Episode 6: A God who shepherds in peace (chapter 5)

Season 12: Micah

25 Oct

As Christians, we’re always excited to encounter Jesus, and we love the picture of our shepherd king given in Micah 5, as we continue our bible study podcast in this book.

1. How does seeing these verses in context deepen our desire for Jesus?
2. What does it mean to be the people of God from this chapter?
3. How do these verses both comfort and challenge you?
This episode is sponsored by Logos Bible Study app.
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Sarah: You're listening to the Two Sisters in a Cup of Tea podcast, the Bible study podcast for everyday life. We're here for a 20 minute burst of Bible chats over a cup of tea and an English style biscuit as we make our way through a Bible book over the course of the season and drive it to our hearts. And this season we're in Micah. Whether you've been listening for a while or have just found us, we're so pleased you're here.
Felicity: This episode is sponsored by Logos. I've recently started using the Logos Bible Study app on my laptop, but also on my phone. It's a software that is a treasure trove of tools and resources. It enables deep dive Bible study and is perfect for someone who's in ministry, maybe giving talks, leading Bible studies, or just simply wanting to go deeper. It has numerous translations, commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and is a manageable way of gathering information and insight in order to marshal my own thoughts. I'd really recommend it. If you're interested, check out the link, do some research and go for it. It's an investment but it's worth it. If you're going to go for it, use our exclusive code logos.com/two-sisters to purchase this amazing resource. That's logos.com/ two-sisters and that will get you a great deal.
Welcome to Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea. My name is Felicity and I'm here with my sister Sarah and usually we are on separate sides of the Atlantic but we are still in person and very much enjoying being in Micah together while also in the same room. This episode we're jumping into chapter five which we're excited for but Sarah first of all let me tell you the tea that you have given me is outstanding.
Sarah: I'm so pleased.
Felicity: Australian tea, no less.
Sarah: It's one of the Australians, one of a kind, because obviously my box only has one of each.
Felicity: I know, I feel the sacrificial giving there, but you've given me, and the name of this, I mean, really, I mean, it says it all, morning sunshine, black tea in a bag, and I love the way they've described this harmonious mix.
Sarah: Is it feeling harmonious?
Felicity: It is feeling... it's a delicate... yes, it's just very pleasurable. If I had a lot of money I probably would choose this over Yorkshire.
Sarah: Big, big statement. Just make some Australian friends very quickly. Also I’m just really enjoying the fact that we’re drinking a cup of tea at the same time of day. Yes.
Felicity: I know, a true morning sunshine with you, Sarah. What better thing?
Sarah: Okay, well before we get into chapter five, Felicity, my question right now is for anyone who's reading through Micah or maybe for any reading through any part of the Bible that just feels more obscure than some more of the familiar parts and yet your heart's just not in it, you're just not feeling it and you're kind of wondering whether you just kind of jack it in, just stop reading it or just kind of plough through without really just knowing what to do. When your heart's not in it, what do you do in that situation?
Felicity: Great question because I think we've all had those moments where you're thinking, should I just skip it and get on to the next bit? Yeah. And I think first of all would be pray. This is still God's word. I think that's been something that I've grown in kind of understanding of that God really is still speaking through even the bits that we find quite obscure. And so we can pray that God would help us to see something of him in there. And I think as well, maybe just keeping it simple, that we don't have to have a comprehensive understanding of every aspect of what's going on in that passage. What is God showing me of himself? What is he showing about humanity? What am I seeing of Jesus here? How is this persuading me to keep following Jesus? And it might not be the main drive of that passage, but if I'm encouraged in my heart by that, not that we can be kind of loose about it, but actually we don't need to have the kind of commentary level understanding of it. What's your top tactic with that?
Sarah: Yeah, pray. It's crying out to the Lord in that, it? Lord, I'm finding this really hard and I don't know what to do about that Holy Spirit, help me to see a truth to remember today that's going to encourage my heart and I'm going to meditate on through the day. I definitely had this through this summer actually. I'm kind of reading through the Bible and I really felt quite stuck in Ezekiel earlier this summer and I didn't quite know how to get through it. It felt like a real slog to be honest without having energy to properly dig into it. And so I just chose to start reading it bit faster. I chose to dwell on a couple of verses rather than trying to get my head around it.
Felicity: Yeah that's a good idea.

Sarah: think of stopping and changing the speed at which you read things is good and it helps to kind of mix it up a bit but as you say pray to the Lord and he wants to reveal himself, his desire as we're seeing in Micah is to reveal his character, to reveal more of who he is and so we can trust him that he will as we pray for our hearts to be engaged in that work.
Felicity: Another thing to do is maybe just have a quick look for a little sermon on or something that gives you a bit of an overview. I found the Bible Project resources helpful on that. What is Ezekiel all about? Just give me a three minute summary of that. Well, shall we get into chapter five? It's got familiar moments.
Sarah: We're at the most familiar point actually. I’m really looking forward to this. I'm going to read for us Micah chapter five. Let's do it.
Martial your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are a small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are of old, from ancient times. Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labour bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 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 will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth and he will be our peace. When the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses, we will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders, who will rule the land of Assyria with a sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. He will deliver us from the Assyrians when they invade our land and march across our borders. The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or depend on man. The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations in the midst of many peoples like a lion among the beasts of the forest like a young lion among flocks of sheep which mauls and mangles as it goes and no one can rescue. Your hand will be lifted up in triumph of your enemies and all your foes will be destroyed. In that day declares the Lord I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells. I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you. You will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities. I will take vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not obeyed me.
Felicity: Thank you, Sarah. It's maybe worth just taking a step back at this point and just remembering a bit of the context of Micah. And there is kind of military threat, isn't there? So the Assyrians are knocking on the door and actually not long around about this time, we have the siege of Jerusalem. And so what he's describing here, marshalling our troops in our city of for a siege has laid against us. We don't know for sure that he's talking about that, but there's kind of echoes of the history of what's going on around here. And so it is quite military at the start there isn't it what's being described?
Sarah: Big time and I think just remembering the context of where we are in the book of Micah helps as well doesn't it so we're in the kind of second section where we've had the first section of judgement and mercy we've seen the kind of shepherd king trailered haven't we at the end of chapter two we've then seen in chapters three and four that judgement is going to come on the remnant and Babylon they're incoming and yet here we're kind of seeing where the mercy is going to come through and out the other side of that judgement. I mean as we've said right at beginning of the season, this is the Christmas bit, isn't it? This is the bit that everyone knows, but how much more brightly is it shining as we begin to see it in the context of the whole book? How is that? How has it been for you as you've read this in context?
Felicity: Well I think it adds depth doesn't it? So I think when I've heard it previously in the Christmas services or whatever and you think, wow amazing, Jesus came from Bethlehem, that's been prophesied. But actually, what is it that is being prophesied? What is it about Jesus that is being prophesied? This very fact that he comes from Bethlehem. Like in a wider Bible context, actually, Bethlehem is connected to David as well. So it's not just that Bethlehem is Jesus. Actually, this Bethlehem thing points to the big promise of God's King coming. And suddenly, Jesus is not just parachuted in from nowhere. This is the fulfilment of that Davidic promise.
Sarah: But fulfilment In the way that God so often does it in the humble, small, unsuspecting way, this mighty ruler is going to come. The one who will, yeah, his origins are from old and whose rule will reach to the ends of the earth. He's coming from this unexpected, small and weak town where nothing comes from Bethlehem other than, as you say, David. And that's the kind of clue to how big Jesus actually is as the stage is set here.
Felicity: Yeah, I love at the start verse too that you get this kind of but. Like you've got the marshalling of the troops, like the siege is on its way. It's like pretty terrifying, I'm sure. But you, Bethlehem, as you say, small but out of you, will come one for whom this is exactly who we need. And I think that's been really evident to me as I've been in this chapter, this is who we need. The picture is just glorious actually, isn't it? And he will, verse four, he will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord. This is not just any old person. This is in the strength of the Lord and he will stand and he will shepherd. He will not be knocked down by the troops that have been described.
Sarah: But you have missed verse three there. You're right. And what I love about verse three is that back in chapter four we had this picture, so in the poetry of the prophecy we had this picture of a woman in labour as Babylon is going to come and that kind of that was a painful situation is going to arise for the remnant but here we've got the same picture so there the picture of a woman and in labour is because of the judgment that's coming but here we've got the same picture being used to describe the mercy that will come through this deliverer through this redeemer and as we've been talking about tracking the pictures through the book I've just really really enjoyed that just blows my mind, just kind of seeing the way the Lord is choosing to use that picture to help us see his deliverance.
Felicity: Yes, yeah, really helpful. It's maybe just worth remembering, Micah talks a lot about in that day and with that he's talking, we get it back in chapter four, verse six, and he presents these promises, this kind of future picture of what's gonna happen, and for him, the return of Jesus, well actually, Jesus himself, that first coming of Jesus and this new creation picture, they're kind of smooshed into one, aren't they? We know from where we're sitting in salvation history that in that day we have the first coming of Jesus, we have the second coming of Jesus, the new creation. It's slightly more, what's the word, of spread out.
Sarah: It's split, yeah, yeah.
Felicity: So it's just helpful to see that. So it's not that Micah has got it wrong, it's just that he's looking forwardvin that way.
Sarah: Yeah, I know that's really helpful. So even as you see at the beginning of verse 5, it says, he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land. I think that helps because actually that he's saying there's a hope that this shepherd king, he will be our peace, but actually we're not going to have peaceful times. They're still expecting the siege, aren't they? They're still expecting the hard times that will follow. And I think taking that then wider well actually, Ephesians does say that Jesus is our peace. He is the means to peace with God and how we are reconciled with God. And he's our peace now, even though we don't have peace yet, we are not sitting in the new creation. All these promises have not been fulfilled yet. But he is our peace now in the midst of the tough times.
Felicity: And that peace is permanent. What we have in Jesus now is permanent. I love the description, the second half of verse four there, and they will, God's people will live securely, but then his greatness will reach them. So the consequence of Jesus being the one who stands and shepherds. That we cannot be disconnected from him. The reality of what it is to be God's people is intrinsically connected to who Jesus is.
Sarah: And then the impact of that, as you go further on, so verse seven, verse eight, the impact of the remnant, that they'll be in the midst of many people, they'll be in the midst of many nations, and they'll be like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass in verse seven. Blessing will come as God's people are amongst the nations because they're representing that peace to the nations, aren't they? We are Jesus' hands and feet, are like the Holy Spirit is in us and we are a blessing to the nations and that's really cool when you see that trajectory.
Felicity: I think Dale Ralph Davis described it as being a refreshment to those around you. I love that idea that just because we're in Christ, actually there is an impact on those around us. That's just encouraging, isn't it? But there's also another side to that. There's a, you'll hand and we lift up and try to over your enemies. There's a, this great reversal is described in quite a lot of detail actually isn't it, in the last bit of the chapter there. Those who have been underneath the persecution, that the trouble, the violence, God is going to turn the tables. We've been talking about that as we've gone through, this kind of justice that is right and fitting.
Sarah: Yes, yeah, and that's really interesting, isn't it? Because I think when we think of the image of shepherd, we don't often think of the shepherd being kind of rightly protective of his people. Like you do, kind of actually there's the judgement that rightly comes as he shepherds his people to the very end. It's kind of robust shepherding. Robust, that's the word I'm looking for. Yeah. And I think we see that here, don't we, in the end of the chapter, that I will destroy, I will destroy, I will destroy, I will destroy, I will uproot, I will take vengeance. Like there's a, as we've been seeing the whole way through the book, there's a righteous judgement that's going to come because of the disobedience, because of those who have not bowed down to the Lord and have instead, as it says in verse 13, they've been bowing down to the work of their own hands.
Felicity: And I think in this list are all things that would take God’s people away from him, Dale Ralph Davis helped me see this, these are all things which would take God’s people away from him, so what is being destroyed here is that which actually is a threat to God's people continuing to follow the shepherd king. And that's just quite helpful to see that isn't it? That God is acting for the best, for his glory but for the best of his people as well and so this is a safeguard that as his justice falls in this way.
Sarah: Yeah and that's really helpful isn't it because it just again as we've been seeing the whole way through the book like who is a god like you? Our view of Jesus as we see him here, kind of front and centre is being expanded again, isn't it? We're seeing him in the context of Micah, but his rule across the nations for all of time is wonderfully put on stage here for us to marvel at and to thrill our hearts that actually this is the shepherd king that we need. And it challenges me to think, well do I think about Jesus in these kind of terms? And if I'm not, why not? This shapes and changes the way we see him.
Felicity: Yeah, I know, I think that's right. And allowing Micah then to actually contribute to our view of Jesus, which is a reason enough to be in Micah, isn't it? And therefore, but actually being soft-hearted in that, that whatever my previous view of Jesus is, it's not maybe that it's wrong, but just maybe am I open to it being just refined and exactly yeah
Sarah: Having a more rounded view which you get as you read the whole counsel of Scripture, don't you? Because every page speaks of Jesus in some way. And I know this is a more familiar part and other parts don't, we can't see it quite so clearly, but what a joy to have such a familiar part that is being given depth.
Felicity: I know, and personally, I have spent this last week really just meditating on this chapter. And I'd really suggest that people give that a go. Like really asking God to give us a view of Jesus from here and to thrill our hearts with it. I think that's the connection, isn't it? Not just that I'm adding information about Jesus, but for my own heart to be truly delighted by Jesus to the extent that I would trust him more and want to keep following more and be eager to keep trusting him even when those around me are saying that maybe that's not the best idea. I think that's been a real heart level thing this week for me. Any other driving to the heart that you've had this week?
Sarah: Just the encouragement that whilst I don't often feel like it actually to be one of Christ's people to be a Christian in the world is to be a blessing is to be a refreshment to those around me and that's an encouragement to keep spurring me on to keep remembering actually, wow, yes, God's spirit dwells in me and I have an opportunity to serve and refresh others in the Lord.
Felicity: Yeah, really good. Really good. Sarah, do want to pray for us as we wrap it up?
Sarah: I'd love to. Heavenly Father, we just thank you so much for this glorious picture of Jesus. We praise you so much that he is the ruler for all the nations and his rule will reach to the ends of the earth. We praise you Lord that we have that hope to look forward to but we have that hope realised now as we sit this side of the resurrection knowing that he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We thank you he is the one who shepherds us all the way through and we thank you Lord that you choose to reveal yourself to reveal your character in such a way that you are growing our awe and thrilling our hearts with you. Lord please keep doing that work to the praise of your glory we pray. Amen.
Felicity: Thank you Sarah, wow, just Micah's just flying by. It's good stuff. So do, if you are not already on our newsletter loop, you should sign up to the newsletter and there's a link in the show notes, go on our website, there's another way of signing up to it as well. That's the inside story really, so you hear things first if you're on the newsletter. We'd love to be connected with you, to stay in touch with you. So do sign up if you haven't already. And we will look forward to seeing you, hearing you, whatever we're doing with you next week.
Sarah: See you then. Bye bye.
Felicity: This episode is sponsored by Logos.