READ: Micah 5
THINK: This is a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah that the entire world had been waiting for since the very beginning. The Messiah whom God had promised Adam & Eve after they had sinned and cut humanity off from him. The Messiah named Jesus who was born in Bethlehem Ephrathah on that first glorious Christmas day. The Messiah whose “goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”
What exactly does that last phrase mean? The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, put it this way, “The Lord Jesus had goings forth for his people as their representative before the throne, long before they appeared upon the stage of time. It was “from everlasting” that he signed the compact with his Father, that he would pay blood for blood, suffering for suffering, agony for agony, and death for death, in the behalf of his people; it was “from everlasting” that he gave himself up without a murmuring word. That from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot he might sweat great drops of blood, that he might be spit upon, pierced, mocked, rent asunder, and crushed beneath the pains of death. His goings forth as our Surety were from everlasting. Pause, my soul, and wonder! Thou hast goings forth in the person of Jesus “from everlasting.” Not only when thou wast born into the world did Christ love thee, but his delights were with the sons of men before there were any sons of men. Often did he think of them; from everlasting to everlasting he had set his affection upon them. What! my soul, has he been so long about thy salvation, and will not he accomplish it? Has he from everlasting been going forth to save me, and will he lose me now? What! Has he carried me in his hand, as his precious jewel, and will he now let me slip from between his fingers? Did he choose me before the mountains were brought forth, or the channels of the deep were digged, and will he reject me now? Impossible! I am sure he would not have loved me so long if he had not been a changeless Lover. If he could grow weary of me, he would have been tired of me long before now. If he had not loved me with a love as deep as hell, and as strong as death, he would have turned from me long ago. Oh, joy above all joys, to know that I am his everlasting and inalienable inheritance, given to him by his Father or ever the earth was! Everlasting love shall be the pillow for my head this night.”
All of human history built up to the birth of Jesus and all of human history hinges upon his incredible death and resurrection. Our hope is found in the Messiah – in what he did on our behalf and in the fact that he is coming again to set all things right!
PRAY: Watch this video. Listen to the lyrics and meditate in your heart on what it meant that Jesus purposed from the beginning of eternity to come – to step into human history and save us. And think about the hope that we have now for his return!
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