“Out Of You Will Come For Me One Who Will Be Ruler”

“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, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

Micah 5:2-4

“How much longer til Christmas?” Our children ask that question all the time. We can easily recognize a child’s struggle with waiting, but we might underestimate the challenge it can involve for all of God’s people. Consider, for instance, those who received he message of the prophet Micah, who promised that out of Bethlehem would come a “ruler over Israel” who would “stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD.” The initial fulfillment of this prophesy came when Jesus was born in Bethlehem – after people had waited over 700 years. But some of the prophesy’s fulfillment is yet to come. For we wait in hope for the return of Jesus when all of God’s people will “live securely” and “his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.” Then we will rejoice greatly, for our long wait will be over.

We wait for God’s promises, believing they will come true.

Our Daily Bread – December 1, 2017