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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy
word.
“But you,
Bethlehem Ephrathah, 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, 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.”
Micah 5:2-3a, 4
This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks
be to God.
Have you ever
read the Book of Micah?
Maybe I should
ask if you have ever heard of it because it wouldn’t rank in the top ten books
that most people would say they have read nor would it probably be in a list of
top ten recommended books to read in the Bible.
And yet, as we
see in today’s final devotion in the four devotion series on predictions of
Jesus’ coming found in the Old Testament scriptures, we find Micah front and center,
providing the following foretelling words of Christ’s coming:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, 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, 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.” Micah 5:2-3a, 4
Through the three
prior devotions in this series, we have seen predictions as to how Jesus would
be conceived, what He would be named, what He would bring to God’s people, and
the qualities He possessed. The takeaway is that this coming child was going to
be no ordinary baby but one who was of God fully, perfectly holy and righteous
in every way, purposed to save all mankind from their sins and offer a path to
eternal life. Yes, we have learned a lot from the prophecies found in the Book
of Isaiah but in Micah we discover where Jesus will hail from, the place where
He would be born of a virgin.
Now if you asked
any Israelite where they thought a Messiah would be born, the consensus would most
probably be Jerusalem, the most holy city in Judah and the place where most
renowned kings of Israel had ruled from. If God was sending someone special to
save His people, then surely such a king would come from Jerusalem.
But as we see in
our scripture passage, any forecast that Jesus would be from Jerusalem would be
wrong because God’s word clearly gives the distinction to Bethlehem, referred
to as “small among the clans”. Thus, now you know why we sing the classic
Christmas hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, because the town of Jesus’ birth
lacked the prowess and size of Israel’s holiest city, some five and a half
miles to the north.
Yes, Bethlehem
was small and obscure but Jesus put it on the map, per se, not just in Israel
but the world as map as well. Today, most people you talk to will say that they
have heard of the town of Bethlehem, perhaps just as many that would say they’ve
heard of Jerusalem. This is because a great Leader and Ruler was born in
Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago in Jesus, the Son of God who would shepherd
His flock in strength as He ministered in the majesty of His Father. He would
bring security to His people and the power He would possess would result in His
greatness reaching to the ends of the earth. Indeed, even today the name of
Jesus is spoken in power within every nation of the world by those who profess
and maintain a steadfast faith and trust in Him as Savior, those who answer the
call of His Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
So there you have
it. Four predictions from the Old Testament scriptures which tell us:
1. A sign from
God would be given to His people in the way of a virgin giving birth to a Son
named Immanuel (meaning God with us).
2. That Son would
be the light in the world, one that would be able to break through the darkness
but bring much more than mere illumination. He would bring the opportunity for
salvation.
and
3. He would have
the government on His shoulders when He comes to be our Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
Indeed, Jesus was
one of a kind because He was one in the same with a one of a kind God. He and
God were one (John 10:30) and so all that was in God could be found in Jesus.
This holiday season, give thanks for the prophecies of old as they sought (and
still seek) to prepare the hearts of God’s people for the coming of their
Messiah in the little town of Bethlehem.
Indeed, without
these words from the scriptures, which not only hearken Jesus’ coming by the prophets
but also affirm it through the Gospels, we would be a people void of hope.
Tomorrow, we
begin a three devotion series covering Zechariah, the father of John who would
announce the coming and arrival of Jesus as He started His adult ministry.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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