Micah 5:2
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
In their darkest days, Israel had pleaded with God for a king. And God had granted them exactly what they wanted: a king that they had deemed worthy. A king who was strong, handsome, and charismatic. Israel adored Saul for all that he was, and ignored all that he wasn’t.
But God had a greater plan in mind. He selected a new king. One that none of the Israelites would have chosen, but one that he had deemed worthy. He was only a shepherd boy from Bethlehem, a small village of no consequence on the outskirts of Jerusalem. He was the smallest of his brothers, but David’s heart belonged to God. Israel wanted Saul, but they found that David was far better than what they had wanted.
In Micah’s day, Israel again longed for a king, for the one that God had promised would be like David. And again, God’s chosen king would come from Bethlehem. And again, he would be far better than they could have imagined, far greater than anyone had dared to dream.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
- Zechariah 9:9
