“The Amazing Bethlehem Prophecy” Micah 5:2  12-18-11

We have been studying the prophets in Disciples and in our sermons this fall.  Today we will look at an amazing prophecy from Micah.  Micah lived about 700 years before Christ.  We have a record that Micah was one of the books translated into the Greek Septuagint in the 2^nd century BC.  We have a hard copy of Micah from the Dead Sea Scrolls dated to 100 B.C.  So this prophecy of Micah is well before Jesus was born, and it is very specific that the Messiah was to be born in the small town of Bethlehem. 

Why did God provide this prophecy?  Why didn’t he keep it to himself? 

Accurate prophecy is not an easy thing to do.  There is a book called, “The World’s Worst Predictions.”  Here are some of the world’s worst prophesies.  In 1773 King George III of England said that the American colonies had no stomach for revolution.  An official of the White Star Line, speaking of the firm's newly built flagship, the Titanic, launched in 1912, declared that the ship was unsinkable. In 1939 The New York Times said the problem of TV was that people had to glue their eyes to a screen, and that the average American wouldn't have time for it.  An English astronomy professor said in the early 19th century that air travel at high speed would be impossible because passengers would suffocate.  In July 2008 economists at UCLA were saying there would be no recession. Prediction is hard;  which makes the prophecy of Bethlehem in Micah simply amazing in its detail and scope. In 2010 when a group from our church went to Israel, one of the amazing places to go for many of us was Bethlehem.  For me, to sing Christmas carols in the place where Jesus actually was born sent shivers up my spine. To see the shepherd’s fields and visit the first   Today I want us to think about Bethlehem, about the Lamb of Bethlehem, the star of Bethlehem and the prophecy that Bethlehem would be the place for the Messiah’s birth. Perhaps we may understand a bit more why God chose this place to come to earth, and my hopes are that we will appreciate and apply God’s power shown.
     We sing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and that is exactly right.  Scholars say the population of Bethlehem was about like the population of Chapin proper- 300 to 1,000.  Often when I call some number and they want to “verify my address” they have no idea where Chapin is.  They say “chappin.”  It amazes me that God uses smallness to do such a great thing.  Why did God choose a small obscure place, and choose a young woman, a carpenter and shepherds. It is almost like the greatest being in the world is showing us His power by becoming so small and finite.  God is big enough to steer the stars, but small enough to care about a small town and even a humble couple in a small town.
     Bethlehem was once famous 1,000 years before Christ was born for having David there- the shepherd boy.  So Micah;s promise that out of Bethlehem will come one who will shepherd Israel.  Jesus called himself- the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.  Shepherds had a tough job.  They had to keep watch over their flock.  You know there are some who say that Christ couldn’t have been born in December because it was too cold for shepherds to keep watch over their flocks then.  But my friends, shepherds were always called to watch over their flocks.  Wolves, you see, did not care about whether it was cold or hot; whether it was raining or snowing;  Sheep often went out to the fields all year long to graze- the temperature in Bethlehem is 47-60 degrees in December, and it rains more in December than it does in the dry summer months- s there is grass in December.  The sheep don’t stay in the barn all day just because it is cold. They usually go out way beyond the sheepfold to graze in the winter.   
     Let’s think about The Lamb of Bethlehem- we teach kids a nursery rhyme about this: “Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow.”  Jesus has been associated with the Lamb of God.  Perhaps this is why the angels appeared to the shepherds.  When Jesus began his ministry John the Baptist made the statement “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” In the book of Revelation it says of Jesus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive riches and honor and glory and praise.”  During Passover a lamb was slain for each family that came to Jerusalem.  Josephus said that 256,500 lambs were slain one Passover shortly after Jesus’ death.  I thought this was a lot until I read that 45 million turkeys are eaten in America on Thanksgiving.  Where were these 250,000+ sheep raised?  They had to be raised in a special way for the sacrifice, eating the right foods, and could not have any blemishes on them.  The fields outside Bethlehem were the place where the sheep were raised for the sacrifice.  The shepherds that the angels appeared to were likely the ones who were keeping the Passover sheep.  Jesus was born to be a sacrificial lamb for us.  But the difference was, He gave Himself freely- coming down for us, dying for us.  He was the Lamb from Bethlehem.
     The Star of Bethlehem has fascinated people.  Some just think it was a made up story.  But most scholars believe Christ was born in 4 B.C., the last year of Herod the Great’s reign.  There were really three astronomical events that heralded his birth.  People were strong believers in those days that the stars and planets declared the glory of God to the point that a star could signify the birth of a king.  So the wise men said they had seen the star.  When Herod asked when they first started seeing this event they told him and he killed all babies under two (Mt. 2:16)- a sign that they had begun seeing signs two years before- or 6 B.C. Particularly, the conjunction of planets was seen as the birth of someone great. Around the time of Christ’s birth there were three conjunctions within twelve months.  In 6 B.C. the planets Saturn and Jupiter aligned in the Pisces constellation.  Pisces was a symbol of Israel. Tradition says the wise men looked in the well of Bethlehem- the well David had longed to drink water from some 1,000 years previously, and they saw the star then.   Jesus the light of the world appropriately was heralded by the stars.  God’s care is big enough to guide the stars- creating them, putting them in their orbits, and making sure they pointed to His Son’s coming at just the right time.  But God is also caring enough to care for a small town, in a small country, to some humble parents and even care about a tiny little baby.  God’s care and ability- are big enough for you, yet small enough to pay attention to your details.  God does not just care about presidents and kings- he cares for a humble girl like Mary a working man like Joseph,a baby.
      But all this sets the scene for the whole idea of Jesus being born in Bethlehem, and the amazing Bethlehem prophecy of Micah.  Micah 5:2 prophesied that one from “of old” would be born in Bethlehem.  It also speaks of a time of waiting as one who is pregnant waits to give birth. 
Why did God put this prophecy down perhaps as early as 700 B.C.?  Because he wanted His people to have hope- hope in the worst circumstances- in their walking beneath life’s crushing load with painful steps and slow.  Micah says this prophecy in the context of saying that Israel will be taken into exile.  Verse 1 says that Israel’s king will be struck and conquered enough to be hit on the cheek in punishment.  But God through Micah is trying to give the people of God a deep hope.  The hope lies in a better ruler- the Messiah.
The passage says specifically that out of Bethlehem would be born a ruler from David’s line.
When the wise men went to Herod, and asked where is the one who is born king of the Jews for we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship Him- they replied that the messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  John (7:42) records a separate group of scribes also saying that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem literally means “House of Bread.”  Jesus, the bread of life, was born for us in that place.  Today, if you find yourself empty inside, hungering for more out of life, more meaning, more hope, more nourishment from the eternal God- then I invite you to look not to yourself, not to other gods, but look to Christ.  Jesus described himself as “the bread come down from heaven” (John 6).  Jesus came down for us to nourish us in the town called the “house of bread.” 
Jesus’ kingship is clearly brought out in the fulfillment of this prophecy.  Perhaps the mightiest king or human ruler in the history of the world, Caesar Augustus- emperor of Rome, unbeknowingly made a decree that effected where the Messiah would be born- that would fulfill this prophecy’s requirements. In this way, God shows He is the King of kings- using- even providentially controlling a king’s decree.  Do you believe God is in control?  Do you believe that God is on the throne, or are you living your life like it is all one cosmic accident fluctuating between good luck and bad luck.  
    Mary and Joseph, if they only believed in accidents probably thought it was a piece of bad luck that they had to go to Bethlehem- 3 days journey- with no inn to stay in- and she was about to deliver any moment.  The other day I had an wreck.  I ran into the back of someone.  I thought it was the worst thing that could happen. But I have seen a lot of grace because of it- I got to witness a bit to the drunk driver I hit.  I experienced several people helping me out- strangers stopping to see if they could help, someone giving me a ride, someone lending me their car.  I probably would not remember that day nearly as well as I do now.  When we believe that God is the King of kings, we look for His hand leading us in the problems, sicknesses, heartaches, accidents and burdens of life- and if you have the eyes of faith- you can see it.  You can see a messiah in a small baby as the shepherds and wise men and Simeon did.  You can see a small forgotten town turn into a place sung about thousands of miles away thousands of years after a child was born.  “Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing.  Come adore on bended knee- Christ the Lord, the newborn king.”  This is not an invitation to a tour.  It is an invitation to worship the one who amazingly fulfilled the prophecy given hundreds of years before.
     Christmas is really about God’s amazing care for us.  While we were yet sinners Christ came for us.  He came at the right time, in the right place.  The greatest being in the universe humbled himself as a baby for us. He is the good shepherd, lamb of God, the morning star- the light of the world, the bread of life, the King of kings. Let us give ourselves anew to Him- come to Him  this Christmas!