“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Micah 5:2-4 NIV
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
Bethlehem was a small town near Jerusalem. It was insignificant, except for one thing. It was the birthplace of David—Israel’s greatest king. But one even greater than David was to come from Bethlehem. While announcing God’s judgment on the nation, Micah looked forward to a time when a ruler, a descendant of David, born in Bethlehem, would reclaim the throne of Israel.
This Messiah would restore the fortunes of Israel, gathering her people back from around the world. Like the shepherd-king David, he would shepherd his people, defending them in the strength of the Lord. And his greatness would extend throughout the world.
This promise of a coming Messiah gave hope to the Jews during many years of exile and domination by other world powers. And centuries later, when the Magi came to Jerusalem looking for the newborn king of the Jews, it was to this passage in Micah that the priests and teachers of the law turned for answers (Matt. 2:1-6).
Two thousand years ago, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, from the line of David. He proclaimed God’s coming kingdom, and many hoped he would be the one foretold by Micah and the other prophets. But their hopes were dashed when he was executed on a Roman cross.
But it wasn’t the end. Jesus defeated death, rose from the grave, sat down at the right hand of God, and established his kingdom—the kingdom foretold by Micah and the other prophets. It is a kingdom that will never end, composed of all who submit to his Lordship, Jews and Gentiles alike.
