But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2).
This Scripture is one of the most fascinating and awe-inspiring passages in the Bible. “Though you are little among the thousands” is a refrain that echoes from eternity. God has shown us His power throughout our history with Him. He does not need great numbers or fleshly might to accomplish His goals and purposes. Implicit in Scripture is the reality that size is not the most important thing to God. Who can defeat His Divine Initiatives? As sons of God, we are more than able through Him who loves us. Although in the natural, our strength may seem small, in Christ we are impregnable.
We are instructed to never despise the day of small things. We often look at the huge tasks facing us rather than at the bigness of our God facing down our enemies.
“Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). Micah, by the Holy Spirit, sees our great God and Savior, coming out of eternity, through one of the lowest towns in Judah to take His place as “the One to be Ruler in Israel.” The God of the universe chose to make His entrance into the earth from a place called “little” among the thousands of Judah. He often blesses us from a place where we think it is impossible to do so. He still chooses “the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty […] and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). He is an amazing God!
He made Bethlehem significant by choosing it for His own birth. He has given us significance by giving us His Spirit and choosing us to be His body.