Lent, Day 33, March 26 Micah 5:4 reads, “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.”
Infighting. Attacks. Scandals. Slander. Hearsay. A tremendous nation splits in half. Through all of this—or propelled by all of this—political and religious powermongers promise, bedazzle (at least to some), exploit, and then fail.
I’m not speaking of America (who would think this?); I’m speaking of the time after Kings David and Solomon pass a flourishing kingdom onto the next generation. This generation is very population Micah addresses. Many of the pieces of this prophet’s typography are familiar to other prophets: a once-great nation experiences an identity crisis, once well-intended leaders disappoint, violence increases, rote religiosity becomes the norm not the exception, and deeper and deeper despair seeps into the pores of the increasing majority of people.
Micah isn’t all gloom and doom, however. He prophesies that the current state of the nation is not the end of the story. In fact, Micah points out that God has other plans. Just two verses prior to this one, the prophet writes that a new ruler will come from “one of the little clans,” from Bethlehem (5:2).
Bethlehem? Yep. Micah speaks of Jesus. Some OT commentators will raise an eyebrow to this leap, but all scholars align to the invitation Micah extends. With this new ruler, we can rethink and reframe our lives within God’s greater story. With the same spark that ignites a light that leads well-versed magi to Bethlehem and a stable all forlorn, we can see our lives anew as our goals for God’s glory in the land renew. Yes, with this new ruler, we can realign, reassess, and even reclaim a life and value system that speaks of justice, mercy and truth.
TRY IT: Don’t just imagine living securely as Micah suggests here, take steps toward it. How will you take these steps? The same way those ancient eastern travelers made their way by the light that leads to Christ is the very way you, too, will go.
PRAYER: Lead by the light of a faith serenely beaming, Lord help us see Your greatness reach the ends of the earth. Amen.