Your King's Little City

But you o Bethlehem ephrathah. Core too little to be among the clans of Judah. From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler and Israel? Who's coming forth is from of old from ancient days? Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth. And the rest of his brother shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and Shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of his name of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure. And now he shall be great to the ends of the Earth. And he shall be their peace. That's weird. This morning.

father again, we invite your spirit and your heart to teach indirect and guide us to the word in Jesus name.

This fourth Sunday of Advent this year. We turn to another minor Prophet Prophet this again being a minor prophet. Minor not meeting smaller Scopes and most the time in length of their Ministries. Mica actually isn't really any shorter than anybody else.

Context matters as again. I said the past three weeks context matters, especially for the prophets mostly because most of us don't know the backdrop of what's happening. And so we need to remind ourselves or we need to maybe do the due diligence to best understand what is happening.

Set an another way. We got to work a little bit harder when we're in them when we're in the profits mostly because it's not common knowledge us what's happening. Micah Is speaking to the southern Kingdom of Judah? from about 7:50 to 700 BC Northern Kingdom Israel is Concord it about 712-715-2711 pending on who's dating. Answer their conquered during the time. Mike is preaching to the southern Kingdom and Mica uses the northern kingdom it as an example during during his ministry, but not in this particular Passage. Like all of the profits there's there's kind of two sides to the prophetic message. Number one repent and change your change your attitude toward God if you've been LED astray or you're wandering astray turn back to God or else destruction will happen last week. We talked about how sometimes sometimes that discipline or that judgment happens. Not not just from ancient or not a foreign Nations coming in conquering people like to Syria and Babylon that happens in 10 of the common ways. Is it saying, you know the good people or bad things happen to good people good things happen to bad people kind of get bad things and good people.

Micah speaking again. Like I said is speaking to the southern Kingdom during one of the Southern kingdoms most prosperous times in their history. Probably the time when Solomon Solomon Solomon is asked by God ask whatever you want and I'll give it to you and he says I want wisdom. I'm not only will give you a lot of wisdom and I'll also give you wealth and prosperity. initial Logistics

here in 750 700-700-5700 is really is experiencing. Another one of those prosperous times. Judah is experiencing another one of those prosper.

the difference between Solomon's Ring at least most of Solomon's Reign and this time is it the people of Israel are not following God's men's with the prosperity that they

They've largely become selfish. Do use the sent the simplest definition they seen their wealth. They found it to be a good provider and they've put their trust in their hope in it and her son to continue to chimney lighted wealthier and wealthier and wealthier.

we live in a extremely wealthy time. I hope we all know this I said this last week. I'm sure this isn't the first time you've heard it.

We live in an extremely wealthy time in an extremely wealthy country. Every single person in this room is in the top 1% of world history. Financially speaking. Freedom's that most countries have never had money that most people have never even imagined we have we have peace and prosperity like nobody else. And I want to be very clear here. We are very much like people in Mike is dead. We have felt a security in a comfort in a reality of life that very few people in human history.

And we like them or not doing what God has commanded us to do. We like the people in this in this time. Are not taking care of those people who God has always and I do mean always here. New Testament law God makes a number of provision 613 laws quite a few of those laws are focused on how we are to treat others to think about the Ten Commandments right for the Commandments are us how we should interact with God have no other gods before me, you know, no idols. 6 of the laws are actually for people. I'll give this more commands about how we should how we should show his love to others than he does about how we should load show our love to him.

all of the other people show us that we should actually think more of others and we do have ourselves minimize ourselves, but we should be more we should be more prone to think about the needs of those around us before we think about our own especially especially when we have prosperity and others do not Scott calls us to take care of the orphans in the widows in the Sojourner.

Either cannot or are greatly hindered in their ability to take care of themselves. In our time today, we think of a widow and we go up they can get a job work hard. They can provide for themselves and get a job and then get a job that earns the same amount of money if they can have a living wage.

If her husband died, she was essentially left abandoned. The ancient world of woman was not allowed to work and if she did have a job it was not a living wage job perhaps she was a midwife or a seamstress and that was just something that she did not necessarily something that she earned a wage from and so if a husband died the wife was then left to the support of the community that she lived in. No, perhaps, this is early on in her marriage and she could go back into work her father's home and be provided for by her father, but that's not always the case. And eventually the father will die daughter in most cases. The father will die.

Remarriage wasn't nearly as common as it is today. Your fence maybe we get this picture a little bit. Better we understand this picture a little bit better because we have orphans in our lives.

We understand that if if the community doesn't take care of those orphans who cannot go and get jobs and provide for themselves to pay bills and buy houses. We need to take care of these people.

But it's not just about the people who had outside influences causing harm that revolve around how people kind of get into. Whether by their own kind of foolishness or by outside influences kind of causing Financial struggles. So you were a landowner right? You you own some land in Israel, and if you are an Israelite, man, you are actually bye. Bye. eye makeup of the culture you were supposed to only the people of Israel really kind of sale in this area. So you on land and you are going to plant some crops?

And you plant your crops and nothing grew in the next year you plant your crops and nothing broke and eventually kind of run out of the ability to either borrow. Take out loans. Are you expended anywhere else? It may be your family had and now your your bro and her dad sir are wiped away. They're not necessarily forget minimized, depending on what kind of papers do you file? All I can say is real what was supposed to happen. If you're basically went into financial trouble fell into financial trouble. You were supposed to go to your neighbor or go to maybe a family member and you are essentially supposed to give yourself today. Dad and all and you are supposed to farm it in your difficult time you go to your neighbor in Hugo. Okay, I have accumulated debt and I cannot get out. So here's what I'm going to do. You take my and you'll take me as a hired servant or better put in the right terminology as a slave in America anytime to where slavery is throwing around we immediately go to race because that's what American slavery was about and that's what was was the most heinous and wicked things about American slavery. Yes violence is bad. Yes, the lack of of having Humanity was Battle.

Israel slavery was supposed to be a means of rescue that sounds crazy was supposed to your neighbor as his slave going to cultivate your property. You're going to work for them to provide for them and some and some physical way and then during the Year of Jubilee which was supposed to happen. Once every seven years historically speaking. It doesn't actually look like Israel ever did this which is really quite sad. Premier Jubilee, what was supposed to happen is the Slate was supposed to be wiped clean. If you the the neighbor who didn't fall into financial trouble yourself your neighborhood you were supposed to return to that person his land. and his freedom

Clean Slate Queen all dead as gone all day new stability.

No, no, never mind to go man. That is necessarily work. Right? Maybe somebody was taking all these questions. I'm not going to answer any of those what we do see whenever we look at the Year of Jubilee is Reseda God cares about those people who cannot care for themselves. Orphans widows sojourners. Those are Fallen upon hard time broken hurting pressed persecuted. If you're curious if this continues on into the new test, yes, does James is one easy example 2.2 James tells us that true religion is to take care of.

This is the truest most simple form of our outward expression of God's love for us. We who have benefited from the blessings of God financially.

physically in any way that you want to say and by the way, that's this is literally every one of us in this room. We're commanded we're called to serve those who don't have what we have whether it's by outside influences or by their own mistakes. Recology

You know what's happening?

It's just there's just no end to it. They got all this money and you seem time the poor your fence in the Widow's not only are they not being taken care of. advantage those with money were using those without to make more money. condom sells slaves

typical human fashion right typical human fashion breed selfishness win God says enough is enough.

And he sends the Syria Assyria conquered the northern kingdom.

in the end this the change your ways or else this is going to happen to you and in the conquer the Conquering of Northern Kingdom Israel by Assyria does two things for southern Kingdom Judah.

number one it makes them go well. They were wrong. They weren't following God. In the number 2 they went.

And perhaps we need to change. It did for a little while. And then this is outside of our picture. It did for a little while eventually that stop.

What happened before chapter 4 chapter 3 bendy and a half? ASL chapter 4 verse we have this this call of judgment to the people of Judah and then my cash. It's just like all the apostles at all of us would be the profits shift it shift from this message of Hope. Now the message of Hope is really not for the people who are first hearing it's for the people in the next generation of people who have experienced judgment and I were looking around going. Where is God

Masha he says let me tell you where God is. inverse to he says but U of f Bethlehem Ephrata Who are too little to be among the clans of Judah? You shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler of Israel? Who's coming forth is from of old from ancient days?

Such an interesting. passes to me

Bethlehem in Judah in a region of Judah Bethlehem is this tiny little town where David is a person from that place doesn't change anything right? I bet you most of us don't know any cities where a president is from right? Where were they? Where were they born to that City? That maybe was a small City by the way, most of the city's two presidents were from are rather small. didn't grow because of important person came from

That's name is Tiny and insignificant. It was a 1-1. Stop sign town, right?

What do we see?

Just what you owe Bethlehem. Ephrathah you are you are too little to be counted as one of the clans of Judah. You're so smart.

Which is basically family unit. You can't even call us family your for anybody to care about you.

Okay, because this is some new phenomena that God has has just started but because this is is.

Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees and Sadducees in the New Testament. And when Jesus says to the Tooth Fairy say I didn't come for those who are well I came for those who are sick the same kind of mentality the same attitude that we see from God from the start of the the Bible to the end of the Bible.

Come to help those who don't need help. I can't help those who do in fact need help and I don't need help. I need help. No, we see this in a very real way most of us. She is in a very real way in in the spiritual aspects of Our Lives Shrek nice work dinners in desperate need of a savior and and and no matter how much effort we exert. We still just cannot do enough to think that we could possibly deserve to be safe.

But it's more.

It's more than that for God.

weather working hours sleeping

cares about it for cold

shelter over our heads God doesn't hear more than we do.

I think it's kind of sad, isn't it?

How little I care about those who are hurting.

It's sad how little our culture cares about those who are hurting and broken. but I think there's a positive here and there's a there's a there's a positive that God cares. But you o Bethlehem ephrathah you were too small to be among the clans of Judah from you shall come forth for me. The one who is to be ruler of Israel.

Are we saying oh little town of Bethlehem, right? Who sing the song with we know where Bethlehem is because God chose to show favor up on it.

But there's something more here isn't there. It's not just about God showing that he cares about the poor and the orphans and the widows and the broken the desk while that message is absolutely important. That's not the only thing that's happening here.

Because we know who we know who Mike is talking about.

He's not talking about David. Every one of his listeners every one of Micah's listeners would have been meaning.

It's something more than this is something.

the prophets Share this in common. This off in the distance. Hope of something more than once.

Is there a counselor?

This Messiah he's going to where is he going to come? He's going to come.

in a tiny little town evil parents of complete and significance

Christ

that's shocking. Think about it.

Think about some of you comes from where?

real from Real World

show me who's in the upper class right millions of dollars a year in income. See what a child being born into that situation.

Do you know what it's like to be poor?

Maybe they didn't even friends or family members or some some other people who's experienced what it what it's like to look at the bank account, There's not enough money in here to pay for this.

Or do they know what it is to have to drive in a car?

Let's take this in the spring it to God. What is what is a common thing? We say about God is all all know what it's like to suffer.

Does he?

This is so shocking.

What's the Westside this ruler of Israel is going to be born in this little insignificant pound was so insignificant. When was starting to complain? It is our own.

Jimmy ruler

What are you even talking about?

This is exactly where Jesus comes. He comes to live in 212 in a palace.

amongst those she cares about

best understand

doobie broken

We're going to care so much about us that he sends his son into the into the Earth.

to Lebanon comfortable life

Jesus is born to a carpenter as a father.

You can go to Nazareth.

Today right go to Nazareth and in some of the surrounding towns, you can see things that were built by Carpenters from Nazareth. And you can actually make case Jesus Built some of these things.

not shocking a remote possibility

We don't cares about. the little broken cities

Give them up until the time. Machine who is in labor has given birth in the rest of his brother shall return to the people of Israel. This is a strange pathogen and there's a lot of different opinions about what's going on here. I think this is probably talking about the time of Exile. Eventually when they come back the Exile kind of continues.

I'm not going to dwell very long in there because they don't entirely know.

What I believe by and so we'll just keep going. He says he shall stand and Shepherd and Supply in the strength of the Lord Majesty of the name of the Lord his God and he shall give all secure and now he shall be great to the ends of the Earth. He shall be their peace.

The message of Micah is written really two to two groups.

It's written the group a or group. Number one, whatever you want to label you want to put on it, which is those people who are failing and what God has called them to be.

It is a chastisement discipline.

But then there's another message. To the second group for those people who are broken who are hurting. God's plan is not mansplaining. God's plan It's loving.

I'm sorry, that is to come not only will he care for the people but he'll understand. This is what Christmas Even in our culture is about.

I mean how chakra we be if we saw the Salvation Army in July.

Right. I mean, you know what they're doing right when they're ringing the bell and they're asking you to get donations. I'm trying to provide for the poor. How many people would be would be upset? How how dare you care for those who are struggling?

I think about how important it is for us as Christians to take upon the form of our King Jesus.

I don't we just use his care for us, but he understands us.

How is it that we can be changed by this?

As we think about Christmas as we think about the Incarnation of our son of our of our Lord and savior the son of God.

The higher percentage of US caring about those who are less fortunate that I that I said this time. bus tours best

To think this way to the year.

Is the Incarnation of the son of God? Was it meant to be a moment?

What's it mean to be a passing situation? It was meant to change the lives of those who followed after him. We are called to care for those. cannot care for themselves

because our God and King. Does that first?

Heavenly Father

Lord we ask that you would.

You would turn our hearts.

to be molded into the the same heart that your son has

God we pray that you would. You would Phyllis today and always. with this love

this compassion

this desire to care for those that you care for

or thank you that we have been redeemed.

We have been saved and rescued by the blood of your son.

We pray this in this precious.

Related Media

Related Sermons