Micah 5:2 - The Hope Of Christ In A Hopeless World Of Sin

J.R.R. Tolkien coined a term that he used to describe stories with plots that turned from disaster to hope through extraordinary events. He called this sort of story a ‘eucatastrophe’. Tolkien took the word ‘catastrophe’ which describes a horrific situation and attached the Greek prefix ‘eu’ to it which means ‘good’. This new word describes a scene where a plot unravels into utter hopelessness for the main characters but then suddenly turns for their good is a ‘eucatastrophe’.

Isn’t this a good description of what we see throughout the Scriptures. This is a description of what we would call the Euangelion- the Good News or the Gospel. In the narrative of the Scriptures we see that a catastrophe has occurred that has brought upon all mankind horrific and devastating consequences. But God intervenes in history to bring about extraordinary events which bring hope to the hopeless.

We have seen this happening over and over again in the Book of Judges. We have seen God intervene in hopeless situations for the good of His people Israel. This morning, we are going to jump forward several centuries into the future to the time of Israel’s king’s and the prophets who spoke to them. We are going to go to the time of Micah and Isaiah who lived near the end of this period of time. Both of these prophets ministered at the same time and to the same people. We know this from the opening verse of each of these books.

• Isaiah 1:1- “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”

• Micah 1:1- “The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Meresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.”

As we jump forward in history from the time of the judges to this time in Israel’s history we see that there have been many changes in Israel. For example, at this time the twelve tribes of Israel have been divided into a Northern and a Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom had its capital in Samaria and the Southern Kingdom had its capital in Jerusalem.

At this time in Israel’s history God’s patience had run out with Judah because of their sin, idolatry, and failure to hear and His and respond to His Word. This had happened to the Northern Kingdom alredy and they were destroyed by the Babylonians and carried off into captivity. Now the Southern Kingdom is in danger of being toppled by the Assyrians but false prophets had convinced the people that they were not in any danger.

Micah 2:11 gives us a good description of some of the problems in Israel was facing at this time. We read, “Its heads (Israel’s leaders) give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money…”. Here we see that three of the most important institutions in Israel’s society had been corrupted by sin: the heads, the priests, and the prophets. The prophets spoke lies, the priests were faithless, and most of Israel’s kings had acted faithlessly and done evil. During this time the people presumed that they were ok with the LORD and the rest of Micah 2:11 says, “...yet they lean on the LORD and say, ‘Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.’”

Contrary to what these people were saying, Micah and Isaiah were saying something quite different. For example, in Micah 3:12 we read, “...because of you Zion (Jerusalem) will be plowed as a field; Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.” These are words that describe utter destruction and ruin. We saw a glimpse of this last week in Judges 9:22-57 when Abimelech destroyed Shechem. After Abimelech had killed the leaders of the town he went on to kill the people, raise the city, and he put salt on the ground to make it unusable for generations.

When Micah and Isaiah came proclaiming God’s Word to Israel their future looked hopeless. This hopelessness is exasperated because of what we read in Micah 4:9 where the prophet says, “Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain has seized you like a woman in labor?” Israel is experiencing this hopelessness even more because and they are crying out in despair because they have forgotten that the LORD is their King and they neglect the council of the Word of God. Because of these things the people are hopeless and miserable.

It is into the midst of this pain, and despair that the LORD gives Israel a very strong encouragement that they are to receive in faith. Although judgment is inevitable because of their sin, the LORD will still be faithful to carry out his plan of redemption through them. The LORD promises them that His remnant in Israel will survive and one day be restored.

Because God is their King, and because He is LORD and Savior of all men, He would save a remnant in Israel (4:6-7) and even draw the nations to himself (4:1-5). At this time, however, neither Israel or the nations can understand this plan. Yet, those who have faith can see that God is moving Israel towards a ‘eucatastrophe’ moment. Some of these moments will happen soon and others will happen sometime in the future. Because of how the LORD works in these ways the apostle Paul says in Romans 11, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways. ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?’”

Let me remind you about what the prophet said in Micah 2:11. Micah said, “Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money…”. Here we see that Israel’s prophets, priests, the kings and all the other leaders in Israel were faithless and evil people. Because of this judgment is coming, it is close at hand. So how will the LORD encourage His people who are faithful to Him?

Well, the LORD begins to reveal to His people more information about the Righteous and Faithful Judge who was promised to come into the world. (Genesis 3:15) God reminds Israel through these two prophets, Micah and Isaiah, that one day He would send a Savior into this sinful world who would fulfill all three of these offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. As He fulfills these offices He would do it in righteousness and faithfulness.

Interestingly, it is during this particular time in Israel’s history that the LORD begins to give Micah and Isaiah wonderful prophesies about the Messiah who would come into this world.

• Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

• Isaiah 9:6-7, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD will do this.”

• The third text is Micah 5:2 which says, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

These amazing texts were meant to give hope as Israel experienced some of their most difficult days that were ahead. This hope is seen in the very first word of Micah 5:2 when it begins with the contrasting conjunction ‘But’.

The hope that will be given in Micah 5:2 stands in sharp contrast to the hopelessness of Israel that is spoken of in Micah 5:1 where we read, “Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.”

These words describe the picture of Israel’s leaders, their judges, being unable to defend themselves and as a result of this they are humiliated by an enemy who strikes them on the cheek. They are unable to protect and guard themselves against being humiliated by those who are attacking them. And yet, despite all of these things there will still be hope for Isael. We know this because of Micah 5:2 which states, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” From this verse we could consider three points. However, we only have time to consider the first point this morning. We will do the other two in the future.

• First, this text tells us about a Person.

• Second, this text tells us about a Place.

• Third, this text tells us about a Purpose.

This Text Is About A Person

After Micah penned these words, everyone knew that when the Messiah, the Anointed One, came He would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. This is clear from Matthew’s 2 regarding the birth of Jesus. At that time the wise men came looking for the King who had been born. They followed a star that had led them on their way but when it disappeared they went to Jerusalem, the capital city, to look for this child.

Soon, this word about a new born King began to spread among the people so that even King Herod heard of this. He quickly called all of the religious leaders and Scribes together and asked them where this child was to be born. Among all of them there was no confusion regarding what the correct answer to this question was. We read in Matthew 2:5-6 these words, “They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”’”

Micah gives us a couple interesting facts about this promised Ruler who was to be born in Bethlehem. First, this ruler’s ‘coming forth is from of old’ (going forth are from long ago). Second, He will be from ‘from ancient days’ (days of eternity).

The words, ‘coming forth is from old’, means that this ruler had been seen throughout the Old Testament by others. This person who was promised to come had been seen as He revealed Himself to others in the Old Testament. For example, Jesus was in the garden with Adam and Eve as they walked together in the cool of the day. (Genesis 3:9) After they had sinned the LORD pursued them as they ran from Him and hid themselves. When He came to them He clothed them in the garments of an animal and He spoke this promise to the serpent in their hearing, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

Throughout the Old Testament Jesus appeared to certain people as He continued to work out this promise that He had given. For example, Jesus appeared to Abraham in Genesis 12 in which the LORD makes unconditional promises to Abraham, saying, “T will do this...I will do that. From beginning to end, all of these promises that He has made will be fulfilled by God’s sovereign grace. When the LORD entered into this covenant with Abraham He assumed all of the obligations to fulfill these promises by walking alone through the sacrifices that were cut in two.

There were other times that the LORD appeared in the Old Testament. For example, He appeared to Isaac in Genesis 26. The LORD wrestled with Jacob in Genesis 32. In Exodus 3 the LORD appeared to Moses in the burning bush. In Joshua 5 the LORD appears to Joshua with his sword drawn in his hand. The LORD appeared to Gideon, Samuel, Solomon, and the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace. In the Scriptures we are told that the LORD appeared to others in visions: Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel. Whenever the LORD revealed Himself it was always to further the revelation of His plan to bring about all the promises that He had made.

Second, Micah tells us that this future Ruler would be from ‘ancient of days’ or ‘from days of eternity’. This speaks of the fact that this Ruler would would be God. The same divine Person who revealed Himself to others in the Old Covenant was doing all these things according to the Eternal Decree that was established in eternity between the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit before anything had been created. Of this Decree the Baptist Confession says, “From all eternity God decreed everything that occurs, with out reference to anything outside Himself. He did this by the perfectly wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably.” (3.1) This decree reveals the LORD’s wisdom as He directs all things, and His power and faithfulness are displayed in accomplishing all that He had decreed. For example,

• Jeremiah 46:8-11 says, “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and grom ancient times things not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,...I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”

• Ephesians 1:3-6a, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.”

• Ephesians 1:9 says, “...making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

• Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

Consider the profound implications of the two truths we have considered this morning: Christ is from of old and He is from eternity. The LORD determined His Eternal Decree in Eternity and since then the LORD has been working that plan. This plan was established by their Wisdom and so it has not changed or needed to be modified. The LORD is personally involved in every aspect of the fulfillment of this plan from beginning to end! He did not become a ruler; no, He has always been this Ruler that is mentioned in Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 9:6-7.

If the Trinity established an Eternal Decree in which each of them would work to accomplish the salvation of sinners, and if throughout history this plan was put into practice by them personally step-by-step, would the LORD fail to fulfill the promises that He has made. Will He not bring them all to pass in the person of Jesus Christ?! 

If God’s Decree concerning the salvation of His elect, which spans from eternity before to eternity after, will He loose you somewhere in between? Will he loose His patience with you in this process? Will the LORD fail to bring about everything that He determined to do from the very beginning and for which He has personally worked to accomplish within time? No, that cannot happen. (John 10:28-30)

When Micah and Isaiah prophesied to Israel it did not look like these promises would ever be able to come to pass. The Northern Kingdom had been destroyed by Babylon. Now the Southern Kingdom was being attacked by the Assyrians. However, despite all of this the LORD promised that He would send His Son who would Rule and Judge Israel in perfect righteousness, holiness, and faithfulness. God promised to one day send His Son who would fill all three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King and through Him every one of His promises would find their fulfillment in Him.

Over and over again the LORD has proven that He can take a catastrophic and horrific moment and turn them into a eucatastrophe moment. Today, we are reminded that even when it seems like our enemies are winning, the LORD has a plan and He is working it out, and we will experience the completion of it no matter how it may look right now.