Micah 5:2-5a
As we read and work through the Scriptures, we inevitably encounter passages that are intensely burned into our minds. Matthew's lively yet restrained narration of Jesus's birth is one of these, so much so that it practically functions as the pentecost liturgy for the renarration of the nativity in our congregational life. And on the path lit by this narrative, we find the magi from the East bursting into Jerusalem. It's telling that these "wise men" from the East first presage Jesus's birth in Jerusalem, the hometown of the capital Messiah. Not finding him there, they head to Bethlehem, tipped off by Herod's scholars and directed by the very star that shows gentile inclusion in the heralding of the birth of the Jewish Messiah.
David is of course the connecting thread here. However, the text of Micah is still somewhat obscure, the full meaning of it, at least. Scholars have sustained discussions on verses 3 and 4 and their "rich with prophetic imagery" content. They ask such questions as: Who is "he" and who are "them"? What is this about a woman in labor? And what's the deal with the ruler who's going to come and whose "kindred" is somehow connected to this ruler? These are important verses. They have a lot to say about us, to us, in the future and in the past. They say something. We need to know what that something is.
There is no universal agreement, but many interpret the passage as foretelling the rise of a new and very strong leader for the people of Israel, a figure like David, who as king will unite the tribes and govern them divinely under the authority of the LORD. In earlier verses, showing his confidence that this would happen, Micah spoke of how, in a deliverance soon to come, Zion, the city of Jerusalem, would shatter the wombs of her captors, breaking Israel away from exile and bringing her back home. In this passage, Micah speaks again of how the city of Jerusalem surely will deliver to the world a new era.
Though draped in secrecy, this passage is mostly understood as a messianic prophecy (a take upheld by the Gospel writers across the years). The captivating ruler envisioned here, who is from David's line, born in Bethlehem, having a king-shape dynamic mixed with a shepherding vibe, mostly nails this prophecy to its prophetic (yet, obscure) wall.
The story continues to illuminate a time-honored biblical theme: the lowliness of Bethlehem alongside its almost unfathomable biblical significance. The name Bethlehem, as it is given in Hebrew, not only describes a place that is small but one that is de minimis, one that is low in appearance, in stature, in worth. Again and again, the Old Testament recounts the story of places and people that, for very good reasons, seemed to be utterly unremarkable and yet somehow were chosen by God to be, well, remarkable, that is, to serve a part in the astonishing and unbelievable story of salvation.
The tale of Bethlehem (House of Bread) reveals an obscure little village destined to become the birthplace of the greatest king in history (the Bread of Life) and illustrates this divine paradox beautifully. The world may not raise up the humble, but God consistently does, reversing worldly judgments and putting the unimportant in significant positions. Just as David rose from shepherd to king, so does his greatest descendant, the "one of peace". It really makes you think, doesn’t it!?! During this time of Advent and Christmas celebrations, when we sing songs like, “peace on earth, good will to men”, what we’re really singing is “Jesus on earth, Jesus to all mankind”. Because where Jesus is, there is peace. Where Jesus is, there is real, deep, and never ending peace. So, let us live in the assurance that the Savior who came is also the King who will return as the One of Peace!