This will be our final lesson in this great unit of Bible study.  We have looked at fulfilled prophesies that pointed to the coming of the Messiah.  Today’s lesson begins in Micah and ends in Matthew.  This wonder-filled story that began before the beginning will continue long after the end.  

The Lord Who wrote the story exists totally outside the limits of time and space.  He said the Messiah would come.  He came! He lived. He died. After three days, He dusted death with footprints that walked out of a tomb. He walked on Earth for 40 more days.  He ascended to His Father.  He lives to intercede for us.  One day, He will return and make all things right.  I love love love this story. He came for ME!  He came for YOU!  

Micah, the prophet of God, was a contemporary of Isaiah, the prophet of God  They lived in the 8th (700’s) century BC.  Assyria was looming large. Israel was in the crosshairs of their sights.  In the middle of their crisis, seven hundred years before Jesus, the Lord gave a word to Micah concerning a very small town in Judah.  Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Ruler they could only dream about.  A child would be born that had already learned to walk in eternity.  

There are so many references to shepherds and sheep in scripture.  The first person to die in the Bible was Abel who was a shepherd.  The Lord knew we would be “sheeple” and we would be scattered and helpless, needing a shepherd. Our Jesus would be the Lamb of God Who would take away the sins of the world.  He would also be the Chief Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd.  The Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.  Mary had a Little Lamb. I’m so glad.

This Ruler would arise and feed the flock as a loving shepherd.  From this Tony town of Bethlehem, home of King David, would come One from David’s tribe of Judah.  The strength of the Lord and the majesty of the Name of the Lord would be the guarantee of His authenticity. From one end of the earth to the other, this One would be our PEACE.    

Israel would fall to Assyria.  Judah would fall to Babylon.  Persia would overtake Babylon and release Jews to return to their homeland.  Some would return and rebuild Solomon’s temple.  Nehemiah would return and rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Then there would be 400 years of silence as the world awaited the Messiah.  

We have studied the birth narratives in Luke 1&2 and Matthew 1&2.  In the story of the wisemen we find the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy.  We don’t know their names or their number or exactly where they came from, though it is a nation EAST of Israel.  Some possible sites were Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran) or Arabia.  They saw a star arise in the east.  They remembered the word from the Jewish scrolls about a child that would be born.  They came to Jerusalem to honor that king.  

Herod the Great ruled Israel.  He was known as “the Builder.”  He renovated the temple to earn Jewish favor.  He was a maniac.  When the wisemen arrived looking for a king, Herod realized he was not the king they were seeking.  He made plans to destroy this young king by using the wisemen to lead him to this “usurper” of his throne in Jerusalem. Herod queried the Jewish leaders who told him the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem according to the prophet Micah.  

The wisemen were led by the special star from Jerusalem to the house in Bethlehem where Jesus was staying with his mother and Joseph.  They bowed in humility and worshipped Him, presenting their gifts of gold, frankincense, myrrh. 

Both being warned in a dream to flee the wrath of Herod, the wisemen departed eastward for home as Joseph took his little family westward toward Egypt.   In his final, brutal act, Herod destroyed boys two years old and younger in Bethlehem.  He died in the spring of 4BC.  Oh, little town of Bethlehem, how FULFILLED we see thee lie!