They asked, if you are not the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet, why are you baptizing? John 1: 28, 29.

 

If you are a follower of Christ, a similar question will be asked about you.

Since you are not Christ, why are you trying to change anybody’s life?

The world and many religious people do not know that we gave our lives to Christ on our path to salvation, and He came into us – in the form of the Holy Spirit, another aspect of God.

Consider these passages that speak of our being joined with Christ.

John 14:16 The Holy Spirit, “the Comforter, will abide with you forever.”

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John 15:1-6 NASB "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. (2) "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. (3) "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (4) "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. (5) "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (6) "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

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1 John 5:20 NASB “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

So the world, which can't see that this happens, will not acknowledge that you are in Christ.

Alright, what about Elijah?

First, we are not to pray in Elijah’s name, but few would consider doing this. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, they got a response something like this.

“So do not be like them; for your, Father knows what you need before you ask Him. "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 'Give us this day our daily bread.”
(Matthew 6:8-11 NASB)

Direct instructions from Jesus about asking can be seen in John's gospel.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
(John 14:12-14 NASB)

The faith camp will have you using a passage like this to order God around as you demand a Tesla or a Rolls Royce automobile. Have you checked the maintenance costs on either of those? If you can afford it, then go for it; otherwise, you are simply feeding into your selfish desires.

John 1:26-27 NASB “John answered them saying, "I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. (27) "It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."

From the LASB commentary:

“John was baptizing Jews. The Essenes (a strict, monastic sect of Judaism) practiced baptism for purification, but normally only non-Jews (Gentiles) were baptized when they converted to Judaism. When the Pharisees questioned John's authority to baptize, they were asking who gave John the right to treat God's chosen people like Gentiles. John said, "I baptize with water"—he was merely helping the people perform a symbolic act of repentance. But soon one would come who would truly forgive sins, something only the Son of God—the Messiah—could do.”

We are not told in scripture that these were the Essenes; we are left to pick through extra-Biblical information, such as historical accounts and commentaries, to find out that a particular group was challenging the Baptist.

For John to throw this statement about baptism back at these Jewish leaders was either a hefty dose of sarcasm or evidence that by “Essene” standards, he was doing a good thing. The answer is unclear to us.

Try to imagine the Pharisees' reactions: “John answered them saying, I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.” I can see them beginning to look around. Did someone come up behind us, and we not be aware of it. Moments later, they realized what he meant in their everyday lives.

The prophet Isaiah, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said,

"...There was nothing special or impressive about the way he looked, nothing we could see that would cause us to like him." (Isaiah 53:2 ERV)

Why would he say something like that?

He hadn't seen Jesus; therefore, Isaiah could only say something so bold by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Odd how so many of us have fallen in love with this man. I can't see Him as the disciples did, yet what draws me to Him is His love for me, which was demonstrated throughout the scriptures.

John 1:27 ERV  “He is the one who is coming later. I am not good enough to be the slave who unties the strings on his sandals.”

Note the location of Bethany just to the right of Jerusalem. No wonder John the baptist drew the
attention of the Pharisees.

John 1:28 ERV  These things all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. This is where John was baptizing people.

In response to John's assertion, He is the one who is coming later. It would not be that much later, for the Messiah showed up the next day.

John 1:29 TLV  “The next day, John sees Yeshua coming to him and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Think about this bold statement made by John, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Where did this come from?

If you have been following our study in the book of John, then you will remember how I pointed out that Elizabeth, his mother, was filled with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, though John leaped in his mother's womb when she heard the greeting by Mary, this does NOT imply anything about John.

I am bringing these things up because I was bombarded with misinformation as I grew up in church. As I have sat under the teaching of evangelists, pastors, and various teachers, the implications of how the Holy Spirit moves in you and “controls” you.

• First, the Holy Spirit DOES NOT possess anybody unless that person asks Him to control them.

The example that stands out is Nicky Cruz, the former ‎Mau Maus gang leader, who tormented Pastor David Wilkerson and became the subject of Pastor Wilkerson's book “The Cross and the Switchblade.” One day, I came home from work, and my wife (at the time) had Trinity Broad Casting on the Television, and they were interviewing now pastor Nicky Cruz. Nicky spoke about his father in Puerto Rico, who had been a Santeria priest. His dad would encourage the “evil spirits” to possess him and make him the best and possibly the most feared Santeria priest in PR. 

Nicky pointed out that the Holy Spirit is a spirit and suggested that we “Christians” invite the Holy Spirit to possess us. I have done that at times, repeatedly.

(If I learned anything from church, I falsely came to believe that I needed to keep putting Jesus back on His throne and that I needed to re-invite the Holy Spirit into my life. These two things are the predominant falsehoods that I fight. Now, I will admit that I do allow distractions to take my mind away from the life and power of the Holy Spirits impact; however, I have also come to understand that it is me and not the power of Jesus Christ or the comforter, that has gone on vacation. )

• Note how the Baptist declared, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

How would John know this?

Here are a couple of examples to answer this question.

“Then Isaac said to Abraham his father, “My father?” Then he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Look. Here’s the fire and the wood. But where’s the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” The two of them walked on together.” (Genesis 22:7-8 TLV)

I suggested that Isaiah 53 may have been on John's mind as he made these statements, which may have startled even John, who, like me, often wondered where those thoughts came from.

“We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us turned to his own way. So Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.”
(Isaiah 53:6-7 TLV)

Clearly, there is a grasp that Jesus, the spotless lamb, had the iniquity of all of us laid upon Him.

“Your lamb is to be without blemish, a year old male. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.”
(Exodus 12:5 TLV)

The example from Exodus 12 continues.

“They (God's people) are to take the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the crossbeam of the houses where they will eat it.”
(Exodus 12:7 TLV)

Putting the blood on the doorpost is symbolic of our being covered by Jesus' blood and our protection from the wrath (that for the Egyptians and those among “God's people” that refused to believe) that was to come.

“Also, you are to eat it this way: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in haste. It is Adonai’s Passover. “For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and strike down every firstborn, both men and animals, and I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. I am Adonai. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. So there will be no plague among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
(Exodus 12:11-13 TLV)

Leviticus also helps to define the removal of and our permanent separation from all sin.

“/Aaron should lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of Bnei-Yisrael and all their transgressions, all their sins. He should place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat will carry all their iniquities by itself into a solitary land and he is to leave the goat in the wilderness.”
(Leviticus 16:21-22 TLV)

Jesus took all our sins to the cross with Him. Although I have tried to share this information with the various church bodies I have been involved with, I can tell you that some will come back you with vile hatred. I suppose this makes sense to some as they also condemn many to hell.

As a young man, who was shy and withdrawn, we were sent out to the local neighborhood to win the lost to Christ. At this point in time, if you had long hair, you were a hippie, so when we knocked, a hippie came to the door. I had taken a position to the side near the door and leaned against the railing. I do not remember most of what was said, but the man responded with no thanks; I am not interested. To his response, one loud but pretty girl yelled back, then you are going to hell. They all turned and walked away. I just stood there. The man turned to me and said, what do you have to say? All I could say was, I am so sorry, and I merely walked away. That moment changed me, and I told God I would never do this door-to-door garbage or speak to anybody in that manner again.

I am passionate about what I know and refuse to whisper as I sit in a public place talking about Jesus.

Micah 5:4,5 - For He will be highly honored.

When I wrote on Micah 5:3 I was aware that Micah's train of thought continued beyond verse three, however, for the sake of brevity, I tried to remain focused on verse 3 alone.

Now, as I move forward, I am struck with another vague reference, as the NLT uses the word “he.”
Micah 5:4 NLT  And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world.

This word is in contrast to verse three, which also has an undefined reference to a “He.” Vague character references need to be revealed. As I have stated before there are numerous Bible translations, and it is wise to compare by checking words. Here is one of the examples.

Micah 5:2-3 NASB "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." (3) Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.

In Micah 5:3 the reference to “He” is a reference to Jehovah, while in Micah 5:4 the “he” is denoting Yeshua/Jesus.

In Micah 5:2, Bethlehem was being addressed when it stated that, “One will go forth for Me “The “Me” in this passage is Jehovah. But who is being referred to when it says, One? If you have been a follower of Christ for a reasonable length of time, your mind should be screaming out; this is talking about Jesus. You and I both know that, but what of the person that doesn't? Some passages that point to Jesus are:

Numbers 24:19 NASB "One from Jacob shall have dominion,

Psalms 78:71 NASB From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

Daniel 9:25 CEV  ... from the command to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Chosen Leader, it will be seven weeks and another sixty-two weeks...

All of these events have happened, and yet there is no peace in the world.

If I were looking for peace as the marker could I see it with my physical eye? No, you can see the evidence of peace, and the world has none. However, Jesus brought peace into the hearts of all those who seek Him. What does all this mean? It means that a day is coming, soon, in which the Messiah, the One who will go forth for the Father, will slay all those who choose to fight with Him; and, he will bring about an eternal peace for those who live on the earth.

What do I do with the phrase from verse 3, “Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child.”

God, with frequency and clarity, told Israel through the prophets, that He would send them into bondage and captivity if they did not change; evidently, they refused to listen. This refusal on Israel's part has been a problem for them since they came out of Egypt. However, Jesus reiterated many times, and, in many ways, that He and the Father are one. Therefore we cannot separate the two and their actions.

With that introduction let's get into Micah 5:4

Micah 5:4 NASB And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.

Notice how Micah 5:4 says, “He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD .”
Now I have to determine who the “he” is. There is an obvious answer, and it comes from the context I just mentioned when I spoke about verses two and three. With our minds already focused on keywords such as Bethlehem, shepherd, and flock, these are none other than Jesus. Aside from the context, there is an immediate association that my mind makes with Jesus. Matthew's gospel quoted Micah 5:4, but there are many that do not make this association. So, let's look at the phrases that might make up our apologetic.

• “Born in Bethlehem.” Micah 5:2 lays that scenario out before us, but it was discussed again in John's gospel.
• “out of you, He shall come forth.” We have established that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but I could also understand this to mean He will come forth out of Israel.
• “to become One ruling in Israel.”
  The problem many of us have is that we look at this in an immediate and literal sense. The Jews would not accept Him as the Messiah they looked for; and yet, when Herod begins to panic at the sight of the Wise Men – along with their entourage, he immediately calls in the Chief priests and elders to explain why these men have come. While the answer given by the chief priests and elders was correct and to the point, they also acknowledged that they would not serve Him. Notice Herod's reaction. It tells us that he ignored their foolishness and accepted the words of the Wise Men; the result is that killed all the male children in that region from age two and under. Why do that? Because wiser men than the elders knew that the ruler had been born.
• His goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.

All these are representations of Jesus.

Micah 5:4b NLT tells us,
“Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world.

Two things stand out to me:

• Israel may think they are undisturbed, but they are not,

and,

• Yeshua is not highly honored throughout the world.

When you read about the apostasy taking place, an event you can find in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,
“Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom.” CJB 

Apostasy, according to Strong's, is the Greek word apostasia and means the defection from the truth; a falling away, or the forsaking of what you know to be the truth.

You come to realize that this world we live in is neck deep in apostasy. How do I know that? I frequently sit with representatives from the subset we know as the church, and I am telling you, we, in general, fit into every category of apostasy.

We have seen that the Messiah came in Jesus Christ. He was born in Bethlehem, just as Micah said, and yet there are several other huge aspects.

• And they will remain because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.

What does it mean to remain – steadfast or secure in their land? How about Jesus being honored to the ends of the earth? Neither of those scenarios will take place until Jesus returns, and then there will be a thousand years of peace.

We have to cover one more verse before we go.

Micah 5:5 NASB This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.

“This one will be our peace.”
One of our prime examples of Jesus being that peace comes from the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:6 KJV  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son, is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

If you are not convinced, then perhaps this will help.
Isaiah 14:2-3 KJV  And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.  (3)  And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

Isaiah 14 sounds like so many of the passages we have already discussed, and yet having rest from your sorrows; from fear, and from bondage, sounds like peace to me.

Jeremiah, though, shows us the heart of the Father, and it is peace.
Jeremiah 29:11 KJV  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

“When the Assyrian invades our land,”
We are told, “This is a title of the Antichrist, who will come from the same general geographical territory.” The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury We are not looking for an Antichrist that comes out of Rome, as many have taught.

You should be asking yourself, where does this man come from?
The Assyrian territory ranged as far North as Armenia; West into Asia Minor; East through Iraq and Kuwait, and South into Egypt. All these nations are now Muslim or heavily influenced by Islam.
Speaking of a time to come the Psalmist had this to say.

Psalms 79:1 KJV  ... O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

Although the psalmist called them heathens, the theme is the same. Whether they are called Assyrians or heathens, they are all still the nations or Gentiles to the Jew; and these, have defiled the holy temple and laid Jerusalem on heaps. Since there is no temple currently, it either talking about 70 AD or a future time, after the last temple is built. Jerusalem too was laid in heaps, however, under the leadership of Nehemiah, it was rebuilt. Will it be laid in heaps once again? Yes.

“When he tramples on our citadels,”

Revelation is speaking of a time in the near future when it speaks of the holy city being tread underfoot.
Revelation 11:2 KJV  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

“Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.”
For myself, this makes no sense on a casual read, however, I give you this.

Eight. As seven is the symbol of a sacred whole, so eight, when united with it, is something beyond it (Pusey). The spiritual significance of the number eight often includes the thought of a new beginning (for the first day of the week is the eighth day, a new beginning), resurrection, and regeneration. The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury

Ecclesiastes also speaks in terms of sevens and eights; let's see if it helps our understanding.
Ecclesiastes 11:2 CJB  Divide your merchandise into seven or eight shares, since you don't know what disasters may come on the earth.

Micah 5:5b NLT conveys a rather negative image; does it make sense?

“When the Assyrians invade our land and break through our defenses, we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us, eight princes to lead us.”

Without additional pressures, it is much easier to make good decisions; having the enemy trample your land and sacred buildings does not help, nor is the time to make those decisions. So I have not answered the question of what the eight means, and may have only clouded the issue.

That new beginning addressed above in the comments of the UCRT, is the Millennial reign with Christ sitting on the throne as the head over all.


 I was trying to bring Micah 5:6 into this study as it fits with the context, but I was pushing seven pages. And, it was making me crazy, so next time. God Bless.

Micah 5:2. The LORD will choose one of your people to rule.

I rarely watch the regular news channels. If you are wise and have resources like the internet, then you know that France, Germany, and Italy are having violent protests. The reasons are various, as they are in opposition to governmental decisions, taxation, and the aggressiveness of “immigrants” that have been allowed to flood in uncontrolled. We have an unchecked problem here in America as well.

I don't know about you, but I feel as though there is little I can do that is useful, and so I write. Maybe that's the condition we find Micah in as we move into chapter five of Micah.

Jerusalem, enemy troops, have surrounded you; they have struck Israel's ruler in the face with a stick. (Micah 5:1 CEV)

Surrounding you doesn't always sound so bad unless of course it is associated with the fear of brutal torture and death, as many of the “Christians” have experienced in the nations that suffered through ISIS. Daniel, the prophet, was what we understand to be, one of the valuable ones, but even then, he had to prove himself to Nebuchadnezzar. So, even for Daniel, there were no guarantees. For Micah, there is no guarantee of what will become of him.

Adam Clarke's commentary gives us some rather startling information when it tells us that Zedekiah wasn't just struck in the face with a stick.

He (Nebuchadnezzar) hath laid siege against us; (Jerusalem ); they shall smite the judge of Israel (Zedekiah) with a rod upon the cheek - They shall offer him the greatest indignity. They slew his sons before his face; and then put out his eyes, loaded him with chains, and carried him captive to Babylon.

Interesting how God has either turned the focus or, verse one of chapter five is merely the closing lines of chapter 4. Adam Clarke once again confirmed what I thought when he says,
“But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah - I have considered this subject in great detail in the notes on Matthew 2:6, to which the reader will be pleased to refer. This verse should begin this chapter; the first verse belongs to the preceding chapter.”

Now, let's dive into the meat of what I wanted to talk about, Micah 5:2 and hopefully beyond.

I was not aware that there were two cities called Bethlehem. Quickly we will see the importance of Bethlehem Ephratah.

Bethlehem Ephratah, to distinguish it from another Beth-lehem, which was in the tribe of Zebulun, Joshua 19:15

Micah 5:2 CEV  Bethlehem Ephrath, you are one of the smallest towns in the nation of Judah. But the LORD will choose one of your people to rule the nation— someone whose family goes back to ancient times.

From Adam Clarke's commentary on Matthew 2:1.
“Bethlehem of Judea - This city is mentioned in Judges 17:7, and must be distinguished from another of the same name in the tribe of Zebulon, Joshua 19:15. It is likewise called Ephrath, Genesis 48:7, or Ephratah, Micah 5:2, and its inhabitants Ephrathites, Ruth 1:2; 1Samuel 17:12. It is situated on the downslope of a hill, about six miles from Jerusalem. בית לחם Beth-lechem, in Hebrew, signifies the house of bread. And the name may be considered as very properly applied to that place where Jesus, the Messiah, the true bread that came down from heaven, was manifested, to give life to the world. But לחם lehem also signifies flesh and is applied to that part of the sacrifice which was burnt upon the altar.”

Genesis is mentioned by Adam Clarke, as it contains what would be an oral history delivered by Jacob. Here in Genesis 48:7 we Jacob burying Rachel as he traveled to Ephrath.

Genesis 48:7 NASB "Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

If we were to consider ancestral lineage, Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, plays a tremendous role. However, it is her father-in-law that brings our attention to Bethlehem.

Ruth 1:2 NASB The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.

In a relatively short period of time, Boaz marries Ruth.
Ruth 4:13 MKJV  And Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. And when he went in to her, Jehovah made her conceive. And she bore a son.

Odd how the path leading to the birth of Jesus begins and ends in this little town. It makes you wonder if God had everything perfectly planned out.

Ruth 4:17 MKJV  And the women, her neighbors, gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi. And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

With that in mind, look at this piece of information, for even the future king, David was born there.

1 Samuel 17:12 NASB Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men.

Micah 5:2 in the NASB, declares
“From you, One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.”

The NIV translation puts it this way:
“out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,”

I might conclude that this prophecy came to pass with King David, as I just showed you that he came out of Bethlehem; but this prophetic statement, like so many other prophecies of end times events, has multiple occurrences. An example of this would be the destruction of the temple.

In response to the disciples' question, when that would happen, Jesus did not directly answer their question, but said, “There shall not be left here one stone on another that shall not be thrown down.” This had nothing to do with the calendar, however, only a few years later in 70 AD, the temple was destroyed, but much like our example of David becoming king, this immediate destruction of the temple was not His focus. His discussion covered two chapters in Matthew and included significant events that projected well over two thousand years into the future. While ignoring the millennial reign, He included the final judgment upon the earth. (You find this exchange in the 24^th and 25^th chapter of Matthew.)

But we have one other clue that diverts us away from King David.
“whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Think about the idea that Jesus, the physical image of the Father, appeared all throughout the Old Testament. One of those places was here in Genesis 18.

Genesis 18:1-2 NIV  The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.  (2)  Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Note that Abraham looked up and saw three men. Although in hindsight, the storyteller addresses one of them as the Lord, I do not think Abraham knew that immediately. A piece of evidence for that would be the next verse.

Genesis 18:3 NIV  He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.
The Word Study Dictionary tells us that the word lord, as used here in verse 3, is this: ’ādôn: “A masculine noun meaning lord or master. The most frequent usage is of a human lord, but it is also used of divinity. Generally, it carries the nuances of authority rather than ownership.”

So, I can perceive Abraham's address as one made toward authority; a polite gesture in the face of men you do not know.

When we get to verse 17, the tenor of the conversation changed, and here the word Lord means y^ehōwāh: A noun meaning God. The word refers to the proper name of the God of Israel, particularly the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses (Exodus 6:2-3).

Genesis 18:17-22 NIV  Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?  (18)  Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.  (19)  For I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."  (20)  Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous  (21)  that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."  (22)  The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
Abraham stood before y^ehōwāh. As I said, Jesus told us that no man has seen the Father, and lived; yet Abraham lived. So what did he see? He saw Jesus, the express image of the Father.

John 12:45 MSG Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me.

And though most try to avoid the subject of Melchizedek, there are huge clues which lead us back to another, an ancient appearance of Jesus.

Genesis 14:18 NASB And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.


 The ISBE informs us that “the name is explained in Hebrews 7:2 as “king of righteousness.” There is only one who holds that title, and his name is Jesus.

Micah 4:8 The hill and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion.

Due to issues popping up it has taken me a couple of weeks to get back to working on Micah.
As I migrated through the Christmas season, I became aware that Micah spoke of Bethlehem, and that got me even more excited. Sadly, I am finding it more difficult to remember things and therefore find it difficult to communicate what I am feeling and experiencing as I go through these studies with you. On the plus side, a lack of memory leaves me with no ammunition for fights that arise, but that is okay as I have not been called to fight.

The following is from a blog site run by Jewish believers and was the devotional feature of their daily news headlines. It is called Worthy Christian Blogs.

I used to post my blogs there, but I found it to be filled with Pharisees and scribes who have nothing better to do than to berate people who are trying to point people to Jesus. With that said, I am nothing short of suspicious of when it comes to their editorial side. However, this one, right before Christmas, caught my attention, and I was just in awe of what I saw, as it spoke to me on so many levels.

Micah 4:8 AMP And you, O tower of the flock, the hill, and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, unto you, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the Daughter of Jerusalem.

The devotional included Micah 4:8 and Micah 5:2.

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." (Micah 5:2 NASB)

“There are many who are not aware of the very deep significance of Bethlehem, Yeshua's (Jesus') birthplace. Everyone knows that Bethlehem was a place where shepherds grazed their sheep, and where the Messiah was to be born, but do not realize that it was a town designated as the birthing place for lambs which were used for the Passover sacrifice. The Scriptures give significant details about this little town lying slightly south of Jerusalem.

In Micah 4:8 we read about the "Watchtower of the flock," or in Hebrew, "Migdal Edar." According to the "Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah," by Alfred Edersheim, a Jewish believer in the late 1800's, Migdal Edar was the location where the Messiah was to be revealed. This watchtower stood as a place of protection for the city from approaching enemies, but it was also utilized by shepherds to watch over the specific flocks from which sacrificial Passover lambs were taken.

The shepherds who were tending these particular flocks were no ordinary shepherds. They were specifically trained by the Rabbis for a holy task. They had to ensure that, as much as possible, every lamb was free of any blemish or injury, in order to be used for the Passover sacrifice. Since they were instructed by the Rabbis, they almost certainly knew of those passages in the Targums (Aramaic translations) and the Mishna associating the birth of the Messiah with "Migdal Edar." For example, Migdal Edar is translated in one of the Targums as "The Anointed One of the Flock of Israel." It is also written in the Mishna that "He spread his tent beyond Migdal Edar, the place where King Messiah will reveal Himself at the end of days."

I finished reading this, that day, and suddenly I realized that Jesus, the lamb, was intentionally born in Bethlehem, under the watchful eye of these trained shepherds, with the intent of making sure that God's lamb would be born without spot or blemish, just as scripture called for. Those shepherds we deem poor were the richest of all for they knew, listened, and tended to the King of Kings that day. The Wise men also knew and came, however, they came later when Joseph and Mary were no longer in a manger; and, they brought enough gold and salable items that the family could live comfortably for several years. This was important as they immediately went into hiding after this event.
Consider something. When Herod saw the considerable entourage that came with the wise men he panicked and called the Chief priests and elders, and asked them why they were here. They knew the answer, but they would not come, nor would they worship. After the wise men left, Herod then had all the male children two and under killed.

Their post ended with a personal address and said this:

“those shepherds had strong hints of Messiah's advent in the very town where they lived so that when the angelic host appeared announcing his arrival, they responded immediately and went to worship Him. We too have increasing signs of His soon Second Coming. Are we also prepared to respond? “

In trying to finish out chapter 4, there is this. Verses 9-13 are, to say the least, dismal. Micah came from Israel, the Southern region, and was the last to go into captivity.

"Now, why do you cry out loudly? Is there no king among you, Or has your counselor perished, That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth? "Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth; For now you will go out of the city, Dwell in the field, And go to Babylon. There you will be rescued; There the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies. "And now many nations have been assembled against you Who say, 'Let her be polluted, And let our eyes gloat over Zion.' "But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, And they do not understand His purpose; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. "Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, For your horn I will make iron And your hoofs I will make bronze, That you may pulverize many peoples, That you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. (Micah 4:9-13 NASB)

Here Micah points out:

• The anguish. “ That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth? "Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth.”
• That Israel would go into captivity but be rescued eventually, and in time, be redeemed. “ For now you will go out of the city, Dwell in the field, And go to Babylon. There you will be rescued for the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies.”
• Even though many nations assemble against Zion, “they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, And they do not understand His purpose; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.”
• Although it is hard to see, Israel will have her day. “Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, For your horn, I will make iron And your hoofs I will make bronze, That you may pulverize many peoples, That you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.”

Paul's acceptance? Galatians 2:1-5,

The NASB entitles chapter two as Paul's acceptance by the Apostles.

A short side trip.

Is there a difference between the Apostles and disciples? Our mind quickly draws a picture of the twelve that Jesus picked out. Of course, there was Judas who had to be replaced, but effectively we are talking about the twelve disciples. Told to gather in Jerusalem, and wait there until the Holy Spirit came upon them, we see this:

Acts 1:14-15 NASB These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. 15) At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,”

What we see here is a collection of what was loosely known as the disciples. But notice the quantity – about one hundred and twenty persons. Since women were not high on the priority list, they, except for Mary the mother of Jesus, were probably not counted.

This varied group became the church in Jerusalem. They owned no buildings, obtained no tax exemptions, and still found themselves threatened by the likes of Saul in a very short time. The early church, meeting in small numbers, in homes were very Jewish inhabit and tradition. And, they were many days distant from any of the church bodies that the new disciple Saul, would have established.

We learned, from Saul/Paul's mouth, that:

• For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:12 NASB
• Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother. Galatians 1:17-19 NASB

The information (the grace, mercy, and freedom) that Paul preached came straight from God. Mind you, there was that small interaction with James, but that did not account for much. And, I stayed with Peter for fifteen days.

What do we know about Peter?

• Peter was the first one we see being sent to the Gentiles. However, Peter did not grasp what God was telling him and the Gentile evangelistic move on Peter's part died.
• There was the vision of the blanket coming down with clean and unclean animals in it. The voice Peter heard, he identified as Jehovah, told him to eat anything on the blanket. Of course, being a Jew, he could never eat anything unclean. The object lesson was yet to come, as God pointed out that Peter was never to call anything unclean that He had made clean.
• As quickly as the vision came to an end, there was a knock at the door. The visitor pleaded with Peter to come to the house of this man's master, one Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and yet a devout man. The implications show the centurion's devotion to the Jewish way of life. (As Roman, he would have been considered a Gentile and therefore a worshiper of pagan gods. These attributes would have caused the centurion to be deemed unclean and untouchable by a Jew.)

Peter arrives at the Centurion's home and begins to deliver his best message, but right in the middle of if the entire family receives the Holy Spirit and begins speaking in other tongues. Peter is baffled and says, well, I guess the Holy Spirit of God is not exclusive to the Jews. And with that, Peter disappears into the church council in Jerusalem, and we hear little else of Cornelius.

Back to Paul.

Galatians 2:1 NASB Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also.

A short stay with Peter, and a brief conversation with James. Paul's stay in Damascus, we assume, lasted three years. Now fourteen years later Paul takes Barnabas, a Jewish convert, and Titus as well. And where do they go? To the council in Jerusalem.

Galatians 2:2 NASB It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

“It was because of a revelation that I went up”, this revelation is a mystery to us. We only know that it was a motivation for Paul to run this message that he preached to the Gentiles, past the church elders. This entire idea is a bit of a problem, for what did Jewish followers know of the Gentiles aside from the prejudice that was integrated into their thought life from their youth.

“I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles”; I can read several layers of meaning into this statement.

• To a degree, he is submitting to the church leadership.
• He is doing a validation check. An underlying tone here could be the belief that they don't get what Paul is teaching, nor do they teach it. Since we can understand that the church elders focused almost strictly on the Jewish community, Paul's message may be heresy as far as they are concerned.
• He is preaching that same message to them. Is it possible that his motives included having church elders expand their target audience?

“but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.” Rarely do you hear anyone speak of Paul as a fearful man, and yet, there is that word, fear. An obvious aspect of this is that Paul had been preaching this gospel to Gentiles already, but wait a minute; having read a rather chronological record of Paul's activities in the book of Acts, we know that Paul spent a tremendous amount of time in the Synagogues. Paul did not take his message to the Gentiles until he had his fill of beatings and attempts on his life at the hands of Jewish zealots. This fourteen year period of time then included the abuse and eventual migration to the Gentile community. Almost all of the new believers/followers of Christ were Jewish. In a moment we will see Barnabas and Titus. Note how Paul tells us that Titus was not compelled to become circumcised, indicating that he was not born Jewish, but says nothing about Barnabas. The implications are that Barnabas was a Jewish convert.

Galatians 2:3 NASB But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

Now, here comes the real reason Paul is in Jerusalem, and it has little to do with acceptance.

So Paul, is in Jerusalem, having secret talks – if you will, with the church elders, because of the next few verses.

Galatians 2:4-5 NASB But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. 5) But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

“But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus.” How would you make these determinations?

• False brethren
  Are you aware that witch covens have people planted in churches for the express purpose of bringing curses against your pastor and your church body? You might think that would be obvious, especially if they wore a long pointed hat. But you realize that they look like anybody. Unfortunately, most of our false brethren have submitted themselves to Satan's work unwittingly. In being false they slip in quietly and once accepted to some degree, they espouse vehemently, things that are in opposition to the nature and character of God and His word.
• secretly brought in,
  To be secretly brought in implies something intentional. Isn't Satan intentional in his disdain and methods? We are not on a proverbial witch hunt, but what other groups might want to see our groups and churches disrupted? Surprisingly, our governments, with their Antichrist attitudes and laws could fit that description. What about other religious ideologies such as Islam? Islam has stated goals of killing off everyone that is not of their beliefs, and yet the Quran gives them the liberty to lie and deceive in order to infiltrate for the purpose of taking you down and putting you in submission.
• to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus,
  This aspect becomes important went put in the context of Jew converting and becoming followers of the way. Really, they were and still are, adding the richness found in the Messiah; the same Messiah they have spent their lives waiting for. Traditional Jews (Paul was one,) despise this “Gentile” messiah, as they choose to believe we created Him. What they are doing is ignoring chapters like Isaiah 53, which speak of the tortures He endured to bring us this freedom called grace and mercy.
• in order to bring us into bondage.
  Bondage, look the word up and you might find this: See Slave. The dictionary tells us that it is: Slavery or involuntary servitude; captivity; imprisonment; restraint of a person's liberty by compulsion.
  So, Paul, in the course of teaching freedom, occasionally found people, integrated into their groups, that had the express goal of restraining, restoring traditions over freedom, and recapturing those who had been set free.

“But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.” Because we know that Paul went to the council in Jerusalem, we have to assume that here too he sustained some pressure to change. If you read about Paul's trials and tribulations, then you know that this was one of his major arguments. In reply, the council asked no demands of the Gentiles except that they stay away from eating animals with the blood still in them.

Galatians 2:6 MSG As for those who were considered important in the church, their reputation doesn't concern me. God isn't impressed with mere appearances, and neither am I. And of course, these leaders were able to add nothing to the message I had been preaching.

Based upon this statement, “these leaders were able to add nothing to the message I had been preaching.” we can assume that to some degree they understood the message, although they may not have preached it themselves. The Jerusalem council may have been apprehensive about letting the Gentiles into the synagogues, but that was not the issue, nor the question; the real question had more to do with economics, for example:

• If they were Jewish converts, who then would buy the lambs for sacrifice? This is important if they all come to the understanding that Yeshua the Messiah became the sacrificial lamb. This question is not so important if they were merely Gentile believers.
• And what becomes of the important rituals, rituals that probably required some temple fee? In scripture we see a man coming to Jesus and saying, if you will you can make me clean. Well, surely Jesus could and he did make the man clean, but, there is the demand of the law to go and show yourself to the priests. They, in turn, would decree you clean before the community and restore your rights. Jesus helped the man and gave him a stern warning which he ignored, and that was that he tell no one. Did any of you ever question why he would do such a thing? It was because the man was asking Jesus to circumvent the system; a procedure which could have got him prematurely killed.
• And should these converts decide to leave the temple congregation, then the tithing collections will surely drop.

No, Paul stood his ground with these elders. His words surely rang true with them, as they also saw and heard things that were new and controversial. Having nothing they could add the conference was over and the three returned home.

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