Micah 5:2 “Jesus Would be Born in Bethlehem”

“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.”

This prophecy in the book of Micah was written sometime between 750 and 686 B.C. To fully appreciate the importance of this verse, you have to step back 2,000 years and understand the Jewish culture of the time. Jews in first century A.D. were very aware of the prophecies of a Messiah. They believed the prophecies would be fulfilled, but in my observation, they had a different depiction of how their Messiah would come to Earth.

To make my point, read the verses below from Matthew 2:

“1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

The priests and teachers of the law knew exactly where Jesus was to be born, as it had been prophesied 700 years before. The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but they didn’t expect He would be born in a manger…