The Savior is promised

During the time of Isaiah, Micah the prophet also preached to the people of Judah. Though he warned them of judgment, his message was filled with hope for the future—hope that only one person could bring to a sinful world. This is what the Lord said through the prophet Micah: “Oh Bethlehem, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you will come a great King whose origins are from before time began.”

God would allow His people to be ruled by their enemies until the time when the mother gave birth to her child and the rest of the Lord’s people returned to join the Israelites.

When the Lord comes, He will be the Shepherd of His flock, and they will live in safety, for His greatness will reach every part of the earth—and there will be peace!

Did the Old Testament prophets know about Jesus?

During the time of the prophets, people were not able to see the whole picture of God’s plan to save us from sin. They did not know that God would send His Son Jesus to earth hundreds of years later. Although the prophets spoke of a Savior who was to come—and Micah even prophesied where He would be born—they did not know that it would be Jesus. God’s plan was a mystery to them (Romans 16:25–26).

Many years later, when Jesus was born on earth, just as Micah had prophesied, King Herod asked the religious leaders whether the prophets had said anything about a great king who was to be born. They searched the Scriptures and found this very prophecy, in which Micah said that a ruler would be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:5–6).

Verse for today

The shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15

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