Micah 5: O Little Town of Bethlehem

"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)

Micah was roughly contemporary to Isaiah. Their ministries covered the same kings, though Micah may have come a little later than Isaiah. Micah's name meant, "Who is like Yahweh?" Even his name is significant to this messianic text. It is in this name that we see the rock of the prophet's confidence as he proclaims this Davidic figure who would come from Bethlehem. The book of Micah ends in the question that is his name. Micah 7:18-20 says, 

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old."

Of course the answer to the question is no one. No one is like Him. Yahweh stands alone among the gods as the one who has shown his covenant loyal love to his people. For the sake of his name he keeps his promises to Jacob and to Abraham. Though Israel and Judah had sinned, God would be faithful to his promise because he cares most adamantly about His own name. He will keep his covenant promises--not only to Abraham and Jacob, but to David as well. He promised David that their would be a son who would come from his body who would sit on his throne forever with an unending kingdom. This is where Bethlehem comes in.

The Assyrians were a threat to Israel and Judah. They destroyed Samaria and things got very bad for Judah--though there remained a king on David's throne. In 5:2, Micah says that though Bethlehem is small, it will be the birthplace of a coming ruler. Bethlehem was significant because it was the birthplace of David. It was called the City of David. When the little village of Bethlehem is brought up, it reminds the reader of David and all of the promises to him. Micah is telling God's people not to place their confidence in Jerusalem or their earthly king to save them. The earthly king will be stricken on the cheek, but a messianic King would one day come whose origins were just like David--the man after God's own heart.

Who is like Yahweh? He does not do things like you would expect. He didn't send His Son to be born in the palace in Jerusalem, He came to the lowly little obscure town. The messiah would come from humble beginnings.

Jesus held nothing back for us. He gave up the riches of heaven to become poor for us. He gave up the security and safety of siting by His Father's side to come and be threatened by a narcissistic murderous king. He left the comforts of glory to come down and be laid in a dirty feeding box. Who is like Yahweh? There is no God like the LORD of glory who sent his only Son to come and die for us.

 "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 5:4-5a)