6 prophetic statements identifying the Messiah

 Read Micah 5.

The southern kingdom of Judah faced enormous stress from the impending invasion of the Assyrians.  However, Micah 4:10 added to their misery by prophesying that, when the Assyrians are through, the Babylonians will take Judah into exile. 

Is there any hope?  What about God's promises to Abraham and his descendants?

To finish his second message, Micah returned to the theme of the coming Messiah.  As in many of the prophecies in the Old Testament, their vision was one.  They did not see the first coming separate from the events of Messiah's second coming.  The New Testament carefully and completely affirms the identity of the promised Messiah is no one else but Jesus.

1. He will be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. (v.2a)
This is where King David had been born some five hundred years previously.  Now, another leader of Israel will be born in this city, just a few miles from Jerusalem.  The angel announced to the shepherds, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)

2. He will be born a clan of Judah. (v.2b)
The royal lineage must come through the family of David, of the tribe of Judah.
"The book of genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." (Matthew 1:1)

3. He will "come forth" from God, the Father. (v.2c)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)  "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." (John 6:38)

4. He will be ruler in Israel. (v.2d)
There is no way to spiritualize this statement.  A literal rule was what the Jews expected of Messiah in Jesus' day and what the disciples asked about just before the Ascension (Acts 1:6).  Indeed, when Jesus returns, He will rule the world from the throne of His father David and "the government shall be upon his shoulders." (Isaiah 9:6)

5. He is the eternal God. (v.2e)
The Apostle John quoted Jesus: "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" (Revelation 1:8)

6. He will shepherd His people. (v.4)
"I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me." (John 10:14)

The results for the regathered Jews (v.3) will be personal security and international peace (v.4).  There will be a cleansing of all forms of demonic and man-made faith systems (vv.12-15).

"Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
Does his successive journey's run;
His kingdom spread from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more."
-Isaac Watts