Micah 5:1

Micah 5:1 says, Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.  This likely refers to the fall of Israel before the coming of Christ.  God's people were already divided, and it should be no surprise that they would fall when they attempted to live by their own strength.  If we, as God's people are divided today instead of being united through the Holy Spirit, then we should not be surprised when our plans fail.  Verse two adds, But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.  This is a direct reference to the coming Messiah, Who had been the only way to salvation from the beginning of time.  Instead of coming from one of the cities of power, the Messiah was to come from lowly Bethlehem.  God does work in His own way, which we often fail to understand, yet we must always put our faith in His plan.  Verse three continues, Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.  Micah did not promise an immediate restoration of God's people, but he promised a certain one for the remnant to return to Jerusalem.  I believe the remnant were those who remained true to God no matter what.  Even though there is little evidence of it in the world today, God's kingdom is coming when He determines the time is right. We simply need to remain true to our commitment to Him.  Verse four states, And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.  Those who are followers of Christ can rest assured in His strength and live for the majesty of God.  Christ has assured those that follow Him that He will be with them forever.  Verse five adds, And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.  This verse promises that God will be with us when we are under attack in the world.  The Assyrians were powerful in Micah's day, but they were no threat to God.  Satan has some powerful people at work for him in the world today, but they are no threat to the everlasting peace that we have if we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse six continues, And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.  Micah did not promise that God's restored people would become a great military power, but that God Himself would deliver them.  We today cannot look for peace anywhere but in following God's will for our lives.  Even if we are persecuted, we must continue to proclaim the gospel of Christ.