Read

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. (Mic. 5:2)

Reflect

I’ve been to Bethlehem. The town itself is unremarkable. One of the most memorable parts of my visit was a coffee shop by the name of Stars & Bucks. The sign was a green and white circle with a familiar font.

Of course, people don’t flock by the millions each year to see a knock-off coffee shop. They go to see the Church of the Nativity—the site believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. Today’s verse comes to us from the prophet Micah, who prophesied approximately 700 years before Jesus made his entrance in Bethlehem.

Micah calls the town “too little to be among the clans of Judah”—Bethlehem was such a small, obscure, and overlooked village, it was hardly worth counting. It was an unlikely location for great things to happen. But our God specializes in taking the unlikely, obscure, and overlooked and doing great things: “From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.” A king. The Messiah. From Bethlehem.

Centuries before Micah penned his prophecy, another unlikely king came from Bethlehem. David, the shepherd boy who became the mighty warrior and great king, was born in this obscure town. David was the most unlikely of his brothers. Samuel almost overlooked him. Yet David was the Lord’s choice (1 Sam. 16). He became the greatest king Israel had ever had, a man after God’s own heart (13:14).

To continue reading at The Gospel Coalition, click here.