17th. December. 2021. Daily Devotion.
2 ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’ 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labour bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders. Micah 5:2-5
Micah lived roughly 700 years before the birth of Christ. Here he predicts that the saviour of Israel will be born in the tiny town of Bethlehem Ephrathah. There were two towns called “Bethlehem” in Canaan; one of them had been previously called Ephrathah, so Micah uses the word to specify which of them he meant. And there is no confusion — this is the exact town in which Christ was born seven centuries later. The area was actually famous from very early in Hebrew history, as the birthplace of Benjamin (and the home of the small tribe that remained under the rule of David’s blood descendants after the split of the Kingdom of Israel. See Genesis 35).
This passage is, truly, one of the great miracles of the Bible, for it is historically proven that the prophecy was made prior to 701 BC, when Micah died. The birth of Jesus of Nazareth in that very town, and his role as the saviour of Israel (and all of humanity), standing and shepherding his flock in the strength of the Lord, “great to the ends of the earth,” can be nothing except the fulfilment of this ancient prophecy.
Prayer to Dedicate Today to God
Holy God, as I face another day, I know I am going to face many challenges: to my faith, to my patience, to my love for others. I am going to have constant temptations to lapse into sin. Come to me now, Lord, and stay with me all day. Let your Spirit encompass my mind. Let me know your presence. Steer my hand, direct my words, guide my thoughts in everything I think, say, and do. I resolve to live this day as a beacon of your glory, the best I can, with your help. I commit myself to give this day to you. In the name of Christ, be with me and help me. Amen.
Loving Lord, help us to be faithful witnesses to the truth we have received from you. Sustain us as we seek to be a welcoming community open to all. Help us as we seek to bring a message of hope where there is fear, joy where there is sadness, and faith where there is doubt. Empower us by your Holy Spirit to share your love with the whole community by our words and our deeds. Amen.
Lord, as we tentatively approach the Christmas season we thank you for your faithfulness. We thank you for your Spirit, helping us to share your love in countless words of grace and acts of kindness.
We claim your wisdom and protection as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 threatens our people. As we move forward grant us wisdom, grace, mercy and love. Strengthen and renew your church and heal our land, In Jesus’ name, Amen.
