Walking With Christ

Micah 5:2 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.(ESV)

Building on the message from yesterday, Isaiah was not the only prophet of old. Micah is another well known prophet. Look at the sense of anticipation that Micah is building. Notice how specific Micah gets with the details about where the savior is to be born. Bethlehem is the birth place of King David. This helps to tie His blood line directly back to the tribe of Judah and King David. Yet, this wasn’t a surprise to God. God gave us this story AFTER He had already written it. This doesn’t ignore free will, it only says that God knows what we are going to do and loves us enough to give us the freedom to do it anyway. This prophecy shows exactly how God’s foreknowledge works in harmony with our gift of free will.

There are so many stories in the bible where something comes from nothing. Think, for just a moment, about the constant themes of the bible. God always takes the most broken, dirty, tiny, pieces and does something miraculous. Adam was made from dust. Gideon was the lowest person in the weakest family in the, admittedly large, tribe of Manasseh. Each of the disciples were outcasts or worse. This humble position is where God can do the most. Once again, God’s power is perfected through weakness.

The birth of Jesus was really unassuming, if one ignores the literal star that pointed to where he was born, and showed such a degree of humility. Jesus never outgrew these humble beginnings.

The takeaway here is that it doesn’t matter how we started or where we came from. If we humble ourselves and submit to the Lord then He will use us in amazing ways. Each of the prophecies that pointed to His birth also alluded to His nature and what He would be like. He was, is, and always will be that perfect example that we each need to follow. We are not too great to mop floors or do dishes, and we are not to small as to not be able to move mountains. Regardless of our beginnings or current circumstances, God can use each of us in His grand design, just like He did with Bethlehem.