Promised One
Posted by Karah
Pause
Quietly sit before God, preparing your heart to meet with Him.
Read Micah 5:2 in your Bible.
“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.”
—Micah 5:2
Ask yourself:
What two things does this verse reveal about the promised Messiah?
Micah 5:2 declares that the Messiah will come from Bethlehem, while simultaneously pointing to His eternal nature. While the Jews knew what the prophets had said about the coming Messiah, they had been waiting for His arrival for centuries. Knowing this, read Luke 2:1-7 in your Bible.
“While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.”
—Luke 2:1-7
Think through the following questions:
How do these verses reveal that Jesus was the promised Messiah mentioned in Micah 5:2?
Why is it important that the divine Son of God was laid in a manger? What does that communicate about God’s character? About Jesus?
Respond
Taken together, Micah 5:2 and Luke 2:1-7 record God’s fulfillment of prophecy and attest to Jesus’ deity and the eternal nature of God’s plan of redemption through Jesus.
Mull over these thoughts: God planned salvation before the foundation of the earth. Long before I existed, God was making a way for me to know Him and spend eternity with Him. Record your response in your journal.
Revel in the humility and humanity of Jesus’ birth. The Holy One of heaven was laid in a lowly manager. Thank God for a Savior willing to set aside the riches He rightfully deserved so that you might be saved.
For further study of Jesus’ eternal nature, read John 1:1-14.
Behind the Story
Notice the mention of Judah in Micah 5:2. In Genesis 49:10, when Jacob blessed his sons, he had pointed to a ruler who would come from among Judah’s descendents. This was partially fulfilled in David’s line, who became monarchs of Israel. But since Jacob also promised a ruler whose reign would never end, his blessing also points to the Messiah who would be born of David’s line. That is why Luke was careful to mention David’s place in the genealogy of Christ.
The Point
The promised Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy.
Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Weekly Devotions