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Micah 5:2-5a – The Candle of Timeliness

by Gary Sims
12/14/03
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The Scriptures
Micah 5:2-5a – The Candle of Timeliness


Key Verses: (NIV)
  • 2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel…” – Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, had just warned that Israel would be conquered by Babylon and the people of Israel would be exiled there. However, all is not lost. Micah announces the good news that out of the City of David a new king will arise to rule in Israel.

  • 3: “Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth…” – As with a woman in labor, this will all come to pass when the time is right – God’s timing is perfect.

  • 4: “He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord.” – The Messiah, a shepherd tending His flock, will draw from God’s strength – His amazing capacity for love – to lead His people back to greatness.

  • 5: “And He will be their peace.” – Prince of Peace…a leader that guides His people from the causes of dissension and conflict into a realm of peace, harmony, and prosperity.
Points to Contemplate:
  • Is God a God of hate or a God of love? Micah paints a picture that He is both. Do you accept that God hates sin? That as the Israelites immersed themselves into the throes of sin He became vengeful and judgmental? Do you accept that God punished the Israelites by sending the Babylonians into the Israel to destroy everything? If God hated sin during the time of Micah, does He still hate sin today? Is He still willing to punish those who insist on leading a life of sin, disregarding all calls to holy living? Or, has He sent His love into the world to erase and blot out sin for all time so that we will no longer have to stand before the throne of judgment?

  • When is it the right time? Do you find it difficult to wait for things to happen according to God’s timeline? Does the metaphor of a woman in labor give you a better understanding of how God works? Does it feel that now is the right time; that everything is ready, yet, painstakingly, you still need to wait for God’s plan to unfold? The Israelites needed to wait nearly 750 years from this prophecy of Micah until the birth of Christ. How long will you have to wait for the fullness of God’s plan to unfold in your life?

  • Are you being fed? Micah says that Jesus’ main purpose is to feed us with the strength of God so that we can be filled with His peace. Is the Prince of Peace feeding you with the strength of the Lord? As a member of His flock, do you feel the magnitude of the love it takes to care for you and to lead you into the paths of righteousness? Do you see that this can only happen through love? That God must love you beyond all reason since He has gone to such extreme measures to insure that you are cared for, strengthened, and filled with His peace?
Promises of the Gospel:

God did not care for what was happening in Israel during the time of Micah. In fact, we can say that He hated the sin of the Israelites. In response, He put a plan in place to punish them for their actions. But He did not simply dish-out punishment and throw away the key. Instead, His love for His people shone brightly through the ages as He laid the groundwork to fix this “sin thing” once and for all. But, as the Israelites had to wait for the proper moment for the promises of the new king to arrive, we, too, need to wait for the fullness of God’s plan to unfold. In the meantime, while we continue to struggle with the challenges of sin and temptation in our lives, we are strengthened by the love of God as we follow the Prince of Peace wherever He leads.

For this fourth week in Advent, we light the Candle of Timeliness.

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