December 18

Micah 5:2-5

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
    from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
    to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.

 

Waiting.  We spend many minutes of our life waiting; waiting in line at the store, waiting on the telephone, waiting at the doctor’s office, …. the list goes on and on.  Micah was waiting for a new ruler, someone to rescue the people of Israel and bring peace to their nation.

Micah is the sixth of the twelve minor prophets.  He was the first prophet  to  predict  the downfall of Jerusalem. He felt the city was doomed because it was supported by dishonest business practices which impoverished the citizens of Jerusalem in addition to mistreatment of women and children, and a government that lived in luxury off the hard work of the nation’s people. It’s not surprising that over two thousand years later many cities and nations around the world are still guilty of these practices.  As Micah predicted Israel did fall to the Assyrian Empire in 722BCE.

In the verses we are reading today, Micah writes of a new ruler arising from the lineage of David and Bethlehem as the birthplace for the new ruler of Israel.  Like many others Micah compares this new ruler to a shepherd who gathers together the people of Israel and cares for them. He envisions peace throughout the lands and protection from the Assyrians. Even though this prophecy is centuries old, it still resonates with the current status of our nation and the world.

Lord, during this Advent season may we be followers of the Shepherd and minister to others in need.  Help us to lead simple lives and use our waiting time for spreading peace and joy to all we meet. Amen

For your listening pleasure copy this link into your browser: Waiting for a King
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=aOtCJajwD_M&list=RDAMVMaOtCJajwD_M 

Connie Weiss