It’s Almost Time

Micah 5:2 But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

In the midst of one of the most chaotic and disheartening periods that Israel had experienced since the enslavement in Egypt, a message began to be delivered by the prophets.

The promise of God to bring a Messiah was drawing ever closer.  A town in which David had been anointed as king would soon see the birth of the one true King.

In this verse, the most remarkable thing to me is not that Micah predicted the town the Messiah would be born in, or that he predicted the Messiah would be a ruler.  What I find the most amazing is the last sentence.

His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

Before The Exile, before the time of kings, before the time of judges, before The Exodus, before the covenant with Abraham, before the flood, before sin came into the world, before man was even created, Jesus was already prepared to go forth from Bethlehem and redeem His people.

Though we were not yet even conceived, He was not willing that we should be left lost.  Micah reminds us that Advent was not an afterthought or a Hail Mary.  It was a journey of love that was begun before time itself began.