Micah 1–5 Finding Christ in the Prophets.
Key Notes: Bethlehem will be His birth-place. Identifying Him out a billion people by Twenty Questions.
Micah’s writing is rich with references to the Coming King. Four times in the first five chapters we can find aspects of Christ’s work and ministry.
1:3–4 " ...The Lord is coming out of His place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth and the mountains will melt under Him and the valleys will be cleft like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place."
Isaiah has a similar reference. (Isa.26:21). Isaiah says (Isa.19:1) that God will come to Egypt riding on a cloud, in judgment. This is appearance of God on the earth which we call a "theophany" is an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ.
Although we acknowledge that God will judge, and that His coming is awesome (Psa.97:2) we do not associate God or Christ with physical judgment, and for most of us, this is a new idea that will take some time to grasp. Certainly all judgment has been given to Him. (Jn.5:24). He will judge the nations. (Matt.25:31-). Everyone will eventually by judged (Rev.20:12) but we suppose (hope) it will be somehow antiseptic and tidy. But ruling with a rod of iron and breaking the nations like a potter’s vessel (Psa.2:9) can hardly be done neatly.
2:12–13 "I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob,"
"I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold...a noisy multitude of people. He who opens the breach will go up before them…."
This is probably both a prophecy of liberation from captivity, and a vision of Jesus as shepherd, as the NT echoes. (Jn.10:1–18; Heb.13:20). God shepherding His people is a heart-warming OT theme. Psa.23:1; Jer.31:10; Isa.40:11; Ezek.34:23
4:1–8 "It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains…and peoples shall flow to it {saying}…come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…that he may teach us his ways."
"He shall judge between many peoples…and they shall beat their swords into plowshares. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation…but they shall sit everyone under his vine and under his fig-tree and none shall make them afraid.”
"In that day… I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away...and the lame I will make the remnant.... The former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem."
The first part of the passage is almost identical to Isa.2:1–4. Both Isaiah 2.4 describe Jerusalem as the world-center of spiritual and political life. It is a sequel to the Last Days, part of the Golden Age, the Millennial Kingdom. The first parts of Isaiah 9 and 11 are rich resources for the Millennial Kingdom. In these references:
Jesus is ruler.
Jerusalem is the center of spiritual attraction.
Peace and prosperity are the order of the day.
There is no more war and no more fear.
We have seen the future and it is good.
5:2–4 "You, Bethlehem Ephrathah who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days (eternity).
Therefore He shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest of His brethren shall return to the people of Israel.
And He shall stand and feed 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. "
Jesus is both eternal and born into a little village near Jerusalem. “Unto us a child is born…and His name shall be called….Mighty God, The Everlasting Father” (Isa.9:6). These are references to the Incarnation, one of the five great mysteries and paradoxes of our faith.
“Where is he that is to be born king of the Jews”? The place where Messiah was to be born was well known to the Jews of Jesus’ day. They answered the wise men promptly, quoting Micah 5:2. (Matt.2:1–6). Unlike other world religious leaders, his coming was fore-told to a thousand generations over many millennia of ancient history. That is a part of His uniqueness and it is not often mentioned.
But until then, Israel was given over to her enemies. The Kingdom will begin as we see in Acts.
The final reference to secure dwelling belongs to the Golden Age.
Discussion:
There is a problem inherent in OT prophecy. The people were told that He would come, but how and when? How could anyone identify one person out of millions of people all over the world and over thousands of years? How could anyone know God’s Chosen One, this One who would rule forever? It looks easy to us in retrospect, but The Christ came out of nowhere--to a small nation, in a tiny village in the Middle East, born to unknown, common people.
There is a scientific game that enables us to find one object in the universe of possibilities called "20 questions." By asking 20 questions we can identify an object or a person among the world of possibilities. You can ask the questions. The answers are given below.
1.) He is a man (not an angel). The seed of the woman will bruise the serpent's head. Gen. 3:15
2.) He is a son of Abraham (not of Cain or Nimrod). "In you shall all people of the earth be blessed."
Gen 12:1
3.) He is a son of Isaac, (not of Ishmael, the first-born). "Through Isaac shall your descendents be named". Gen 21:12
4.) He is a son of Jacob (not Esau, the first-born). "The older shall serve the younger." Gen 25:23
5.) He is a son of Judah (not the older brothers Reuben, Simeon or Levi). "The scepter shall not depart from Judah...until He comes to whom it belongs." Gen. 49:10
6.) He is Son of David. (David was the 8th and youngest son of Jesse.). " Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before Me; your throne shall be established forever. " (II Sam 7:16). Read this with Matt.21:5, 9
7.) He is born in Bethlehem (not in Nazareth, his home). A ruling by Caesar Augustus (Lk2:1) compelled Mary and Joseph to move from Nazareth to Bethlehem for this birth.
8.) The time of His coming? About 490 years after Daniel (Dan.9:24–27), in the Golden Age of the Roman Empire. At this time Israel was a colonized, captive and vulnerable people.
9.) He is born of a virgin (not normal generation). Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23
10.) He is God in human flesh. A child born, a son given. Isa. 9:6
11.) Eight local markers were given at the time of His birth:
A star guided the Magi. Matt. 2:2
Angels appeared to Mary (Lk.1:32), and Joseph Matt.1:20, to Zechariah Lk.1:11, and the Shepherds. Lk.2:8.
He was found lying in a manger. Lk. 2:12
Two saints identified Him and prophesied His future. Lk.2:25–40
12.) He has a personal advertiser, a forerunner: John the Baptist. Mal.4:5; Jn.1:15–36
13.) His work was described before-hand. Isa 53.He is not an accident of history.
•He would be a prophet like Moses. Deut.18:15
•The Spirit of God would be upon Him to bring good tidings to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, to comfort all who mourn. Isa. 61:1–4
14.) He made himself an offering for sin. Isa. 53:10 (He was not a martyr for a cause)
15.) He rode as King into Jerusalem. Zech. 9:9
16.) He was killed, dying for the sins of the people. Psa 22, Isa. 53
17.) He was resurrected from the dead, not resuscitated like Lazarus."You do not give me up to Sheol nor let your Holy One see corruption. " Psa. 16:8–11
18.) He will triumph over his enemies."The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner." Psa. 118:22
19.) He is a priest. "The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind; You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." Psa.110:4
(20.) Of His Kingdom there shall be no end. Lk.1:33. (He is known everywhere in the world.)
All this was given to David's Royal Son. And we know who He is. Nobody else meets the criteria.
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Incidental note;
If we list the important cities of the world
Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow, Berlin, New York
London, Paris, Washington, Mexico City
none of them attract as much interest and concern as Jerusalem. We would like to know why.
It was the capital of united Israel for less than a hundred years, from 1000BC until about 920BC.
It was out of Israelite hands from 586 BC till’46AD.
It is where Jesus died and rose again and ascended into Heaven.
It is called the Holy City. Isa.52:1; Neh.11:1
It is called the City of the Great King (Psa.48:2; Matt 5:35)—Jesus said so.
Someday Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives. Zech.14:4
Our study today suggests that someday Jerusalem will the world center of spiritual, judicial and spiritual life.
But in the meantime, Jerusalem is not a holy city, and not the city of the great King. There is much wickedness there as in other cities. So why are we obsessed with it? Should we not protest injustice and wrongs done there, if we think so much about it?
Is Jerusalem worth fighting for? The Garden Tomb is not authentic; Golgotha is in dispute. The Holy Sepulchre and Bethlehem are overwhelmed with religious icons. Capernaum is an archaeological dig. The Sea of Galilee is a romantic spot, but Jesus is nowhere to be seen.
It is a focal point of three great religious, but Islam has Mecca and Medina.The temple woul be mostly of value to the Jewish people. Christians do not need a temple or a shrine for their worship. Yet we treasure Jerusalem because Jesus was there and we can follow His footsteps.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper that love thee.” (Psa.122:6)