Then Jesus Came #4

 

Micah 5: 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.
2  But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
4 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.
5 And he shall be their peace.

As with any prophecy about Christ's coming, there was a historical context in which it was given. Often there was a current crises involved, as indicated with the mention of troops in the first verse.  But there was also some deeper value than the current crisis involved.  Besides identifying Bethlehem as the place from which Christ would come, there was the fact that He would shepherd His flock, and they would 
dwell secure and bring them the peace they ultimately needed and wanted.  It is not only war that leaves us wanting peace and rest and security, but it is only Christ that will bring us the peace our hearts yearn for.