SOAP 07/10/2015; Micah 5:2

Today's reading: Micah 5, 6, 7; Hebrews 7


S) "² But as for you, 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."

Micah 5:2 (NASB)

O) This is one of hundreds of prophecies that Jesus fulfilled as the Messiah. He was born in Bethlehem, as many Christmas songs remind us. That alone, is worth highlighting today. However, with this prophecy, we also see a little more about the nature of who Jesus is. We see in this verse, that the Messiah was to be eternal in His nature (this, along with verses like what we actually read today, in Hebrews 7). The Messiah was always expected to reign forever, but He was also to be pre-existent. That is, before He was revealed as the Messiah, before He was born in Bethlehem, we were told that He already existed from long ago, from the days of eternity. There can be no doubt, then, that Jesus was, and is, and is to come. This shows us that the plan for redemption was not spontaneous or reactive. God planned for Jesus to come, not just a long time ago, but forever ago.

A) Sometimes, the only real application of a verse like this, is to meditate on it. By dwelling on who God is, even on something so simple as His eternal nature, it brings forth in me a desire to worship. I am awestruck. This verse reminds me that every Christmas song I could sing about the birth of my King, is nothing short of a worship song, celebrating the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies, thousands of years in the making.

P) Father, thank You for saving me. The grace at work in my life continually humbles me. I pray that You open the eyes and ears of my loved ones, that they would see in Jesus the same perfection that He truly is. He perfected the prophecies You gave us. The signs are all still there, none of them faded. Let them see and understand. Open my mouth, to share the gospel often. Help me to speak the truth, in love, that they might hear with ears that You have opened. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.