Day 5: Micah 5:2
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.
A boy named David grew up in Bethlehem, became the first king of Israel from the tribe of Judah, and was a great king. Scripture tells us he was a man after God’s own heart. He wrote many of the Psalms in the Bible, being wise, musical, and lyrical. Other kings aspired to be as great as him. The verse above was spoken by the prophet Micah well past David’s life. As great as David was, a greater would come.
He would be ruler in Israel (the people of God). He would be from “ancient days”; he would be from eternity. He would be born in insignificant Bethlehem. This passage was so well known to be prophetic of a coming powerful king that 700 years later, the king of the area (Herod) killed all the boys under 2 years old in Bethlehem (Mt. 2) when he learned that a king was born. The new born king, born to a virgin, was from ancient days and survived as his family fled to Egypt. God kept his word, even to a new family facing significant stress; giving hope to all people everywhere. The coming King will rule.