Scripture Reading: Micah 5:2-5a
Reflection
As a kid, I always loved looking at maps. It didn’t matter if it was a continent, country, state, or city. If there was ever a geography or map quiz for school, I was your guy. There’s just something about knowing that every place on that map is different and unique. Whether it’s population, size, location, or the geographical landscape of the region, every place has a story. And it just so happens that the greatest story ever told starts in one of the most unsuspecting places.
Our passage for today comes from Micah, who is prophesying about the ruler who would be born in Bethlehem. This was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus. Given what we know about Jesus’ life and ministry on this side of the cross, of course it makes sense that Jesus would be born here. But during that time, all anyone could picture the Messiah as was a powerful ruler—someone who would come and destroy their enemies, seize power, and bring about peace. But that’s not how Jesus came at all. He was a servant. He was humble. He wouldn’t come riding into town on a great horse; He came in on a donkey. He wouldn’t be born in some great palace fit for a king and the Savior of the world; He was born on a quiet night in a feeding trough for animals.
Bethlehem was about as small and weak of a village as you could find on a map. Micah writes in our passage that Bethlehem is “too little to be among the clans of Judah.” In the big picture, many people probably looked at Bethlehem as weak and insignificant. But it was in this small, seemingly forgotten town that the Savior of the world would come from.
A feeling of insignificance is something most of us have dealt with before—the feeling that I am not important enough or good enough to make a difference. Maybe you have some things you’re not as good at as you’d like to be. Maybe you don’t feel qualified enough to make a difference for God’s Kingdom. I don’t want to speak for you, but I know I sometimes feel as if I need to present myself a certain way to be a follower of Christ—that I need to puff my chest out and show people how good I am at following Him. And I can often miss that humility and meekness are some of the most God-honoring qualities we can have.
Micah, who came from a small town himself, knew this. Just a few chapters later, he reminds us to “walk humbly with our God.” It isn’t about where you come from. It isn’t about being the strongest or the most qualified. I’m thankful that throughout Scripture we see God use people who, to some, may have seemed inadequate or unqualified to share in His mission. I’m thankful that God uses small beginnings for great purposes. And so, 700 years before that quiet night, Micah foretold of the Savior who would be born in Bethlehem.
Reflection Questions
- What does it look like to live with humility and meekness?
- What other instances of scripture points to a foreshadowing of Jesus birth in the Old Testament?
- In what ways do we let our thoughts of inadequacy prevent us from living out our faith for Jesus?
Application
- Evaluate how you steward your resources and how humility shapes your decisions and lifestyle.
- Live in such a way that we remember God has called you to be a part of His mission, no matter your background or where you come from or what you’ve done.
- Identify one small, humble act of obedience you can take today.
Additional Scripture for Deeper Study
- Matthew 2:4–6
- Micah 6:6–8
Family Activity
Find Bethlehem on a map and study it and the surrounding area. What are some of the other cities and areas nearby that you remember from other Biblical stories?