About four hundred years before coming to earth, Jesus is described for who He is and what He will do.  There is no one else who can lay claim to their foretelling birth and life in such detail proving that only God is doing the speaking through Micah and the other prophets who speak of Jesus’s coming.  Hope is coming, Israel!  Hope is on the way, world!  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Micah 5, The Message

The Leader Who Will Shepherd-Rule Israel

But for now, prepare for the worst, victim daughter!
    The siege is set against us.
They humiliate Israel’s king,
    slapping him around like a rag doll.

^2-4 But you, Bethlehem, David’s country,
    the runt of the litter—
From you will come the leader
    who will shepherd-rule Israel.
He’ll be no upstart, no pretender.
    His family tree is ancient and distinguished.

Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes
    until the birth pangs are over and the child is born,
And the scattered brothers come back
    home to the family of Israel.
He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God’s strength,
    centered in the majesty of God-Revealed.
And the people will have a good and safe home,
    for the whole world will hold him in respect—
    Peacemaker of the world!

^5-6 And if some bullying Assyrian shows up,
    invades and violates our land, don’t worry.
We’ll put him in his place, send him packing,
    and watch his every move.
Shepherd-rule will extend as far as needed,
    to Assyria and all other Nimrod-bullies.
Our shepherd-ruler will save us from old or new enemies,
    from anyone who invades or violates our land.

⁷ The purged and select company of Jacob will be
    like an island in the sea of peoples.
They’ll be like dew from God,
    like summer showers
Not mentioned in the weather forecast,
    not subject to calculation or control.

^8-9 Yes, the purged and select company of Jacob will be
    like an island in the sea of peoples,
Like the king of beasts among wild beasts,
    like a young lion loose in a flock of sheep,
Killing and devouring the lambs
    and no one able to stop him.
With your arms raised in triumph over your foes,
    your enemies will be no more!

* * *

^10-15 “The day is coming”
    —God’s Decree—
“When there will be no more war. None.
    I’ll slaughter your war horses and demolish your chariots.
I’ll dismantle military posts
    and level your fortifications.
I’ll abolish your religious black markets,
    your underworld traffic in black magic.
I will smash your carved and cast gods
    and chop down your phallic posts.
No more taking control of the world,
    worshiping what you do or make.
I’ll root out your sacred sex-and-power centers
    and destroy the God-defiant.
In raging anger, I’ll make a clean sweep
    of godless nations who haven’t listened.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Micah continued his prophecies to Judah and Jerusalem. He rebuked the present leaders but promised a perfect future leader, Christ.  Jesus would come as the Prince of Peace.  His reign will be over all, including our friends and our enemies.  God promises that one day all weapons of war will be done away with and God’s people will live in total peace. We are ready for that day, right?!

God has great and mighty plans for you and me. He is recruiting for himself a people who will populate heaven. God will restore his planet and his children to their Garden of Eden splendor. It will be perfect. Perfect in splendor. Perfect in righteousness. Perfect in harmony.  But we are not perfect.  So, how do we enter this splendor?  Jesus. 

Jesus stepped out of eternity into human history, sent by the Father to die for the sins of the world (1 John 4:14). We are perfecting forgiven when we say yes to Jesus, asking forgiveness of all our sins.  He not only forgives, but then wipes the slate clean to be remembered no more.  Done.  It is finished.  Old life of sin gone.  A new life of living for the King, with the guidance of His Holy Spirit begins.  Mistakes will happen along the way, but Jesus, our Advocate and Savior, makes it right again.  No more war within ourselves when the Peace of Christ rules our hearts.  Yes!

It is interesting to note that this is the prophecy that the priests shared with the magi who came to Jerusalem looking for the King (Matthew 2:1–12).  More proof that God is doing the talking!

In Micah’s day, both Israel and Judah were guilty of sins that violated God’s law and grieved God’s heart. Time after time, He had sent messengers to the people to denounce their sins and warn of impending judgment, but the people would not listen.

Are we listening, watching, waiting in holy expectation for the return of Jesus? 

Are we listening to His guidance, correction, leading, encouragement, and challenge to follow in His ways until He comes? 

Do we ask for wisdom in the waiting? 

Are we trusting in what He says, leaning less on our own understanding as our standard for living? 

These are all questions that evaluate our faith in the One who loves us most and wants the best for us.  May we all pause to pray as we reflect, asking for His help for this day.

Lord,

Challenges come daily to draw us away from you.  We think we can handle the “small stuff” until we realize that it is in the small stuff that we learn to lean on you.  You give us exactly what we need when we need it most for you our God who cares and the Savior who redeems us.  You are also Holy Spirit who lives within us to guide us on the path less traveled.  Thank you for being with us always.  Thank you for Peace who rules hearts fully committed to you.  The daily battle it seems is the war within ourselves to choose whom we will serve, worship, love, trust and obey throughout the day.  Help us all, Lord to choose you at every turn.

In Jesus Name, Amen