Thy Strong Word — Micah 5: The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem

The Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Buffalo, WY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Micah 5.

Micah prophesies the birth of a future ruler from Bethlehem, emphasizing the humble origins of this figure who will bring peace and security to Israel. Despite Bethlehem’s small size, this ruler’s significance will extend far beyond, bringing a restoration of Israel’s strength and prestige. This chapter unmistakably points to the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem, echoing the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth.

Micah, one of the few prophets of his time still faithful to God in Israel, rebukes the societal injustices of the Israelites and pronounces judgment on the wickedness of the religious and political leaders of the time. Notably, Micah is the prophet who foretells that the future messianic ruler will be born in Bethlehem. Jesus not only fulfilled that prophecy, but he embodies Micah’s call for justice, mercy, and humility, bringing restoration and reconciliation through his life, death, and resurrection.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

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Micah 5

The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem

5 ^[a] Now muster your troops, O daughter^[b] of troops;
    siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel
    on the cheek.
²^[c] 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.
³Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
⁴And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth.
⁵And he shall be their peace.

When the Assyrian comes into our land
    and treads in our palaces,
then we will raise against him seven shepherds
    and eight princes of men;
⁶they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
    and the land of Nimrod at its entrances;
and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian
    when he comes into our land
    and treads within our border.

A Remnant Shall Be Delivered

⁷Then the remnant of Jacob shall be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,
which delay not for a man
    nor wait for the children of man.
⁸And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations,
    in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
    like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it goes through, treads down
    and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
⁹Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
    and all your enemies shall be cut off.

¹⁰And in that day, declares the Lord,
    I will cut off your horses from among you
    and will destroy your chariots;
¹¹and I will cut off the cities of your land
    and throw down all your strongholds;
¹²and I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
    and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;
¹³and I will cut off your carved images
    and your pillars from among you,
and you shall bow down no more
    to the work of your hands;
¹⁴and I will root out your Asherah images from among you
    and destroy your cities.
¹⁵And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance
    on the nations that did not obey.

Footnotes

Micah 5:1 Ch 4:14 in Hebrew
Micah 5:1 That is, city
Micah 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.