Advent Devotional - Day 3: by Kay St. Pierre

READING: Micah 5: 2-5
“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,”

Micah 5: 2

This chapter of the book of Micah provides one of the clearest Old Testament prophecies of Christ’s coming. The Prophet Micah is reminding us that God truly hates sin, but loves the sinner so much that He was willing to send His Son, the Messiah to save and accept judgment in the sinner’s place. In verse two, Micah writes, “But you, Bethlehem. …. out of you will come for me one who will be ruler…”. Seven hundred years later, the religious leaders would use this verse to tell King Herod where the Messiah would be born. (Matt 2:6) The promised eternal King in David’s line, who would come to live as a man, had been alive forever – “from of old, from ancient times”. Although eternal, Christ entered human history as the man, Jesus of Nazareth. Let’s continue to prepare our minds and hearts to remember His birth in Bethlehem and to anticipate His triumphant return. “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”. (John 22:20).

Heavenly Father, throughout Advent I pray we don’t loose site of the reason we celebrate now. We are the sinners and Christ was sent to save us sinners. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.