Flight MNH01 - Part B

Way back when the Jewish sages believed that Micah chapter 5 verse 2 was a prediction of where Messiah would come from. Now by the time the New Testament rolls around, there's no doubt because the wise men show up in Jerusalem and Herod's there and the wise men create a stir when they come, right? The magi create a stir.

Today on Connect with Skip, Pastor Skip shares an insightful teaching about what the prophet Micah had to say concerning the Messiah. But first, here's a resource that will help you understand the true path to freedom. Freedom.

It's a powerful word with several layers of meaning. Benjamin Franklin said the birth of America meant liberty if we can keep it. But the freedom Jesus gives from sin is permanent if we receive it. There's a level of freedom that is better than political freedom, better than social freedom, better than any kind of freedom. And that's a spiritual liberation, a freedom from sin. One day Jesus stood up in Nazareth and clearly declared liberty for those in bondage. Are you enjoying the full rights of your freedom?

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So request your freedom package today when you give online securely at connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888. OK, we're turning to Micah as we go to Skip for today's lesson. Israel began as one nation under God. That's how they started. It was a true theocracy. The center of their community was the tabernacle.

Later on, the temple that was that was where everything took place. Everything revolved around their worship of God. There were one nation under God. The United States began. As one nation under God. And I'm not trying to equate the theocratic kingdom of Israel with the with something similar in the United States. I know some do that.

I don't. But nonetheless, we started as one nation under God. That's what we declared. That's part of what we say. One nation under God.

The back of our bills, the back of our money says, in God we trust. But do we? Are we operating the same way that our founding fathers operated when this nation was developed?

Hardly. I want you to listen to a document from 1643. This is part of the Constitution of the New England Confederation before it became these United States. And I quote, whereas we all come into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. And to enjoy the liberties of the gospel in purity and with peace. That was then. It ain't now. In God we trust?

I don't think so. Maybe in gold we trust or for some in government we trust, but not in God we trust. What's great about this book is that's not all she wrote. That's not all he wrote. The prophet Micah continues after God is moving and he's moving in judgment. It doesn't end there. There's some messianic promises that follow. Chapter four, verse one.

This will be familiar to you. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days. That's a technical phrase, by the way, that term latter days.

It appears 21 times in the scriptures. It'll come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and peoples shall flow to it. Mountain in scripture is sometimes literal, sometimes figurative.

I think in this case it is both. There is a Mount Zion in Jerusalem, but this mountain, this peak of God's work on the earth is seen figuratively in Mount Zion, the Jewish people. Many nations shall come and say, and that word nations is goi, Gentile nations, nations other than the nation of Israel. Many Gentile nations shall come and say, come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion, the law shall go forth and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples and rebuke strong nations afar off. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. OK, don't look down. Don't look down at your margin of your Bibles.

Look up at me. Does that sound familiar, what we just read? Does that sound like something else?

It does. It sounds a lot like Isaiah chapter two. In fact, it's like word for word of the opening verses of Isaiah chapter two. So because of that, some will say, well, who copied who? Is this a case of plagiarism? Now, it is true that Micah was a contemporary with Isaiah. He was younger than Isaiah and he perhaps did borrow the language from Isaiah.

Does it mean it's plagiarism? Here's the principle. Paul the apostle told Timothy, he said, Tim. The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses commit these also to faithful men who will be able to instruct others. In other words, Timothy, you don't have to come up with a whole new message. You know, Timothy is a young preacher, probably that I need to say things that nobody's heard before. If nobody has heard it before, it's probably because it doesn't need to be said, because what you really need is God's truths. You need to be established in the old truths not to hear something other than that. So, Timothy, don't be afraid of copying what I say.

In fact, copy what I say and find men who will teach those things to others. The old truths, the established solid word of God. So it could be simply that their source was the same, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave the message to Isaiah and gave the message to Micah. Or, Micah was a disciple, he's quoting this portion of it, but sometimes things are repeated in the Bible because we need to hear them.

Because they're important messages. Verily, verily, I say to you, by the mouth of two witnesses every word will be established. Peter said, I know you already know these things that are established in the present truth, but there are certain things I need to repeat and so I'm going to bring it up to you again. And perhaps that is happening here. So, it's important enough for God to say twice. Now it says the nations will flow into it.

You'll notice the terminology. And this word flow speaks of a joyful assembling together. That is, people wanting to go to the house of the Lord, not, I have to go to the house of the Lord. It's the millennial kingdom, it's the kingdom age, I have to go to Jerusalem. You'll want to go to Jerusalem. Now some of you are going, I want to go to Jerusalem now.

It's interesting, you're probably a minority. I know most every Christian that I know, evangelical, at some point in his or her life would love to take a tour of Israel. But when you tell your friends, I'm going on a tour of Israel, they're going to say, many of them, are you nuts? It's dangerous over there.

And then you'll say to them, well, where are you going on vacation? They'll go, Los Angeles. The security is way better in Israel than it is in the streets of Los Angeles.

You're safer in Israel. I would let my wife, kids, and grandkids walk the streets in Jerusalem, not Los Angeles. But there's going to come a day when everybody's going to want to go to the house of the Lord, to Jerusalem. Now God's plan not only includes Jerusalem, but a little town mentioned in chapter 5, verse 2. But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, if you've ever wondered what that means, that is sort of like the county name. So there were two Bethlehems, one in the south and one in the north. The one in the south is Bethlehem of Judah or Bethlehem Ephrathah.

The one in the north was only, get this, about four miles north of Nazareth in the area of Zebulun. So you have Bethlehem of Zebulun. You have Bethlehem of Judah or Bethlehem Ephrathah. That is still a city or a township that is used today.

That name is used in that area today. Ephrathah means fruitful. So Bethlehem means the house of bread, just listen to the language, the house of bread in fruitful county. O you house of bread in fruitful county, you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you will come forth to me the one who is to be the ruler in Israel, who's going forth, or from of old, from everlasting. So the future ruler of Israel will be born in the house of bread in fruitful county.

This prophecy was written 700 years before Jesus Christ. How do you get two people living in Nazareth to have a baby born down south 90 miles away in Bethlehem? Well, you manage to have them both from the lineage of King David, who is from Bethlehem, and you have a king in Rome come up with an idea.

Let's take a census of the world and make populations move back to their towns of origin, of biological origin, their family tree. So that would force Joseph and Mary to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem, because they're from the town of David, where David was from. So you get Augustus to make the census, Joseph and Mary move down out of Nazareth to Bethlehem, and they're going there on a donkey. And I sometimes think, man, she's almost like full term riding this crazy donkey. I know the terrain. It's rough. It's tough. One slip of the donkey.

And this prediction ain't never going to happen. But God preserved that family, and Jesus was born in that town. Now notice what it says, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

This language is picturesque. This speaks of pre-existence, that Jesus came in time, but existed before time. He came in the incarnation.

I mentioned Isaiah was a contemporary of Micah. Remember what Isaiah the prophet predicted? Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given.

The government will be upon his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, of the increase of his government, increase of his kingdom. There will be no end upon the throne of David to order it and establish it from this time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. So a child is going to be given, a baby is going to be born, same person.

He's going to be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father. All of that language and this language speaks of pre-existence and incarnation. Now, Micah chapter 5 verse 2 was mentioned in a series of writings called the Targums. You've heard me mention Targums before.

You go, oh yeah, I remember that word, but I forget what it is. So a Targum was an Aramaic translation or Aramaic explanation of the Hebrew text. It's not Aramaic because Aramaic was the language of the captivity, Babylonian captivity, Chaldean language. So Aramaic was that language that they spoke in captivity.

It got brought back to Israel. And so they had all of these translations or transliterations of the Hebrew text into Aramaic. I want you to listen to the Targum of Micah chapter 5 verse 2 to show you that all of the ancient rabbis believed that Micah chapter 5 verse 2 was a prediction of the coming Jewish Messiah. For it says this, and here's the translation, And you, O Bethlehem, Ephrathah, you who were too small to be numbered among the thousands of Judah, from you shall come forth before me, the Messiah, to exercise dominion over Israel, he whose name was mentioned before from the days of creation. So way back when the Jewish sages believed that Micah chapter 5 verse 2 was a prediction of where Messiah would come from.

Now, by the time the New Testament rolls around, there's no doubt because the wise men show up in Jerusalem and Herod's there and the wise men create a stir when they come, right? The magi create a stir because they say, where is he who is to be born king of the Jews? That was Herod's title that he took upon himself. He called himself the king of the Jews.

What? There's there's another rival king of the Jews. So he goes to his scholars and they say, where is the king of the Jews, the Messiah? Where is he to be born? And they immediately quote to him Micah chapter 5 verse 2. But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, though you're small, out of me will come forth this ruler. So what's amazing about that is these scholars of Herod knew the Bible, knew the scripture, knew the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem. It's five miles away from Jerusalem. People walked it all the time.

Some still do. They knew the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem. These magi show up from the east saying, we're here to worship the king of the Jews.

We're following his star. And they go, well, that would be Bethlehem. But none of them got off their religious duff to walk five miles and check it out to see if it were true or not.

Not motivated at all. Just somewhere in the Bible. That could be happening right now, like at your neighbor town. And it was.

But they just let it go by. Now look at verse four. We go to a second coming mentioned immediately after the first and he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of Yahweh, the Lord. In the majesty of the name of the Lord, his God, and they shall abide, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And this one shall be peace. Remember, he's called the Prince of Peace. His name will be called the Prince of Peace.

And this one shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land. Now, the Assyrian are the one who came down in 722. Here, the word Assyrian is used emblematically.

It is used representatively of the future enemies that will come. When the Assyrian comes into our land and when he treads our places or palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princely men. So at a second coming, unlike the powerless shepherds or the rulers, the Messiah will bring peace. He will feed his flock. I love that scripture. I think it's Isaiah 40.

Again, a song we used to sing around here. He will feed. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd and gather them in his arms and carry them in his bosom and gently lead those who are with young. One of the great titles of Jesus Christ is that he was the good shepherd. And he said, I lay down my life for my sheep. So between then the first coming of Christ to Bethlehem and the second coming of Christ to Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem, between those two coming lay a cross.

Where he would come to atone for the sins of the world and then come again the second time to rule and reign over those who have been cleansed by it. I love the picture, though, of Jesus shepherding his people. The quality of a sheep's life is totally dependent on the quality of character of their shepherd. If you have a lazy shepherd, the sheep will suffer. If you have a good shepherd, the sheep will be blessed and nourished.

And so David bragged in Psalm 23 when he said, The Lord is my shepherd. It's like saying, look at who my owner is. I have two dogs at home. And I have become one of those people that just sort of loves probably a dog too much. These dogs are spoiled.

I don't go to the extent have like little monogrammed sweaters that I put on them and carry them everywhere that I that I go. But close. And yet, honestly, if you were, don't tell my neighbors this, but if you were to interview our dogs, either my dogs and my neighbor's dogs, and ask which owner they would prefer, they would say this guy. My dogs are not complaining that I am their shepherd. I take good care of them.

In fact, I think the other dogs in the yards next door bark and moan just because they wish they were part of our clan. So like a kid bragging about his dad, David bragged about his dad in heaven. The Lord is my shepherd. And one day he will stand and feed his flock.

Chapter six. They begin to plead their case and they start bragging about their rituals and the fine oil that they use in their sacrifices and the burnt offerings that they bring. But look at Chapter six, verse eight. God boils it down and says he has shown you, oh, man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? But to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

One of the great verses of scriptures in the Bible. Three elements that deal with daily life sums up the whole law. Basically, you love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and you love your neighbor as yourself.

That could be summed up by these three. To do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with your God. Go to Chapter seven and let's begin in verse 14 as Micah closes this out with a prayer, his petition. He says, shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage who dwell solitarily or alone in a woodland in the midst of Carmel.

Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, two very productive places, as in days of old. Now look at Chapter eight, verse 18, Chapter seven. Who is a God like you? Pardoning iniquity, passing over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage. He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in mercy. As Micah closes the book, he closes with a play on words using his own name. Micah or Micah, actually the Hebrew pronunciation is not Micah, but Micah Yaw. Micah Yaw. And Micah Yaw means who is like God.

That's what his name means. So using a play on words, he says, who is a God like you? Again, verse 19, he will again have compassion on us. He will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which you have sworn to our fathers from days of old. Every year on the eve of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, Orthodox Jews go to a body of water, either an ocean, river or lake, something preferably with fish in it, symbolically empty out their pockets. As if to cast all their sins out. And they call this service the Tashlich. The Tashlich means in Hebrew, you will cast and they recite verse 18, 19 and 20. And it's called the Tashlich because notice verse 19, you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

So can you see them emptying out their pockets? You will cast. Cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea.

I love what Corrie Ten Boom said. She said, God casts all of our sins into the deepest sea. Then he puts up a sign that says no fishing allowed.

So remind your friends that or your spouse of that when they want to say, I remember when you did this and you did that or remind yourself of that when you want to drudge up those things of your past that make you feel like a failure. No fishing allowed. They're in God's deepest sea. Let them sink to the bottom and put lead on them and let them sink.

Let them go. Truth is, God has a big eraser. Jesus said God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. So to answer the question, is there life beyond your trials? Oh, yes. Beyond God moving in judgment would come a glorious restoration in the future.

Same with us. That concludes Skip Heitzig's message from the series The Bible from 30,000 Feet. Find the full message as well as books, booklets and full teaching series at connectwithskip.com. Now we want to let you know about a special opportunity you have to pursue biblical studies in a way that works with your schedule. If you're ready to study God's word beyond going to church and personal Bible study, you're ready for Calvary College.

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Fill out the form, pay the registration fee and start selecting classes to join us online this fall. And we're excited to send you more content from Pastor Skip and this ministry right to your mobile device. To join our new text messaging group, just text the word connect to 74759.

That's connect to 74759. Then be on the lookout for your first message, a video from Pastor Skip welcoming you to the group. Join us next time as Skip looks at Nahum's message of judgment on Nineveh and Habakkuk's struggle with the existence of evil. Make a connection, make a connection at the foot of the cross and cast all burdens on his word. Make a connection, connection. Connect with Skip Hyten is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever changing times.