Micah’s Prophecy of Jesus
Micah’s Prophecy of Jesus
Micah 5:1-5
Let’s turn to Micah chapter 5. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and one of the ushers will bring one to you. Micah 5 is on page 778 in the Bibles we are passing out.
Let’s start with a question: why should you believe that Jesus, born as a baby in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, is the Messiah sent by God? Why should you believe that God actually came to the earth in the person of Jesus, to show Himself to us, to teach us what’s gone wrong, to die on a Cross to free us from sin’s guilt and power, and to rise from the dead to show it’s all true. Why should you believe that?
Do you have reasons? Should you need reasons? There’s lots of people today who think the Bible teaches that faith should not need reasons.
For example, here’s a quote from Richard Dawkins, who wrote the best-selling book The God Delusion. He criticizes Christianity for teaching that faith should not need reasons. Here’s what he says:
The whole point of religious faith, its strength and chief glory, is that it does not depend on rational justification. The rest of us are expected to defend our prejudices. But ask a religious person to justify their faith and you infringe on “religious liberty.” (23).
So Richard Dawkins criticizes Christianity for teaching that faith should not need reasons.
But with all due respect, that’s not what Christianity teaches. Richard Dawkins needs to read the Bible more carefully, because in the Bible God gives us hundreds of reasons for why we should believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah sent by God.
So this morning I want to show you one of those reasons. And I am hoping that by looking at just one of these reasons, you will be stirred to look at the hundreds of others found in God’s Word – and that you will come to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord, as your Savior, as your heart-filling Treasure.
The one reason I want to show you is right here in Micah 5. Micah was a prophet who lived in Judah around 700 years before Christ. He wrote at a time when Israel was facing a crisis. What crisis did Israel face? Look at what he says in v.1 --
Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
At the time Micah wrote Israel faced hostile, enemy armies who attacked them, besieged them, and humiliated their judge, their king – which is what it means to be struck on the cheek.
Specifically, in 722 BC the northern kingdom was attacked and conquered by Assyria, and most of them were taken captive as slaves back to Assyria. In 701 BC Judah was attacked by Assyria, besieged by Assyria, and almost conquered by Assyria.
But why was this happening? Weren’t these God’s people? Yes, they were. And God had urged them to continue trusting Him, to submit to Him, to depend on Him. But instead the nation of Israel rebelled and turned away from God. And as God promised, God brought judgment upon them.
So at the time Micah wrote, God’s people were facing God’s judgment: the northern kingdom had been destroyed, and the southern kingdom was on the brink of destruction.
So What did God promise? Look at vv.2-5 --
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.
God promises that something is going to happen in Bethlehem. Here’s Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a small, insignificant town of less than 1,000 people. Its one claim to fame was that it was the birthplace of King David, who was born there 300 years earlier, at around 1,000 BC.
But now God promises that in the future a ruler will be born in Bethlehem – v.2: “from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.” Now keep in mind that Micah wrote this 700 years before Jesus was born. 700 years before Jesus was born, God said that in the future a ruler would be born in Bethlehem.
And there’s something special about this ruler: his “coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” That is, his birth and rule has been ordained by God from ancient times and foretold by God from ancient times.
Now if you were an Israelite in 700 BC – you would have immediately understood. From the very first book of the Old Testament, the book of Genesis, and all through the Old Testament up to that point, God had foretold the coming of a ruler, a savior, the Messiah. So you would have understood – God is telling you that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.
But then in v.3 there’s some bad news --
Therefore he [God] shall give them up [shall give Israel up] until the time when she who is in labor has given birth…
God tells Israel that because of their rebellion against Him, He is going to give them up to judgment until the time when this baby is born.
But then look at the end of v.3. As a result of this ruler’s birth in Bethlehem --
“…then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.”
This is a bit cryptic. It could refer to exiled Israelites being brought back to Israel. It could also refer to what Micah mentions in the previous chapter, that Gentiles are joined to the people of Israel in worshiping the true God.
Then in v.4 we read more about this ruler:
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.
This ruler will shepherd His people. Israel was an agrarian society – lots of sheep were raised. And everyone who knows sheep, knows that sheep need shepherds. Without shepherds, sheep will wander into the wilds where they will be eaten by wolves, they will wander away from water and food, they will wander off cliffs.
The people of Israel are like sheep. Without a shepherd their sin will keep them wandering away from God’s presence, God’s protection, God’s provision – and they will come under God’s judgment and die eternally.
But here God promises that in the future, a ruler will be born in Bethlehem who will be a shepherd to God’s people. And Micah tells us that He will shepherd in the strength of the Lord and in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God – that’s infinite power and authority.
So this shepherd will herd God’s people away from sin, lead them back to trusting God, lead them back to the green pastures and flowing streams of God’s presence, God’s protection, God’s provision.
The result will be, as Micah says, that Israel will dwell secure, and be at peace. Because this shepherd will be great to the ends of the earth.
Now imagine that you are an Israelite reading this prophecy. You know the people of Israel are like sheep without a shepherd. Their sin keeps them wandering away from God’s presence, God’s protection, God’s provision. As a result, they are facing God’s judgment. But Micah has said that in the future God will have a ruler – a shepherd – born in Bethlehem.
So far in your history there has only been one ruler born in Bethlehem, back in 1000 BC – King David. But now Micah has told you about a ruler greater than David, a shepherd greater than David, who will bring you back to God’s presence, God’s protection, God’s provision.
And so year after year goes by while God’s people wait for this shepherd to be born; nothing happens. Decade after decade goes by, waiting for news from Bethlehem; no news. Century after century goes by, longing for this shepherd to be born who will bring you back to God; silence from Bethlehem.
So when did God fulfill this promise? Finally, 700 years after this prophecy was written, 2,000 years ago, something amazing happens. To see what happens, turn to Luke 2:1 (page 857) –
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Then look at Matthew 2:1 (page 807) --
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. [So Herod asks the Jewish religious leaders where the Messiah is supposed to be born.]
5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: [and here they quote from Micah:]
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.'"
Don’t miss this. In 1,000 BC David was born in Bethlehem and became king over Israel. 300 years later, in 700 BC, God prophesies through Micah that a ruler, a powerful and majestic shepherd, the Messiah foretold since the book of Genesis, will be born in Bethlehem.
So after David, how many rulers were born in Bethlehem? How many? One. Jesus. Jesus is the ruler, the powerful and majestic shepherd, the Messiah foretold since the book of Genesis.
Questions?
So what does this mean for us?
First, here’s one of the hundreds of reasons why you should trust Jesus as the Messiah, prophesied in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would be born as a baby in Bethlehem (Micah 5); that he would be fully God -- God coming to earth as a man (Isaiah 9); that he would be punished in our place for our rebellion against God, so those who repent of their sin and trust Him will be completely forgiven and brought into relationship with God (Isaiah 53). That’s all in the Old Testament.
So what happened? 700 years after Micah wrote his prophecy, Jesus is born in Bethlehem. And when you open up the eye-witness accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – and read about what Jesus did 2,000 years ago – you see God.
Jesus meets a man oppressed by demons, He is filled with compassion, commands the demon to leave, and the demon leaves. That’s God.
Jesus meets two blind men, He is filled with compassion for them, and heals their blind eyes. That’s God.
Jesus sees Mary and Martha’s heartbreak over the death of their brother Lazarus; Jesus shouts “come forth,” and 3-day dead Lazarus comes forth from the tomb. That’s God.
And Jesus meets a man who, like all of us, has been full of rebellion against God; Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven,” and all his sins are forgiven. That’s God.
And then Jesus heads to Jerusalem, where he knows he will be crucified. And he is crucified, paying for the sins of people like you and me. And he taught that if we would repent of our rebellion, and receive Him as our Savior, and Lord, and heart-satisfying treasure – we will be forgiven and restored into relationship with God.
So I hope that this morning you are at least intrigued enough to read the eye-witness accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – to learn more about Jesus. But actually, you know enough with what you’ve heard this morning – to repent of your sin, and receive Jesus as your Savior, Lord, and Treasure. When you do, you will be forgiven for all your sins, and you will come to know God in the person of Jesus.
Second, if you are already trusting Jesus, I want you to see what you have in Jesus. Jesus is your shepherd. You are a sheep. And Jesus is your shepherd – a shepherd who will shepherd you with the power of God and majesty of God.
As a shepherd – He will lead you in all your decisions.
As a shepherd – He will protect you from all ultimate harm.
As a shepherd – He will provide for all of your needs.
As a shepherd – He will carry you when you are weak.
As a shepherd – He will satisfy your heart with Himself – His very presence – living inside you.
So trust Him.