From the Pastor's Desk . . . .
“His Origins Are From the Ancient Days”
Micah, like most of the prophets, was burdened with questions about Israel’s future. He knew that the Messiah was Israel’s ultimate hope. He even knew where the Messiah would be born; he just didn’t know when. He saw the outlines of the One who was coming to save His people, but he could not see Him clearly.
“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. Therefore He shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 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. And He shall be their peace” (Micah 5:2-5).
The religious leaders in Jesus’ day knew that Micah 5 was a reference to the Messiah. That’s why they told King Herod to send the wise men to Bethlehem to look for the baby king (Matthew 2:1-6). And because the people were confident that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, they were confused by the fact that Jesus was raised in Nazareth (John 7:41-43).
But Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem may not be the most striking thing about this prophecy. Micah wrote that the child born to a woman in Bethlehem will be “from of old, from ancient days.” Though the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, that was not the beginning of His life. He would be a ruler whose life would stretch from the distant past into a glorious future, describing the Messiah as eternal - not just a man, but God Himself. And that is exactly what Jesus said about Himself when He told the religious leaders, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Jesus stands before and beyond the limits of a human lifetime, leading His flock, bringing us into the peace of His fold.
By Pastor Edwards
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