Micah 4:9

The Bible says in Micah 4:9-13, “Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counseller perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.[10] Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.[11] Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.[12] But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.[13] Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.” The message of this passage is that even though Israel was going to be in pain, that pain would be of relatively short duration, especially compared to eternity. Of course, we can say that about anything in this life. Any sorrow is of relatively short duration compared to eternity. Some people are called to bear great sorrow and pain for various reasons. Even Jesus was described as being a man of sorrows and well-acquainted with grief. One of the benefits of being a Christian is that sorrow will give way to joy: eternal joy in heaven.

Israel’s great sorrow had to do with the nations that were coming against it. That will also be Israel’s sorrow in the last days. We know that what happened to Israel during the time of the prophets in a way symbolized what will happen to Israel in the last days. God makes it clear how it will turn out. God said in Micah 4;13, “Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.” This victory will take place at the Battle of Armageddon when Jesus returns to the earth to help Israel and to defeat all the armies of the world who oppose Israel. This victory is described in Revelation 19:19-21, “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.[20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.[21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

What was one of the main problems of the enemies of God and the enemies of Israel? It says in Micah 4:12, “they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel.” Human beings need to know the thoughts of the Lord. That is one of the values of the Bible. It is God’s Word. The words come from God. That is how Jesus described the Bible. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Without the Bible, you only have the philosophies of man or the false religions of man. Those will always end in ruin. The greatest example of where the godless world always ends up is at the end of the age at the Battle of Armageddon.

The Bible says in Micah 5:1-2, “Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.[2] But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” These two verses are among the great Messianic verses of the Old Testament. The “judge of Israel” mentioned in verse 1 is Jesus Christ. The phrase that says that the “judge” shall be smitten “with a rod upon the cheek” is a prophecy about the beating that Christ would receive just before He died for us on the cross. What a terrible beating and torture it was! It says about Jesus in Matthew 27:27-31, “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.[28] And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.[29] And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews![30] And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.[31] And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.”

Everyone who knows the story of the first Christmas, also knows that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 tells why Jesus was born in Bethlehem: because God planned it ahead of time. The birth of Christ was no accident or no coincidence. It was planned ahead of time. Every detail was planned ahead of time. God always had a plan to send a Savior into the world, and this was part of His plan. God chose the family, God choose the virgin, God chose the time, and God chose the place that Christ would leave heaven and come into the world. Many of the details of the birth of Christ are similar to all births, but a few details are not. The fact that Jesus was born of a virgin, and the fact that Jesus lived in eternity past before His birth are two differences. But the fact that God plans each birth ahead of time is the same. The fact that God chooses the family or the lack thereof into which each person is born: is the same. God chooses the time and the place for each birth. No child is an accident or a mistake. Every life comes from God, and thus every life is precious and valuable. It says in Job 31:15, “Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?” It says in Ecclesiastes 11:5, “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.” Rachel became pregnant when God allowed her to become pregnant because God is the final deciding factor in every pregnancy. It says in Genesis 30:22, “And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.”

Let’s go back to the prophecy that states that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 said, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah…” Bethlehem has always been a small town, and it still is to this day. God wanted Jesus to be born in a small town. One reason for that is because God likes to take that which is small and insignificant, and make it to become the greatest of all. Not only was Jesus born in Bethlehem, but He was raised in Nazareth. Nazareth was another small town, and Nazareth had a reputation for being country and too far removed from the city of Jerusalem and thus people would say just as Nathanael said in John 1:46, “Can any good thing come from Nazareth?” The implied answer was: “No.” But Jesus came from Nazareth, just showing that God likes to take that which man says cannot be, and make it happen. The very things that human beings say cannot happen, God will make happen sometimes because He is God. This truth is said very clearly in First Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;[28] And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:[29] That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

Of course, the primary reason that Jesus was born in Bethlehem is that King David also came from Bethlehem. The first thing that we were told about King David is that he was from Bethlehem. God decided to reject King Saul, and it says in First Samuel 16:1, “And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.” Not only was Jesus born in Bethlehem, the city of David, but Jesus also came in the lineage of King David, both through His mother, Mary, and through his step-father, Joseph. This was important because the Messiah had to come in the lineage of David in order to fulfill the prophecies. Jesus is a King in the earthly sense because He is in the lineage of King David. The first thing said about Jesus in the New Testament is the fact that Jesus came in the linage of David. It says in Matthew 1:1, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

It is important to notice the method that God used to insure that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. The Spirit of God moved in the heart of the Roman government leader. That is a fact of life that is important to remember, not only about the first century events, but about today also. It says in Luke 2:1-7, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.[2] (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)[3] And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.[4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)[5] To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.[6] And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.[7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Mary and Joseph would have never gone to Bethlehem if it had not been for the decree made by Caesar Augustus. God turns the hearts of leaders in whatever direction God wishes to turn them. No one knows the purposes of God: why He does what He does or allows what He allows. Of course, now we know why Cesar Augustus made his decree about taxes: it was God’s way of getting Mary to Bethlehem before Jesus was born.

It is also a good thing that Mary and Joseph were law-abiding, tax-paying citizens. Christians should always be the best citizens of whatever country they live in. Remember what Jesus Himself said about taxes in Matthew 22:17-22, “Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?[18] But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?[19] Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.[20] And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?[21] They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.[22] When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.”

At the end of Micah 5:2 the prophet spoke of two of the attributes of the Messiah. It says concerning the one who would be born in Bethlehem, “yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” The “he” is the Messiah. The “me” is God the Father. It says that when Jesus came out of Bethlehem “shall he come forth unto me.” This speaks of the life of Jesus as a human being, which was the perfect human life. The perfect human life should be a journey: ever closer to God. Jesus’ life was like that. It says in Luke 2:40, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” By the age of twelve Jesus was already making such statements as recorded in Luke 2:49, “And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” How much unlike Jesus so many people are. Instead of a life that is always closer to God, far too many people have a life of going away from God. In addition to the human life of Jesus, Micah 5:2 states an important truth about the divine life of Jesus. It says, “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” This speaks of the eternal existence of Christ: an attribute that only God possesses. Jesus is God. Jesus is Jehovah. Jesus is the eternal ever-existing all-powerful Being of the universe. Yes, the Godhead is manifested in the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But Jesus is the manifestation of the Godhead. Also, the concept of three-in-one and one-in-three means they all possess the divine attributes. What you say of one, you can say of the other. Since Jesus is the Savior of mankind, He is designated to receive the honor and the glory from men. Notice carefully what it says in Isaiah 9:6-7 about Jesus, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.[7] Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

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