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DECEMBER 21
will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach
sweet as honey in your mouth.” became bitter. And he said to me, “You must
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10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s prophesy again about many peoples, nations,
hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in tongues, and kings.”
DAY 20: Is the Bethlehem of Micah 5:2–4 the birthplace of Christ?
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel”(v. 2).This town south of Jerusalem was
the birthplace of David and later Jesus Christ (1 Sam. 16; Matt. 2:5; Luke 2:4–7). The name
“Bethlehem” means “house of bread” because the area was a grain-producing region in Old
Testament times. The name “Ephrathah” (“fruitful”) differentiates it from the Galilean town by the
same name.The town, known for her many vineyards and olive orchards, was small in size but not
in honor.“Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”This speaks of eternal God’s incar-
nation in the Person of Jesus Christ. It points to His millennial reign as King of kings (Is. 9:6).
“Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth”(v. 3).
A reference to the interval between Messiah’s rejection at His First Advent and His Second Advent,
during the times of the Gentiles when Israel rejects Christ and is under the domination of enemies.
Regathering of the “remnant of His brethren”did not occur at the First Advent but is slated for the
Second Advent (Is. 10:20–22; 11:11–16). Nor can “return” speak of Gentiles, since it cannot be said
that they “returned”to the Lord. Rather, the context of 5:3,4 is millennial and cannot be made to fit
the First Advent.Thus,“she who is in labor”must denote the nation of Israel (Rev. 12:1–6).
Verse 4 clearly depicts the millennial rule of Christ, sitting upon the throne of David (Is. 6:1–3).

6 With what shall I come before the LORD,
December 21 And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt
offerings,
Micah 6:1–7:20
With calves a year old?
6 Hear now what the LORD says: 7 Will the LORD be pleased with
thousands of rams,
“Arise, plead your case before the Ten thousand rivers of oil?
mountains, Shall I give my firstborn for my
And let the hills hear your voice. transgression,
2 Hear, O you mountains, the LORD’s The fruit of my body for the sin
complaint, of my soul?
And you strong foundations of the earth; 8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
For the LORD has a complaint against
His people,
And He will contend with Israel.
3 “O My people, what have I done to you?
And how have I wearied you? 6:6,7 Micah, as though speaking on behalf of
Testify against Me. the people, asked rhetorically how, in light of
4 For I brought you up from the land of God’s faithfulness toward them, they could
Egypt, continue their hypocrisy by being outwardly
religious but inwardly sinful.
I redeemed you from the house of
bondage; 6:8 Micah’s terse response indicated the people
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, should have known the answer to the rhetori-
and Miriam. cal question. Spiritual blindness had led them
5 O My people, remember now to offer everything except the one thing He
What Balak king of Moab counseled, wanted—a spiritual commitment of the heart
And what Balaam the son of Beor from which right behavior would ensue (Deut.
answered him, 10:12–19; Matt. 22:37–39). This theme is often
From Acacia Grove to Gilgal, represented in the Old Testament (1 Sam.15:22;
That you may know the righteousness Is.1:11–20; Jer.7:21–23; Hos.6:6; Amos 5:15).
of the LORD.”

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