But you, Bethlehem Ephratah,
Almost too small to be counted
Among the ranks of Judah,
From you will come forth for me
The future Ruler of Israel!
He springs from a line of ancient times,
From the days of long ago.
Therefore, the Lord leaves them to themselves,
Until the time when she who is in labour
Has given birth to her child.
Until the rest of his brethren have returned
With the children of Israel.Then he shall stand as their Shepherd
Firm in the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall come in and possess the land,
Because he will be great
To the very ends of the earth.Micah 5:2-4 (J.B. Phillips)
The prophet Micah was a contemporary of two other Old Testament prophets, Isaiah and Hosea. The messages of all three were delivered in a time of increasingly prosperous urbanization in both Judah and the Northern Kingdom. Isaiah interacted with the priestly and ruling classes in urban Jerusalem while Micah remained in a farming community 25+ miles southeast of the city.
Envision a relatively unsophisticated Micah, like King David, playing a lyre and singing the messages he received from God. Poetry set to song engages both heart and mind. For example, this snippet from “The Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel, is embedded in the memory of many who first heard it almost 58 years ago.
Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Imagine trying to translate those lyrics into ancient Hebrew. Likewise, any translation of ancient Hebrew poetry into contemporary English will lack some of its original impact. Also, the music from any instrument Micah might have used wouldn’t have been recorded. So it’s impossible to assess the original effect on Micah’s audience of rural people, powerful rulers, and their hired prophets. However, the following words must have echoed true to those who were viewed as insignificant by wealthy, urban elitists:
But you, Bethlehem Ephratah,
Almost too small to be counted
Among the ranks of Judah
Micah also delivered God’s promise that a humble, shepherd leader in the tradition of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David would rectify the disenfranchisement of those country farmers and widows who were being stripped of their ancestral lands by the powerful, corrupt leaders of that day.
Then he shall stand as their Shepherd
Firm in the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall come in and possess the land,
Further, Micah’s poetry gave his audience hope that one day this Shepherd/King would be recognized not only by Judah and Israel, but throughout the earth.
Because he will be great
To the very ends of the earth.
The musically poetic intensity of Micah’s words likely encouraged his hearers to memorize and sing them as they looked forward to their fulfillment.
Do you have a favorite, traditional song about our Shepherd King’s birth? Encourage your heart by singing it sometime today.
By Kathleen Petersen
