The Gospel According to Micah (Micah 5:2-6)
This sermon was preached by Caleb Yap.
Farmers all across Oxfordshire, England, reported that it took place on November the 3rd, 1888. And it was not just thousands. It was tens of thousands of sheep across multiple farms that suddenly broke through their fences and scattered into the darkness. They trampled each other. They ran in all directions. Over nearly 200 square miles. Farmers rushed out to find their flocks in chaos — but there were no wolves, no storms, nothing they could point to as the cause.
To this day, no one knows what triggered the Great Sheep Panic of 1888. But it confirmed what many already know: sheep are easily frightened creatures. Without a shepherd, the smallest uncertainty can unsettle them.
It may be unflattering, but the Bible compares Christians to sheep more than any other creature. So fellow sheep and flock of God, what is making you anxious?
Experts point us to some causes for anxiety in 2026: geopolitical tensions between great nations, the impact of technology and AI on our jobs, personal finances, loneliness, and mental health strain.
As I reflected on my life and conversations with friends these past weeks, I would add these: anxiety about our work, how we perform, how others perceive us. About our children's future — will they be happy? Their health. Our health. Our parents. Whether we will have enough — enough money, enough security, enough time? Are these what occupy the anxious minutes of your days, keep you awake at night? Pondering what we might lose, or what we cannot control?
That is why we need Advent.
Advent is when the church does something countercultural. We wage war on anxiety with the weapons of God’s Word. We look backward in Scripture to look forward in faith. In Advent, we learn to wait on God’s Word as Israel waited for Messiah. We join God’s people longing for Christ's first coming, and His return in the second.
We have one Sunday for an Advent sermon today. On Christmas Day, we will hear from Luke 2. Then we will be in year-end reflections from the psalms of ascent. But today, the prophet Micah speaks directly to our anxious hearts.
That God's promised Shepherd comes, so rest.
In these verses, Micah aims to show us, to persuade us, to convince us of this truth: That God's promised Shepherd comes, so rest.
We can rest from our anxieties for two key reasons which we will cover: first, because God’s promise comes (Micah 5:1-3, 6); second, because God’s shepherd comes (Micah 5:4-5).
We can rest because God’s promise comes (Micah 5:1-3,6)
How does the book of Micah begin? Micah 1:1 says: “the word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moreseth in the days of Jotham and Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria andJerusalem”. The phrase “the word of the LORD that came to Micah” points to his role as God's prophet. He spoke to both kingdoms. Israel in the north, capital Samaria. Judah in the south, capital Jerusalem. Most prophets use this phrase — “the word of the LORD came” to show us the divine source of their message.
Prophets are usually regarded as people with powers to predict the future, and that is what Micah does in Micah 5. But more than that, they are charged with revelation from the God who speaks, and tasked as His messengers. So ancient prophets are foretellers, predicting the future, and forthtellers, preaching God’s Word that people would worship God and put Him first. Micah’s name, which means “who is a God like you?” is a part of the prophet’smessage, a call for people to know and worship God.
Sometimes, we can read the prophets and find it difficult to relate. I am sure you felt it as I was reading Micah 5. We're not familiar with the history, geography, and culture of the times. It can feel like a barrier between us and the text.
But what’s important is to know that Micah brought God’s promise to His people even in their darkest times. Look at Micah 5:1 — “Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.”
A siege is being laid, troops need to be mustered. These are wartime scenes. The “daughter of troops” must be defended. In Hebrew poetry, cities are given feminine names. In this passage, the “daughter of troops” refers to Zion, or Jerusalem. There is irony: Micah tells this “daughter of troops” to “muster your troops” — but Jerusalem's defenses are very, very weak.
In Micah 5:6, we see who is invading, the Assyrian who comes into our land and treads in our palaces. The setting is the invasion of Judah by mighty Sennacherib, Assyria’s king. Northern Israel had fallen to him, and the ten lost tribes went into Assyrian captivity in 722BC. Almost twenty years later, Sennacherib invaded the southern kingdom of Judah.
The prophet Isaiah paints us the fuller picture: thousands of Assyrian soldiers surround Jerusalem. Their commander stands outside the walls and mock Judah’s King Hezekiah in Hebrew — for all to hear his threats.
Reading from Isaiah 36:12, he said: “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?” Jump to Isaiah 36:18 — “Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying “the LORD will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?”
So these were dark times for God’s people. You can hear the terror, the humiliation. God's king was publicly mocked. The Assyrians taunted them to give up.
But when Micah speaks, God’s promise comes even though His people were in distress.
Like fearful sheep, God’s people must have been terrified under the raging Assyrian storm. Their nation was divided in two under failed leaders. Their kinsmen were in exile. A foreign superpower stood at their gates, humiliating their King.
But Micah 5:2 says “But” and offers a promise of grace.
Let me pause and say this: intense circumstances of war, fear, and brokenness did not keep God from speaking through Micah. We may imagine that God can only speak when conditions are right — feeling spiritual, when life is peaceful. But that would be a mistake. Do not let false expectations keep you from hearing God's voice. Troubled times and inconvenient circumstances may be exactly when we need God’s Word the most. One application is simply to be attentive in listening. Make time to sit regularly under God’s Word with hearts open to receive what He has to say. Do not lay out conditions for when God can and cannot speak to you.
Perhaps some of us are feeling just like Judah under siege, this morning? Maybe you are finding it hard to hear God’s voice even now because of what’s on your mind.Maybe you feel helpless or hopeless this very minute.
Friends, how do you respond to distress? Our survival instincts can make us very defensive. We put up our guard, prepare for the worst. We hit others first before we get hit. We rely on ourselves.
But there is another way. You do not have to harden your heart or be cynical with God. Since He speaks to His flock in distress, we can simply be still and listen to Him. If you feel anxious, afraid, or sore from being under attack, you are welcome among the lowly sheep of God.
Jesus Christ is full of compassion for such as these. He is tender with us in tough times. I love how Matthew 9 says that “when he saw the crowds he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.”
God’s people are indeed harassed and helpless in the world. Christians know that we are spiritually poor. Writing to the church in 1 Corinthians 1:26, Paul said: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise: God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world”.
Are you in distress? Feeling low and despised? Cry out to God. You can pray, come quickly, Lord Jesus. He has words of comfort for us: blessed are the poor inspirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Do you hear that? Distress cannot keep God from you. God’s promise comes, even to those in distress.
But notice something else about God’s promise, it comes to those who have failed Him.
Why is Judah suffering from invasion? Because they had failed God. Let me give you some context.
The book of Micah is made up of three cycles, each with oracles of doom and salvation. The prophet Micah is like God’s lawyer, convicting both Israel and Judah of their failures with warnings of doom. He confronts rampant idolatry. God’s people oppress each other, coveting and seizing fields and houses. Micah 3:11 says: “its heads give judgment for a bribe, its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD and say, is not the LORD in the midst of us?'
Did you hear Micah’s full indictment on the threefold office of prophet, priest and king? No one was shepherding God’s wayward flock. Famously, Micah 6:8 lays out what God requires: “He has told you O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” But this verse poises Micah’s question to Judah: why have you completely ignored God’s good law?
Thus the calamity of foreign invasion by Assyria was not an accident. According to the Old Covenant, the curses for disobedience described in Deuteronomy 28 were being applied to unfaithful Israel and Judah.
Listen to Deuteronomy 28:20: “The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me.”
And jump to Deuteronomy 28:33, “A nation that you have not known shall eat up the fruit of yourground and of all your labours, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually.”
Brothers and sisters, this recap of Israel’s sin should warn us about taking sin very seriously. You and I are not under the Old Covenant — our standing before God does not depend on us keeping covenant law. We are under a New Covenant through Jesus Christ. But listen to me: the New Covenant does not make sin any less serious. If anything, it should make us take sin’s rebellion more seriously.
Consider Hebrews 10:28-29: “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgement, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. How much worse punishment, do you think will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God…?”
Brothers and sisters, before the year ends, let us examine ourselves. Are there ways that we are sinning deliberately? Have you enjoyed what is forbidden, or shirking from your duties? Is there willful idolatry left unaddressed? Are we hurting, deceiving or being hard-hearted towards our neighbour? Are we harsh, abusive or selfish? If you are a leader, have you harmed or mistreated those under your care?
Dear ones if you're answering “yes” to any of these, put sin away. And do it today out of honour for Christ. The promise of Micah 5 is that God's gracious promise comes even to those who have failed Him. But let us not make light of our Saviour’s grace.
Pick up the text in Micah 5:2. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be named among the clans of Judah. From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler of Israel, whose coming is from of old, from ancient days.”
This is the meat of the promise that God makes. And it is a good one. But beyond good, it is an undeserved promise. God is not going to leave His people to the Assyrians or to exile, but He is going to bring forth a promised King, a new David, to defend and restore Israel.
I said earlier that prophets are like lawyers who apply ancient law to new plaintiffs and prosecute them for lawbreaking. Now Micah is like a lawyer executing an estate, ensuring rightful heirs receive the inheritance of ancient blessings.
God had promised Abraham generations ago in Genesis 17 that kings would come from him. Jacob prophesied specifically that it was Judah's family line. Genesis 49 says: “the scepter would not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him, and to him would be the obedience of the peoples.” The prophet Balaam confirms in Numbers 24 that a royal star and scepter would rise from Israel.
So God’s people expected a king, but their first king, Saul, was poorly chosen. God chooses differently. God chooses the youngest. God chooses the unlikely. God chooses tiny Bethlehem, which translated, means “house of bread”. Ephrathah means “fruitful”. Man may look at appearances, but God looks at the heart.
God chooses King David, who does indeed make the “house of bread” very fruitful. He becomes great, and in 2 Samuel 7 God promises that his throne will be established forever.
Fast forward to Micah. Long after David, after His kingdom split, and while His city is under siege, God’s promise comes again.
Can you see why this is a big deal? This is God’s amazing grace.
Your God is good when He makes and keeps gracious promises.
Friends, let this comfort you today — your God is good when He makes and keeps gracious promises. He is not cruel or vindictive. He does not keep score against us, but waits to be gracious towards us. The same prophet Micah paints God’s grace in Micah 7:19: “He will again have compassion on us, he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
If you are not a Christian, I am so glad you are here today. The Bible says that God is willing to be gracious to all of us who do not deserve His kindness. We have gone astray like sheep — rebelling against God to live life on our own terms. And though He should condemn us, God sent Jesus Christ into the world, so that our sins could be cast into the depths of the sea. On the cross, He dealt with our sins forever. If you turn from your sins and receive Him as Saviour, you too, can rest in Him.
You know the Christmas carol “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”? It is about the heavenly angels singing a song of God’s peace offer to man. The third verse describes how God’s grace is available to those who are tired of their sin: “And yet beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow, look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing. O rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing!” Friend, is this your glad and golden hour? Rest from your burden, come to Jesus. Speak to any of the elders, or me, or the friend that brought you after the service.
Those angels sang of God’s grace, and Micah 5 speaks of God’s grace.
Where? To those in darkness - God’s promise comes. To those in distress -God’s promise comes. To those who have failed Him - God’s promise comes.
We turn now to our second point. What did God promise?
God’s Shepherd comes (Micah 5:3-4)
God’s shepherd comes. He comes to seek His sheep.
Look at Micah 5:3 with me: “therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel”
This section on being given up, until “she who is in labour has given birth” takes some work. There will be a painful period where we are waiting for Zion, or Jerusalem to give birth, then God’s ruler comes to bring back the rest of his brothers to Israel. So in sequence, we go from Assyria’s invasion, deliverance, given up in exile, then return.
Archaeology confirms these events from the Bible so wonderfully at the British Museum in London. My wife and I were there recently — I have mentioned this before and you know I dragged her there – to see the stunning wall carvings of the Assyrian army invading the Judean town of Lachish. Lachish is only 40km from Jerusalem. The distance from Johor to Singapore.
But for some reason, Assyria's invasion of Judah just stopped after Lachish, and they turned around. Isaiah 36-37 tells us that God rescued Jerusalem.
I mention these details because they remind us: our faith is rooted in real history. God's Word is not myth — it is truth written in stone and time.
Look down at Micah 5:5-6: “When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; (so God raises a defense) they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod” (that is the capital of Assyria) “at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border.”
So Micah 5 moves from Assyrian invasion (Micah 5:1), to God’s shepherd over the land of Assyria (Micah 5:6). Assyria crushed. Judah delivered. Fortunes reversed. The Bible often describes God working like this — turning the tables on worldly powers, reminding us that God rules over kings, raising up one and bringing down another.
But there is more. After the Assyrian invasion, Judah does not repent. And she is taken into captivity in Babylon, just as the covenant curses warned. But nearly 70 years later, Cyrus the Persian allows the Jews to return to their land. It almost looks like Micah’s prophecy is fulfilled through Cyrus? Isaiah 44 even refers to Cyrus as God’s instrument and Shepherd, almost 200 years before he appears on the scene.
Let me try to explain. Understanding prophecy in the Bible means learning to see multiple horizons of fulfillment — a partial, immediate fulfilment, then a final, complete one later. Think of a mountain range you see from a distance. It looks like one great peak. As you get closer, you realise there are foothills in front, then larger mountains behind. Assyria, exile and Cyrus are the foothills. There is an even greater mountain still yet to come.
I offer another analogy: do you know Do-Re-Mi from “The Sound of Music”? It goes “doe a deer a female deer, re, a drop of golden sun, mi a name I call myself…” It is designed with embellishment on a deeper, purer form of 8 notes, do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do.
Assyria, exile and Cyrus are like the tune “doe a deer a female deer”. But look deeper and wait, there is a purer, truer fulfilment still.
In advent, we look to what these ancient promises really point to — the greater fulfillment.
A greater shepherd comes. Born in Bethlehem, like David. But unlike David, He will never fail nor pass away. What is He like?
Isaiah 40 says “He will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” John 10 says “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and they follow Him. He will give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of His hand.”
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. Like the man with a hundred sheep he leaves the ninety nine in the open country to seek the one that is lost. Listen to Luke 15:5-7 — “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
Jesus Christ comes, searching for the lost. He calls out, and you must respond.
Is there anyone here today who feels lost? Jesus Christ comes, searching for the lost. He calls out, and you must respond. But if you would come to Him, there is one important thing you must do. You must turn around, acknowledge that you are lost. That is how sheep come back when the shepherd calls. They hear Him, humbly submit, accept that they have gone astray, and resist Him no more.
We cannot be His sheep if we are proud. Or self-righteous. If we want it on our own terms. Humility is the only doorway to His fold. Christianity does not work as spiritual insurance — I just want to be safe in case there is a God. That is why to many, being Jesus’ sheep is deeply offensive — but refusing to admit lostness is further proof of our spiritual condition, until we return to Him. 1 Peter 2:25 puts it this way “For you were straying like sheep but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
And there is great joy in being found and coming home. Luke 15 says that “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
This church is made up of people who are all that one lost sheep. None of us are the ninety-nine righteous — we had all gone our own way until Jesus brought us home.Have you heard the story of Fiona the sheep? The BBC dubbed her “the loneliest sheep in Britain”. Fiona became famous in 2021, for being stranded at the foot of cliffs in the Scottish Highlands for two whole years. Somehow, she had strayed from her flock and got herself trapped on a thin shore strip between the steep cliff wall and the water. Stuck, she had accumulated so much heavy, shaggy wool that efforts to rescue her were incredibly complex.
To save her, five farmers staged a dramatic rescue, rappel down and use heavy equipment to hoist and haul her up the cliff. You can watch the rescue on the Youtube channel “The Sheep Game”.
Friends, wayward sheep can get stuck in all kinds of impossible situations. We even ask ourselves, “how on earth did I get here?” But isn’t this good news, that our Shepherd has come to get us out of our mess. I tell Fiona’s story for some humour, but also to illustrate what happens when we isolate ourselves, and become lonely sheep. When we resist a culture of turning back to the Shepherd.
We should not be like Israel and Judah. Our Shepherd delights as we keep turning back to Him. In fact we should get better at repenting, year on year.
Our church culture should be marked by true and rich repentance. We do this in our church gatherings, our care groups, in our Bible studies, growing not just in Bible knowledge. But helping each other turn to Jesus so no one gets stuck in our own weight.
How do we do this? Well friends, let us make it impossible to be “the loneliest sheep in GBC”. Let us meet to feed on His Word. Our elders teach us God’s Word. Let us draw close to God in prayer.
Let us get more involved with each other. Join a care group and let down your guard with others as you open your lives to each other. Walk with each other as we confess our sins and point each other to Christ. When someone stops showing up, do not assume they are fine—reach out.
Can I point out another pretty obvious thing about sheep? If our job is to be Christ’s sheep, do not add extra titles to the role.There are no options to be senior sheep, or advanced sheep, elite sheep, sheep dog. Trying to be a credentialed Christian, clinging to works’ righteousness is just silly. The joy of being His sheep, is simply that we are His. He is everything to us.
We love the words of Psalm 23: the Lord is our shepherd and thus we have no lack. He feeds with all we need. Even in the dark valleys, His shepherdly care and discipline are our security. Our temptation is to think too highly of ourselves. To forget that we are sheep. We may even be tempted to think that the Shepherd has gone away, not coming back, and now we need to fend for ourselves. Church of Christ, the master is returning. Do not abandon the flock. Remember the safety and sufficiency of the Shepherd. He is coming soon. The words of our closing song of response, based on Psalm 23, are so precious:
“The King of love my shepherd is, whose
Goodness faileth never
I nothing lack if I am His
And he is mine forever.”
We have seen that God’s shepherd comes to seek His sheep. Now notice how He comes. God’s shepherd will come in glory.
Look at Micah 5:4-5: “And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And He shall be their peace.”
See the logic: because God’s shepherd stands exalted, because He stands great to the ends of the earth, therefore the flock dwells secure. The shepherd’s greatness corresponds to the peace of the flock. Our blessings flow down from the glorious height of His majesty.
The Old Testament referred often to God and His anointed King as shepherds over God’s people. For example, the Lord says in Ezekiel 34:23 “And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.”
Shepherd David was raised to be King and to lead God’s flock. But as successful as He was, God’s coming shepherd will be “great to the ends of the earth”. His new kingdom will be wider in scope and deeper in peace. His people will be internationally diverse and united as one. A dusty strip of the Middle East is too small for Him, since His greatness will be to the world's end.
We see that glory early in the account of Christmas. Think about what the angel Gabriel promised young Mary about the child in her womb in Luke 1: “And behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
Later, wise men from the east, led by that bright star, come from faraway lands to seek out where the King of the Jews is to be born. They come to Herod, who does not know, so he assembles chief priests and scribes, and they reach for Micah 5. Their answer is Bethlehem of Judea, as written by the prophet. And then these great men from faraway lands, long before the Day of Pentecost, bow down and worship this newborn king.
What does it look like to worship so great a king?
Section 44 of Handel's Messiah — the Hallelujah Chorus— has become one of Christianity’s most beloved expressions formusical worship. It has moved kings and audiences to their feet in worship for centuries. But listen to what it actually says: “Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns! The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of kings and Lord of lords. Hallelujah!”
Friends, can you hear that? Our God, Jesus Christ, reigns over a kingdom that spans the globe and lasts forever. That’s why we take this message to the ends of the earth, and we need to keep doing it until He returns. Worship of God drives evangelism and mission. The more glorious our Shepherd is to us, the more we should want Him to be known on the earth, as waters cover the sea, in every generation.
The Shepherd first came in glory. He came in the glory of His birth —with heavenly angels heralding His nativity, peace on earth, goodwill to men. He came in the glory of His ministry —healing the sick and teaching with authority. He came in the glory of His Cross — the innocent for the guilty, obeying the Father, crying “It is finished.” He came in the glory of His resurrection—raised on the third day, swallowing up death in victory. He came in the glory of His ascension—to reign at the Father's right hand as our advocate.
And He will come again in glory—to judge the living and the dead.
Finally, let us consider what does this glorious Shepherd accomplish? He comes to give us rest.
I love the simplicity of the statement in Micah 5:5. “He shall be our peace.”
Jesus is our peace with God. He was born to die. To atone for our sins.
Jesus is our peace with God. He was born to die. To atone for our sins. The angel said to his father in Matthew 1: “She will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Peace on earth and goodwill to all men is found nowhere else. Romans 5 says “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” If you are in Christ, you need never worry that God is out to get you. Put away guilt and shame, knowing that He is not merely great in might and glory, but in mercy and grace.
He is our peace with each other. I love the picture Paul uses in Ephesians 2 whereJesus breaks down the dividing wall of hostility between clean and unclean, Jew and Gentile. And then Paul says, “he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”
The people in this room are a testament to the peace of God entering a broken world. In Christ, we share friendship and fellowship and we can sing together: “Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings.”
God’s people can dwell secure because He is our peace. Dear ones, amid the busyness of this week, I hope you set aside some time to rest in Jesus. Get away from the festive frenzy. And when you do, remember your Saviour. Think on His peace as you picture Him asleep in that manger this Christmas. Jesus knew how to sleep soundly through the storm.
We need not be cynical about the tidings of comfort and joy in the season, even as wars rage and economies churn. Where is peace on earth and goodwill to all men to be found? Not summits. Not treaties. The answer is where it has always been — in a stable in Bethlehem.
God’s shepherd came once, bringing peace to us. God’s shepherd will come again to fulfil every promise He has made.
We began this message thinking about the great sheep panic of 1888. Thousands scattered into darkness because they hadno shepherd. No one to calm them. No one to protect them. No one to lead them home.
But Micah tells us: God’s promise comes in darkness, in His people’s distress. Though they failed Him. A shepherd comes to seek His sheep. In glory. For rest.
What will you do this week, when the anxiety of this life grips you — about money, family, health? Remember those sheep in 1888 — thousands scattered, no shepherd. Remember God’s Word today: God’s promised Shepherd is coming. So rest.
Hear His invitation and assurance: “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Amen.
Father, we fix our eyes on Jesus, God’s promised Shepherd. We look to His first coming with thanksgiving and second coming with faith. This advent, Spirit ofGod, help us rest from sin and striving. Rest from anxiety about our money, our children, about tomorrow. Help us rest in our King of Love, our Shepherd who is great to the ends of the earth — Jesus, who is our peace. We pray this in His name, amen.