THE KING'S HOMETOWN

The King’s Hometown

 Almost two years after Jesus was born, a dusty and majestic caravan made its way into Jerusalem. The members of the caravan stopped for directions. Their simple question shook the city: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” (Matt. 2:2). A strange star had announced the birth. King Herod knew the wise men had no interest in him. But he also realized that if their quest was legitimate, his own reign was about to be eclipsed by the arrival of another King, the long-awaited Messiah. He was not going to give up his throne without a fight.

 Among the prophecies of the OT, God had clearly revealed the birthplace of the Messiah. The Jewish religious leaders that Herod gathered to answer the strangers’ question pointed immediately to Mic. 5:2 for the location of the Savior’s hometown, Bethlehem. They knew. Micah had left written directions hundreds of years before. But they were not ready to believe. Curiously, no one volunteered to go with the wise men to look for the Messiah.

 God offered a clear invitation to His people through Micah: Watch Bethlehem! The people remembered the invitation, but failed to take it seriously. Given an opportunity to discover truth, the people of Jerusalem let someone else take the risk of disappointment. Herod even killed the children of Bethlehem in a vain attempt to eliminate his rival.

 Other prophecies of Micah surround the passage pinpointing Bethlehem as the Messiah’s hometown. Some of the prophecies were fulfilled by the return of the Israelites from Babylon (4:10). Others have yet to be fulfilled (4:1–5). But Bethlehem remains a symbol of God’s working out of His purposes in history.

 Micah’s invitation still rings true. But our response must be different from that of the people of Jerusalem. The people in Jesus’ time were waiting for something to happen, but they missed it because of unbelief. We can look back at Jesus’ death and miss it just as seriously through our own unbelief. A crucial chapter in God’s story of salvation begins in Bethlehem. God gave more than a hint of that salvation in Micah.