The King Will Reign

Read Micah 3-5
Micah 5:1-3 Mobilize! Marshal your troops! The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. They will strike Israel’s leader in the face with a rod. 2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. 3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land.
 
THE prophets’ words throughout these current Bible  readings often point to the contrast of violence and peace among God’s people. These three verses have that pattern of defeat and separation to become victory and unity.
   Micah foretells of two very different leaders in Judah. Verse 1 points to the reign of Zedekiah about 110 years after Isaiah’s death. The Babylonians captured Zedekiah as he fled the conquering army. They humiliated him in horrible ways, including striking his face with a rod. Micah’s words, “They will strike Israel’s leader in the face with a rod.” are literally fulfilled. Babylon ravaged Jerusalem. God would not be worshiped in his city for the 70 years exile.
   But God had his victory plan to reign over the earth. Out of tiny Bethlehem Ephratha, the city of Bread, will come Israel’s eternal ruler from the distant past. The original language says he will come from “days of immeasurable time”. To this point, Bethlehem’s story has been highlighted in Ruth and in 1 Samuel. Ruth and Boaz are David’s great-grandparents. Samuel anointed David to be king of Israel. God promised David the eternal kingdom would come from his lineage. Micah is another affirmation that Bethlehem is God’s chosen city to bring forth the Messiah into the world.
   The reference in verse 3 to these events happening after the woman in labor gives birth is not Mary’s labor to deliver Jesus. It is an image of God’s people struggling through the coming centuries, enduring exile, occupation and total destruction. This image is repeated in Revelation 12:3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads.. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.
   The earth groans under  sin’s curse. Israel groaned in its unbelief. God brought forth a Savior, who will one day join all believers to their own land – the new creation ruled by the King of Kings.
   Prophecy is good for our faith. These words from 2700 years ago teach us how to prepare for God’s future.