Humble Beginnings • Micah 4:6-8; 5:1-9
By Don Hicks
We woke up to the warning tone of Judy’s cell phone because the CBS News headline read, “South Korea scrambles fighter jets after spotting 180 warplanes maneuvering in North Korea.”
With a background like that, isn’t it reassuring that today’s Sunday School lesson includes this promise from God Himself: “The word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will settle disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war” (Micah 4:2-3 CSB).
I certainly cannot give you an exact timetable when nations will stop training for war, but I can tell you with certainty that God will keep this promise He made from Jerusalem.
Greg Pouncey, senior pastor of First Church, Clinton, and our LifeWay commentator for these lessons, wrote about this while explaining the context of this passage of Scripture: “This section of the book of Micah reveals that someday in the future God will establish Himself as the one true King who will eternally reign over His people and all the nations from Mount Zion.”
Micah 4:6-7 says it this way in the Message paraphrase: “On that great day,” GOD says, “I will round up all the hurt and homeless, everyone I have bruised or banished. I will transform the battered into a company of the elite. I will make a strong nation out of the long lost, a showcase exhibit of GOD’s rule in action, as I rule from Mount Zion, from here to eternity.”
Recall that last week as we were introducing the book of Micah’s prophecies, we referred to his best known prophecy which is quoted in the New Testament CHRISTmas Story. Now we actually come to the point where Micah offered the full encouragement of God’s promise in context.
The Message paraphrase records God’s message to Micah and the people of Judah in these words: “But you, Bethlehem, David’s country, the runt of the litter — From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule Israel. He’ll be no upstart, no pretender, His family tree is ancient and distinguished…, He will stand tall in his shepherd–rule by GOD’s strength, centered in the majesty of GOD — Revealed (Micah 5:2-4 MSG).
Look at these verses again. What does it say about the shepherd-ruler of Israel? These teachings about a shepherding Messiah must be revealed to us by God; we cannot just figure this out on our own.
The Bible reveals a lot to us about the Good Shepherd in John 10, Psalm 23, and I Samuel 17. Let’s look at the New Testament’s revelations about Jesus the “Good Shepherd” in John’s Gospel: “The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd… the gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out… he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:1-4 CSB).
The experiences of Israel’s King David when he was a shepherd boy were very important to him. He appreciated the similarities between the shepherd’s care for his sheep and God’s care for us. This shows in the 23rd Psalm that he wrote:
— “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
— He restoreth my soul.
— He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name‘s sake.
— He walks with me even through the shadow of death.
— Thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
— Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
— Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me.
— I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
David tells Israelite King Saul that God had used him to protect sheep from bears and lions (I Sam. 17:34-36). David took five smooth stones from the wadi (I Sam 17:40). Goliath, the Philistine giant, approached David and said, “Am I a dog…? (I Sam. 17:42). Then he cursed David, God’s shepherd boy (I Sam. 17:43). David slayed the giant with God’s help (I Sam. 17:50).
The one born in Bethlehem, is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
Hicks is missions director for Jasper Association in Bay Springs. He may be contacted at donaldwhicks@gmail.com.
