LITTLE AMONG the THOUSANDS -- Monday:
As soon as man sinned, coming under the judgment of the Almighty, the announcement of a coming Savior was made. It was declared by God Himself to the devil himself, with the entire human race present. From that time, as men were able to receive it, God would speak of this great Deliverer, revealing various aspects of His Person and work. While the prophecies were characterized by mystery, there was some remarkable detail in them also. Take, for example, the place where the "Seed of the woman" was to be born. One might imagine that detail to be of relatively little significance.
God chose the prophet Micah to make this detail known. Micah was a contemporary of Amos and Isaiah, and prophesied around 700 years before the promised Deliverer. Micah did not speak extensively about the place of Jesus birth. In fact, there are only forty (40) words in his prophecy on this matter. However, those words were weighty, indeed, revealing some remarkable facts.
Bethlehem did not appear to be a candidate for anything significant. It was "little among the thousands of Judah," which was small in comparison to the rest of the nations. The New American Bible captures the sense of the Hebrew: "But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah." From an earthly point of view, the city did not qualify for any Divine distinction or blessing.
The added name "Ephratah" means "fruitfulness," indicating this small city would be unusually productive. This productivity would not be the result of commerce, or the achievements of the people. It was a Person who would come out of her. It would be no ordinary person, but would be "The One to be Ruler in Israel" (NKJV. )
Micah adds something of great significance. While this would be the "Son" promised by Isaiah, to be given to the people (Isa 9:6-7), there was a higher view of the coming "Ruler." He would "come forth to Me," the Lord declared. Some of the other versions say "for Me." The idea is that He would come to execute God's purpose of redemption. He would remove the offensive guilt, and make intercession for the transgressors, as Isaiah said (Isa 53:12). He would become "the Lamb of God" (John 1:29), and would execute His ministry as "the Lord's Christ" (Lk 2:26).
But this would be no ordinary man, though born in a small town. His "goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." Some of the other versions, straining at a linguistic gnat, say He would come "from ancient times." The word used by Micah literally means, with no vanishing point–eternal, or everlasting. The Redeemer came from heaven, and had neither beginning nor end of days. To put it in simplistic terms, He came from the eternal realm, Himself being eternal. Great humility was involved in this eternal One coming into the world–especially to Bethlehem. He was not born in Jerusalem, the city of God, but in Bethlehem, too small to be numbered with the clans of Judah.
How wonderfully the whole matter fits into the revealed purpose of God! Flesh counted for nothing in the birth of our Lord: an unknown virgin, an obscure carpenter, a town that was "too small." But, bless God, look at what has come from it all, and give God the glory by clinging to Jesus!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, teach me as You did Zerubbabel to not despise the day of small beginnings.