What wonderful words the prophet of Israel uses to present the news of the most significant event in human history. “But”, that word that takes Judah from mustering her troops to defend herself against the Assyrians, to the One who brings her salvation and deliverance. The prophet Micah was speaking to the Southern Kingdom some 600 hundred years before his message became a reality. It is a phenomenal prophecy, for it pinpoints the exact location of the birth of Messiah. It should have been anticipated that the Son of David would be born in Jerusalem, in the royal palace, but not so. Micah continues his message to portray the humility of the Savior --
“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." “Therefore, He will give them 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.”(Micah 5:2-3 NASB)
As with many prophecies concerning Messiah and His rule over Israel, it is necessary to discern the Truth presented within the time frame inherent in the prophecy. Israel’s prophet states that the One born in Bethlehem is from eternity. We understand, from the Apostles John and Paul, that this Messiah is God, having taken upon Himself human flesh. In the Gospel of John we read --
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”(John1:1, 14 NASB)
The Apostle Paul states the humility manifested in the humanity of Christ --
“The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to become equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like man and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death — His death on the cross.”(Philippians 2:5-9 TEV)
After confirming the Deity of Christ, Micah speaks of a different period of time other than that of Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem. Israel is depicted as a woman in labor who bears a child at a later time. In other words, the prophet predicts the birth of the child, yet the nation does not accept the One born. Again, it is John who brings clarity to this portion of Micah’s message.
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.”(John 1:10 NASB)
Thus, Micah not only identifies the exact place in which the Savior would be born, but he states that the nation Israel would not accept Him at the time of His First Advent. Though Isaiah had said … “for unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given”, Israel rejected the Son that came. It is not until His Second Advent that the nation would believe in the One whom she pierced. Then, Israel will no longer be “in labor”, for she will lead the world in the worship of Messiah, the same One born in Bethlehem, crucified in Jerusalem, and crowned in heaven King of Kings and Lord of Lords.