Advent | A Family ReflectionSample

Ancient Hope

by Brad Wong

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah . . . out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

Micah 5:2

Israel always longed for a righteous king. A king who would rule as if he were God himself. One who would rule in righteousness. One who would see that the widow and the orphan, the foreigner, the immigrant, everyone who was on the outside, would have access to the good blessings of the kingdom. This kingdom would be a place of mercy. At times they had kings who sort of ruled in that way, but mostly they had kings who were severely compromised. Many of the kings were cowards and sought their own good over their people’s good. Many of them sacrificed even their own young for the sake of wealth that they could gather. 

If you read the Old Testament prophetic books, you understand that even though the people of Israel were to live in God’s way, they were deeply entangled in idolatry and materialism. They walked outside of the way of God. They lost sight of the goodness of God. Because of their decisions, they were disciplined. They were sent away in slavery and exile; they lived as a people in captivity. The longing of their hearts, even in captivity, was for a great king to come, to rescue them, and to restore the way of God and the goodness of God.

In the midst of their darkest days, their hope was lifted up by the prophetic promises that you read all throughout the Old Testament. Micah 5 says this to a people who were in exile and captivity, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (v. 2). It says about this great king: “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they [the people of God] will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace” (vv. 4–5).

This is the ancient hope of Israel. When times were darkest, when life was hitting rock bottom, the prophets would urge the people to never, ever to lose hope because one day this king would come and the people of God, like sheep, would be well fed, all their enemies would be driven away, and they would live in peace. 

Consider Micah 5:2–5. How did this prophecy (referenced by the wise men in Matthew 2:5–6 speak to Israel’s deepest hopes? How does it speak to yours? 

Brad Wong is the lead pastor of The River Church Community in San Jose, California.