Micah prophesies "The Ruler from Bethlehem"

How wonderful is Micah’s prophecy about the Messiah’s connection with Bethlehem!

The heading in Micah, Chapter 5 (NRSV), is “The Ruler from Bethlehem.” This is where we find verse 2 --

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,

who are one of the little clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to rule in Israel…

This is repeated in Matthew 2.

The Notes at the bottom of the page in NRSV explain that --

Bethlehem, a small town five miles south of Jerusalem, assumed importance in the Christian era on account of its association with the birth of Jesus. David, a native of Bethlehem, was anointed there by Samuel (I Sam 16.1-13). Ephrathah is identical with Bethlehem. The relationship between Bethlehem and Ephrathah is unclear. Ephrathah may have been the ancient name for Bethlehem, or it may have been absorbed into Bethlehem. This undistinguished town was paradoxically to be the source of salvation. “me” refers to God.

Joyce Voysey

Musings on Micah and mothers

The name Micah means: “who is like the Lord”. The Introduction to Micah in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible tells me that this “is not a question but an exclamation underscoring the incomparability of the God of Israel.” Is not this a recurring theme of the Holy Book?

Micah’s relative proximity to the Christian era has me wondering about the state of thought that led up to the coming of the Messiah. The Introduction in the NRSV gives much history of the period. I find it rather dazzling.

Just lately I have been impressed by the inclusion of the name of the mothers of new kings, e.g. in 1^st and 2^nd Kings and 1^st and 2^nd Chronicles.

The first example is from I Kings 14:21 --

           And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

In like manner, we are given Moses’ mother’s name in Leviticus 24:11 --

           And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)

Aha! Here we see not only the mother’s name but also the mother’s father’s name also, and sometimes that of his tribe; in Moses’ case the mother is Shelomith, and her father is Dibri of the tribe of Dan.

Now we have a clue here – “Dan” is found in the Glossary chapter of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (p. 583:26) --

DAN (Jacob’s son). Animal magnetism; so-called mortal mind controlling mortal mind; error, working out the design of error; one belief preying upon another.

Not a good CV!

The entry at I Kings 14: 21 in Dummelow’s A Commentary on the Holy Bible gives me a healthy clue.

           His mother’s name] the name of the mother of each succeeding king (see I Kings 15:10, 22:42; 2 Kings 8:25 etc,) is expressly mentioned because of the position which the queen dowager occupied: see on 2:19.

And I Kings 2:19

Rose to meet her] the queen dowager occupied a very important position at the court of the kings of Israel: cp. I Kings 15:13 and Jeremiah 13:18.

Dummelow says at Jer. 13:1

The date of this prophecy is shown pretty clearly by the word ‘queen’ (v. 18), which means queen-mother, namely, Nehushta, mother of Jehoiachin. The queen-mother had always a high position, and in Jehoiachin’s case this would be specially so, owing to his tender years.

And Jer. 13:13,

...The kings practised polygamy; hence the high position taken by the queen-mother…

Relative Bible Lens from the Christian Science Bible Lesson for October 21-27, 2024, subject: Probation After Death --

The book of Hosea is the first of the 12 Minor Prophets (followed by the writings of Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi). Minor doesn’t denote importance but rather brevity of content in contrast to the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel). A commentary notes that “each of these short books gives a glimpse into the spiritual landscape and history of Israel, challenging the status quo through prophets called to speak on God’s behalf.”

Joyce Voysey

Ed. I like the idea that the minor prophets offers  “a glimpse into the spiritual landscape”!

Is Micah relevant to us today?

This morning, after having read the seven short chapters of Micah from the King James Version of the Bible and done a little extra research in the pages of The Christian Science Journal and Christian Science Sentinel, I asked myself: 

1. How well do you know the Bible? 

2. Can you distinguish between the prophets? 

3. Do you have a favourite passage in Micah?

The answer to the first question is: Day by day my hope is to learn something new and apply it in my daily experience. 

The answer to the second question is: Hmm. I've got some way to go before I can clearly distinguish between them.

The answer to the third question is not so easy. There are quite a few passages that capture my great interest.

I really like the concept of the "remnant". I think of a remnant of fabric. It can be shoved into a corner and forgotten, or it can be redeemed. With a little inner vision, we can see its potential for re-use. We can bring it into the light of day and regard it with fresh eyes and fresh possibilities. I've done it recently by creating pretty carry bags out of discarded fabric. What may seem old and no longer useful can be re-fashioned - perhaps a memory, a failing church, a missed education. Micah tells us that God says: "I will gather the remnant who are left. I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture. Yes, your land will again be filled with noisy crowds! Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile, out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land. Your king will lead you; the Lord himself will guide you" (Micah 2: 12-13, NLT). What a glorious promise.

Next, I like the analogy of mountain-top thinking which leads to peace. Here, "The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear" (Micah 4: 3-4, NLT). "Nothing to fear". Another glorious promise to lean on in our daily walk and conversations - no more cutting remarks, no more hard feelings, no more resentment (swords and spears). Instead, may we tend to the gardens of our own thought. 

Another remarkable passage comes from chapter 5 in Micah. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf" (Micah 5: 2 NLT). This "ruler of Israel" - and there had been many up to this point - was revealed in due time as Christ Jesus. The King James Version makes it clear that this ruler is and has always been present: "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5: 2).

Micah holds hidden treasure. Ready to be mined and put to use.

Julie Swannell

What's the mental atmosphere in your town?

 The prophet Micah lived around 700BC, was a contemporary of Isaiah, and prophesied during the reigns of kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. He lived near Jerusalem in Judah.

I've just read his short book from my beautiful pink-bound and tabbed New Living Translation version which I love using. I have also studied the first 8 paragraphs of Thomas Leishman's article about Micah titled "Micah: the peasant seer" from the September 1969 edition of The Christian Science Journal. It was part of the brilliant series The Continuity of the Bible which was later printed as a series of books. (Some Christian Science Reading Rooms may have copies of these books for interested readers.) 

Leishman speaks of Micah as comparing the downfall of Samaria to a contagion - a downward spiral created by rampant idolatry.

Micah also warns against the coming destruction of Jerusalem, and, with tongue in cheek, he identifies various places with their mental animus. Leishman quotes from Moffatt's Bible, and readers will surely enjoy his translation:

     "Weep tears at Teartown ... grovel in the dust at Dustown ... fare forth stripped, O Fairtown ...! Stirtown ... dare not stir" (Micah 1: 10 - 11).

It bears wondering if we today are alert to the mental atmosphere surrounding us. The Discoverer of Christian Science, uses the phrase "mental atmosphere" in her writings, e.g.

    Let no clouds of sin gather and fall in mist and showers from thine own mental atmosphere. (Miscellaneous Writings 1883--1896, p. 355: 26-28 Let)

and

    ... the reformer continues his lightning, thunder, and sunshine till the mental atmosphere is clear. (Message to The Mother Church for 1900, p. 9: 14-16)

But Micah's message was not all thunder and lightning, as we shall see as we read on.

Julie Swannell