to face encounter with the LORD (Genesis 16:7-13, Genesis 18, Genesis 32:24-32, Joshua 5:13-15, Judges 6:11-24, Judges 13:8-24, Daniel 3). In each situation, the Person is given different titles, but in all cases the person is plainly referred to as the LORD Himself but appearing in a human form.
v. From eternity past, God's plan of the ages included Jesus (1 Peter 1:20, Ephesians 1:4).
vi. Knowing that Jesus’ goings forth are from of old, from everlasting shows us some important things:
2. (Micah 5:3-5a) The Ruler serves His flock.
Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren. Shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide,
For now He shall be great to the ends of the earth;
And this One shall be peace.
a. He shall give them up, until the time: Micah anticipated a future time, one that was partially fulfilled in the Babylonian exile and return, but will be ultimately fulfilled in the Great Tribulation and restoration of Israel. In both those eras, when the LORD will seem distant from Israel until the time for restoration is ready.
b. Then the remnant of His brethren shall return… He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD: After the time of Israel’s trial the LORD will restore gloriously. The Ruler born in Bethlehem will tenderly care for His flock in the strength of the LORD.
c. They shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth: The greatness of the Ruler from Bethlehem becomes the standing of His people. They abide because of His greatness.
d. This One shall be peace: It isn’t just that the Ruler from Bethlehem brings peace; He is peace. As Paul wrote of Jesus in Ephesians 2:14, He is our peace.
PRAYER:
Christmas in the Old Testament
SERMON REVIEW:
Hope in desperation.
- Desperation is here. vs1
Humiliate.
- Hope is ahead. vs2
Great Ruler
From Eternity
- Birth is coming. vs3
- Lord’s Reign vs.4-5
Shepherd
Secure
Peace
A. The birth and the work of the Ruler from Bethlehem.
1. (Micah 5:1-2) From the lowly and humble in Israel comes a Ruler.
Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us;
They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from old, From everlasting.”
a. He has laid siege against us: Micah announced that Israel will be humbled by foreign powers, and even her judges will bear insults.
b. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah… out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel: In the coming time of humiliation under foreign powers, God would raise up a great Ruler from a humble place — Bethlehem.
i. Bethlehem was well known as the hometown of David, Israel’s greatest king; yet it was never a great or influential city. It was truly little among the thousands of Israel. Yet God chose it as the birthplace of the Messiah, the Ruler in Israel.
ii. This passage from Micah 5 was quoted by the chief priests and teachers of the law when Herod asked about the birth of the Messiah (Matthew 2:5-6).
iii. Bethlehem means House of Bread, and Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). “And now for that word Ephratah. That was the old name of the place which the Jews retained and loved. The meaning of it is, ‘fruitfulness,’ or ‘abundance.’ Ah! well was Jesus born in the house of fruitfulness; for whence cometh my fruitfulness and thy fruitfulness, my brother, but from Bethlehem? Our poor barren hearts never produced one fruit or flower, till they were watered with the Savior’s blood” (Spurgeon).
c. Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting: This glorious promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and Micah’s prophetic voice declared that though Jesus came from Bethlehem, He did not begin there. His goings forth are from eternity past.
i. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13). This means from the very beginning, Jesus was there. There was never a time when Jesus did not exist.
ii. Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He existed as the Second Person of the Trinity (John 17:5, 17:24). These passages tell us that there was a relationship of love, fellowship, and shared glory that the Father and the Son shared in eternity past. The name “Jesus” was not known as a name for the Second Person of the Trinity until the angel Gabriel announced it to Mary (Luke 1:31). But the eternal Son existed before He revealed Himself as “Jesus.”
iii. Before Bethlehem, Jesus was the creator of all things (Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:1-3). “He was before all things. As he is the Creator of all things, so he is the Eternal, and no part of what was created. All being but God has been created. Whatever has not been created is God. But Jesus is the Creator of all things; therefore he is God; for he cannot be a part of his own work” (Clarke).
iv. In the Old Testament, Jesus appeared as God made visible or The Angel of the LORD. There are many instances in the Old Testament where individuals are shown to have had a face to face encounter with the LORD (Genesis 16:7-13, Genesis 18, Genesis 32:24-32, Joshua 5:13-15, Judges 6:11-24, Judges 13:8-24, Daniel 3). In each situation, the Person is given different titles, but in all cases the person is plainly referred to as the LORD Himself but appearing in a human form.
v. From eternity past, God's plan of the ages included Jesus (1 Peter 1:20, Ephesians 1:4).
vi. Knowing that Jesus’ goings forth are from of old, from everlasting shows us some important things:
- It shows us the glory of Jesus, that He is far more than a man.
- It shows us the love of Jesus, that He would leave the glory of heaven for us.
- It shows us the nature of Jesus, that He would add humanity to His deity.
- It shows us the sympathy of Jesus, that He remains fully man and fully God.
2. (Micah 5:3-5a) The Ruler serves His flock.
Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren. Shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide,
For now He shall be great to the ends of the earth;
And this One shall be peace.
a. He shall give them up, until the time: Micah anticipated a future time, one that was partially fulfilled in the Babylonian exile and return, but will be ultimately fulfilled in the Great Tribulation and restoration of Israel. In both those eras, when the LORD will seem distant from Israel until the time for restoration is ready.
b. Then the remnant of His brethren shall return… He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD: After the time of Israel’s trial the LORD will restore gloriously. The Ruler born in Bethlehem will tenderly care for His flock in the strength of the LORD.
c. They shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth: The greatness of the Ruler from Bethlehem becomes the standing of His people. They abide because of His greatness.
d. This One shall be peace: It isn’t just that the Ruler from Bethlehem brings peace; He is peace. As Paul wrote of Jesus in Ephesians 2:14, He is our peace.
PRAYER: