“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” –
Micah 5:2
This prophecy pointed to the birthplace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It shows us the place of His birth, the position that place occupied in Israel and the promise that the place carried.Micah 5:2
The place:
the town in which Jesus was born had two names:
• Bethlehem:
House of bread/meat. The name of Bethlehem indicated that it was a place of supply. It was seen as a place where people would find food.
• Ephrathah:
Fruitfulness. Actually the literal word is ‘double fruit’. When you put the two names together it presents Bethlehem as a place of abundance. The expectation therefore is that everything should be blossoming in Bethlehem, but Bethlehem was not a prosperous town at the time of Jesus’ birth.
The position:
The passage points to Bethlehem’s insignificance: ‘Little among the thousands’. In comparison with the other towns of Judah, Bethlehem was a little town or village. It wasn’t prominent. Though Bethlehem’s name noted it as ‘fruitful and blossoming’, in reality it was an ordinary village. But Bethlehem was a place with a promise. It had potential.
The promise.
Micah’s prophecy speaks about the promise of Bethlehem. It was small but it had great promise. It had a great future. The promise of Bethlehem was the promise of rulership. Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” Out of you shall come a ruler.
Bethlehem’s greatness was inside her. Outwardly, the town appeared inconsequential yet inwardly, it carried the Messiah. Similarly, outwardly, you may be small but on the inside, you are mighty through Christ.
Today, as we reflect on this Christmas message, I want you to look beyond where you are and how you are perceived – look within. If you are a believer in Christ, then the Holy Spirit lives within you. Within you sits a ruler. Within you sits greatness. Within you sits royalty. May that rulership in you come forth.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You have shown that You can raise greatness from unexpected places. Let greatness come out of me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!Scripture Reading:
Micah 5:1-5
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