MIC 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times. ”

Even Herod’s scribes recognized that this prophecy was Messianic, and it is firmly planted in the canon of Christmas Scriptures for that reason, but it is seldom analyzed beyond that. Two things stand out to me. The first is that Bethlehem was a normally insignificant town, despite having been the location for the Book of Ruth and the subsequent birth of King David. It doesn’t feature in any of the sagas of military action in the centuries following Solomon, and nobody paid it much attention. However, something being insignificant to men has never stopped God from using it mightily! As God pointed out through Zechariah, people tend to despise small things, but He doesn’t. (Zechariah 4:10) Today, some people think little of aborting an embryo, forgetting that they too were once such a small clump of cells. Small does not mean insignificant in God’s eyes! The second thing that stands out to me is that God’s plan of salvation was from “eternity past,” to use the expression from the Japanese here. The Bible says in several places that God knew from the outset what it was going to take to bring mankind to salvation, and He was willing to pay the price. That doesn’t mean that our sin is insignificant, it means that God’s grace is much greater than our sin. As Paul went to some length to point out, that doesn’t mean that it’s OK to sin; rather, it means that we are to walk in humble repentance and obedience. (Romans 5 & 6)

I was not raised to think of myself as insignificant, but thankfully I wasn’t raised to despise others, either. However, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t sometimes had distorted evaluations of myself or others. Right now this church is indeed small in numbers, but we have at least as many people as Jesus’ original band of disciples, and God has certainly demonstrated what He can do with that! I am not to have an inflated view of myself or this church, but I am never to discount what God can do through us. Legally, we have just been established, in terms of government registration, and God alone knows all that He plans to do through us. As I consider that and seek to follow His plans, I need to remember that He had all this figured out from eternity past, and not be anxious about anything. I’m not to be irresponsible, but neither am I to think it depends on me. God is more than capable of establishing His kingdom, and that is what I am to pray and work for.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s interesting how often I need to be reminded of things I already know! Thank You for knowing my weakness and meeting me where I am. Help me indeed move on into all that You have planned, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!