Four Reasons Micah 5:2 is Compelling at Christmas

It is a dream of humanity to predict the future—some movie plots are based on figuring out the future. Investment advice is based on what the advisor sees as coming in the future. But it is impossible to predict the future—even just a few years from now. Well, it’s impossible for man but not for God. I couldn’t predict where my great-great-great-great grandchild would be born. Should God tarry His coming I can’t even be sure that my descendants 200 years from now will even be born in this country, much less predict the town they would be born in. Could your ancestors have predicted where you would be born? My ancestors mainly came from Germany. I’m sure they thought that their descendants would always live in Germany.

And yet, God predicted through Micah the prophet where the Messiah would be born.

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. Micah 5:2 (ESV)

Why is this verse significant? I’ve given you the first reason.

It Prophesies Christ’s Birth

Specifically that Christ would be born in Bethlehem, and as every child knows, that’s where Christ was born.

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, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Luke 2:4–5 (ESV)

Hundreds of years before it happened, God told us where it would happen. Only God can do that. The first-century Jewish leadership knew that this verse was referring to the Messiah because they told Herod so when the Wise Men inquired where Jesus would be born (Mt 2:3-6).

So this verse is significant because hundreds of years before Christ was born, it told us where He would be born.

It Describes the Humanity and Divinity of Jesus

It’s easy to see how this describes the humanity of Jesus. He will be born in Bethlehem. Babies are born.

But it also describes the divinity of Jesus. It tells us that His coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. That’s a strange way to describe a baby, isn’t it? No one claims a baby is old, except it’s said about this baby. It’s describing the things that the Messiah did before He was born. The Bible tells us that He created and sustained the universe. He appeared as the Angel of Jehovah. All this happened before He was ever born. Only God can do that.

“Messiah’s generation as man coming forth unto God to do His will on earth is from Beth-lehem; but as Son of God, His goings forth are from everlasting.”^[1]Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary. … Continue reading

Your Savior was both God and man. He had to be God for His sacrifice to be sufficient, but He had to be man in order for the sacrifice to be accepted.

It Illustrates God’s Use of the Insignificant

We are not talking about some minor king somewhere in the world. We are talking about the King of kings! Shouldn’t the greatest king ever be born in the power center of Israel—Jerusalem? But instead He’s born in a humble town.

It’s not even as if He’s born a big fish in a small pond. He’s not born in the biggest house in little Bethlehem. He’s born in a stable. That’s where cattle are born—not kings! Bethlehem was such a small town that when the towns of Israel were listed in Joshua 15:21 and Nehemiah 11:25, Bethlehem wasn’t even mentioned. It was too insignificant to be listed.

Our God delights in using the insignificant, the unexpected. A town that the world would overlook is where the Messiah was born.

Have you ever felt insignificant? Do you look around you at those that are so much more talented and gifted and imagine that God can use them but not you? God can use those that come from good families with wonderful backgrounds but you didn’t. You’re broken. You’ve made bad choices. You haven’t been given all the benefits that others have been given. Your family abused you. Maybe you never really knew your dad. Your parents divorced. They were poor. You couldn’t achieve a good education. You don’t have wonderful social gifts. You have never been the life of the party. You’re not popular.

Good! God delights in using people like that. People like you. People like me.

You know who else was from Bethlehem? Israel’s greatest king, David, was also from Bethlehem. His family was a group of insignificant shepherds when God chose David. They weren’t anything.

God can use the gifted, but He often chooses to use the rest of us. Think about who was humanly responsible for your salvation. It probably wasn’t some powerhouse pastor. It could have been a faithful mom or dad. It could have been a faithful friend or coworker. Probably it was someone that the world might overlook, but God used him or her to see you come to Christ.

God uses the insignificant.

It Tells Us the Purpose of Christ’s Birth

How does it do that? Through the use of the short phrase, “for me.”

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. Micah 5:2 (ESV)

Who’s saying that? “Me” is capitalized because translators recognize that this pronoun is referring to God the Father. The Messiah’s life, sacrifice, Resurrection, and rule would be for God. The ultimate purpose of our redemption is God’s glory.

Christ was born in an insignificant town over 2000 years ago for God. Do you live for God? Do people see your love for God during the Christmas season? Or do you forget God in this busiest time of year? Your redeemed life is all about God. Even Jesus came to earth for God.

One verse in one of the minor prophetic books in the Old Testament tells us so much about Christ. And at Christmas, I need this reminder.