The prophet Micah was burdened with the revelation God had given him to share with His people. Micah saw God’s coming judgment on the sin of His people - the Assyrians invading the Northern Kingdom - which would come in 722 B.C. - the Babylonian invasion of the Southern Kingdom - which would come in 586 B.C. In the face of this coming judgment Micah tried to call his people back to God - to repentance.

Imagine if you knew that within 100 years everything in our nation would be gone. Imagine the burden on Micah’s heart. But the people wouldn’t listen. There were a couple of brief turnings towards God under King Hezekiah and under King Josiah. But, within about 100 years of Micah’s prophecy God’s people had been conquered and led into exile.

This is where Micah begins in 5:1: “Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; they have laid siege against us; with a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek.

This is a picture of coming disaster and no matter how large and powerful an army the Hebrews can muster - can put together - in their own strength - its still not going to be enough. Their king will struck on the check - humiliated - unable to defend himself. When the Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians captured Judah - they took King Zedekiah - the last Hebrew king - they brought his sons and had them executed in front of him. Then they put out both of Zedekiah’s eyes and dragged him off to Babylon in chains.

This is the reality of God’s judgment on sin. Micah is shown this vision of coming judgment. But then Micah is also given a vision which goes farther into the future - 700 years farther - past the Assyrians and Babylonians - the Greeks - the Armenian Empire under Tigran II which stretched into northern Palestine. A vision which stretches to the first coming of Jesus Christ and beyond - to God’s unfolding plan of salvation.

Micah 5:2: But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”

No one knows when Jesus was born. One thing is certain - it wasn’t in December. - or January. In 354 A.D. Bishop Liberius of Rome ordered people to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th as a way to christianize the pagan Feast of Saturn. Christians were suppose to honor Jesus instead of the Roman god Saturn. January 6th has its own traditions. There are a number of dates when people celebrate the incarnation. But, according to the Bible - the description of shepherds out in the fields - the date was probably in the spring.

The date isn’t important. What is important is the place. Jesus was born in Bethlehem - an historical fact. Jesus was born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. Ephrathah to distinguish it from the other Bethlehem. There was more than one Bethlehem. 700 years before Jesus is born Micah nails down the place so that we can further recognize our Savior. This is the very prophecy that Herod’s chief priests and scribes used to answer Herod’s question, “Where is the Messiah to be born?”

Often times we think that the Old Testament is a history book for another people - another time. A collection of stories and genealogies that are hard for us to relate to. But there’s a reason why God has preserved these writings for us - a relevancy to our lives today - and a foundation for our faith in Jesus Christ.

We sing, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” With the familiarity of the words we forget how miraculous those events were. Caesar Augustus and his census that got Mary on that donkey and moved her and Joseph from Nazareth to that little town of Bethlehem. All ordained by God before the creation of time and the universe. All this is according to God’s purposes and plan of salvation.

Then, notice 3 remarkable statements about Jesus - here in verse 2. First, Jesus is the One who goes forth for God. This speaks of His role as the Savior. In 1 John 4:14, the Apostle John declares, “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”

Second, Jesus goes forth for God to be the Ruler - sovereign over God’s people and creation. Isaiah 9:7 tells us that Jesus will sit on the throne of David - ruling over Israel - into eternity. All of creation will bow before the sovereignty of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:9-11).

Then, third, Jesus goes forth from the days of eternity. Which reminds us that Jesus is God. In John 1:1, the Apostle John tells us that Jesus “was in the beginning with God and that Jesus is God.”

We need to grab hold of this for our lives. All this - here in verse 2 - testifies of the certainty of God’s coming salvation. In that manger God wrapped Himself up in human flesh - born a human child - truly God and truly man - the means of our salvation.

Going on - verse 3 - Therefore - because of this coming judgment and offer of salvation - I - God - will give them - the nation of Israel - up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel.

Israel will reject Jesus as her Messiah. So God will give them up - these 2 thousand plus years between Jesus’ crucifixion until His return - until the day when Israel will recognize her Messiah and He will rule over her.

Verse 4: And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth. This One will be our peace.

In that future day Jesus - His majesty as God revealed - Jesus will reign as King over all the earth. But reign with the loving care of the Good Shepherd. Finally, we will know peace. That’s awesome. Hold on to that truth this morning. This our Jesus - our Savior who went to the cross for us - who is our King - our Shepherd - and our peace.

Which brings us to verses 5 to 15. There are two sections here - in these next 10 verses that challenge us to respond to the salvation God offers us in Jesus.

The first section begins in verse 5: When the Assyrian invades our land, when he tramples on our citadels, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and He will deliver us from the Assyrian when he attacks our land and when he tramples our territory.

Sometime in the future - God will raise up leaders in Israel who will lead Israel to victory over the nations that are oppressing them. That hasn’t happened yet. The Assyrians Micah is talking about and this deliverance is yet to come. But, it will.

Verse 7: Then the remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on vegetation which do not wait for man or delay for the sons of men. The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which, if he passes through, tramples down and tears, and there is none to rescue. Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, and all your enemies will be cut off.

Last week - after the Service - someone came up to me and said something like, “You keep talking about Israel like you’re promoting what they’re doing today. How can you be so for Israel. We - the Church - we’re Israel.”

We need to be reminded that God does judge peoples - and here in Micah we saw especially in chapters two and three - that God judged and held accountable Israel for the despicable way they treated others. I personally believe that God is watching and will hold accountable Israel for its behavior today.

But, there is a spiritual side to all this that we need to see because it directly effects us. Notice in verse 7 and again in verse 8 that God speaks of the “remnant of Jacob.” We need to pay particular attention to what God means by this “remnant.”

When a person makes a quilt they take little pieces of cloth - scraps - remnants of larger pieces of cloth - and sew them together making one large quilt. The same idea is true here.

The prophet Isaiah - a contemporary of Micah - Isaiah speaking of God’s judgment and salvation, Isaiah writes, “For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea - an immeasurable number of Jews - only a remnant within them will return - only the remnant will be saved.” (Isaiah 10:22; Romans 9:27) There’s a difference between Israel as a nation - a political and ethnic group - and Israel as the remnant - a smaller part of the whole. The remnant are the people who have responded to God’s call over their lives.

There’s a difference between Armenia as a Christian nation - as an ethnicity being Christian in orientation - and Armenians who have responded to the call of God on their lives. The Church is the same way. Many people come to church and its possible to know all about Jesus - to be very religious and spiritual people - to be church attendees and servers and supporters - to live morally upright - to be seen as outstanding members of the Church and still not be saved. The remnant within the Church are those who know Jesus - repenting and personally responding to Him as their living Savior. (Romans 11:1-36)

Within Israel - as there is today in the Church - there has always been a group of people who are truly God’s people. Not the large crowds. But those in heart - who have repented of their sin - a remnant who are trusting in the promises of God and who wholeheartedly love God. God is taking the remnant of Israel and the remnant from the Gentiles and stitching them together to be His quilt - the people of His Kingdom.

Here in Micah 5 - that spiritual remnant within the nation of Israel are the people that God is speaking about. In a future day, those who are the remnant of Jacob will be like dew from the Lord - refreshing - watering the vegetation - a blessing from God to others. Its hard to say that about the nation of Israel today, isn’t it? But God’s people will be like that. This remnant will also be like a lion let loose in a flock of sheep - devouring at will. In that future day God’s people will have victory over their enemies.

Notice also that dew and showers come when God wills for them to come. No human has control over the rain we’re experiencing these days. In God’s time - according to God’s will - God will work to bless His people and to lead them to victory.

Going on - the second section challenging us in our response to God’s salvation begins in verse 10. “It will be in that day,” declares the Lord, “That I will cut off your horses from among you and destroy your chariots. I will also cut off the cities of your land and tear down all your fortifications.

In that future day God will purify His people of any reliance they might have on anything or anyone else but Him. All our military and political and economic might - gone.

Verse 12: I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you will have fortune-tellers no more. I will cut off your carved images and your sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. I will root out your Asherim from among you and destroy your cities.

In that coming day God’s people will be cleansed of their spiritual idolatry - all the false gods and beliefs and philosophies and religions - the Satanic influences of the occult - gone.

Verse 15: And I - God - will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations which have not obeyed.”

After centuries of graciously warning us what is to come. After judgment after judgment calling mankind to return to Him. After centuries of being rejected - in that coming day God is going to judge it all and purify His people. On those who have not turned to Him He will execute vengeance in anger and righteous wrath. God will deal with sin. He will purge the earth of all that is unholy.

All of which challenges us respond - to realize that if we want the blessing of God’s salvation rather than the wrath of God poured out upon us for our sin - we need to be a part of the remnant.

Let me suggest one thought of application.

I recently read this quote from a New York Times article by Laurie Goodstein: “Americans, who after the September 11 terrorists attacks turned to religion in an outpouring that some religious leaders hailed as a spiritual awakening, have now mostly returned to their former habits. Frank Newport, editor and chief of the Gallup organization, the Gallup Polls, says, ‘I just don’t see much indication that there has been a great awakening or a profound change in America’s religious practices. It looks like people were treating this like a bereavement, a shorter-term funeral kind of thing where they went to church or synagogue to grieve, but now the grieving is over.’”

Also in that article is this quote from Robert Wuthnow, Director for the Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University. “We are in some ways a very religious country, especially compared to Western Europe, but we are of two minds. The other mind is that we really are pretty secular. We are very much a country of consumers and shoppers and we are quite materialistic. And as long as we can kind of paste together a sense of control through our ordinary work and our ordinary purchases, we are pretty happy to do that.” (1)

Those that keep track of these things tell us that there really hasn’t been a change in people’s faith or depth of commitment to God. 9/11 was blip on the spiritual radar screen. Spiritually life goes on as it was.

Crisis drives us to God. When the crisis is past we go on with our lives. The same is true of judgment - or the threat of judgment. It was true in Micah’s day. Its true today.

But, we don’t have to be that way. We can turn and ask forgiveness. We can ask Him for His salvation given to us through Jesus Christ. We can turn and ask God to work in our lives - to purify us and cleanse us of a superficial relationship with Him. All God asks is for us to turn to Him.