The Announcement Is Made Of One Who Will Rise From A Humble Small Town Who Will Deliver His People And Will Become Great To The Ends Of The Earth (Micah 5:2-4).
The promise is now made that from the small town of Bethlehem Ephrathah, which is comparatively insignificant, will come one is to be ruler in Israel Whose activities have been eternally destined, or possibly have been destined from the beginning as evidenced for example in Genesis 3:15.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Which is little to be among the thousands of Judah,
Out of you will one come forth to me who is to be ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.
A ruler is to arise out of little Bethlehem whose activities have been ‘from of old, from everlasting'. The double emphasis indicates that it means from as far back as it could possibly be. Strictly speaking it signifies that he will actually have been active for that long, but was probably seen by most as meaning that His activities were in YHWH's mind from the beginning.
The word for ‘little' is a rarely used one and indicates ‘comparatively small' (compare Psalms 68:27). The ‘thousands' of Judah may refer to the large numbers of cities, towns and villages in Judah, or to the fact that Bethlehem's contribution to the military units (‘thousands') of Judah is very small. Or it could be the equivalent of ‘families, tribes'. Whichever way it is the unimportance of Bethlehem that is being brought out. Nevertheless it will produce this great King.
But why should he be described as coming from this obscure background in Bethlehem? The answer would seem to lie in the fact that it will not happen until the royal house of David has ceased to rule in Jerusalem. Judah will have sunk into a state of helplessness and hopelessness, and then suddenly from this small, insignificant town will arise this great leader of the Davidic house..
Bethlehem Ephrathah (compare Genesis 35:19) was called this in order to distinguish it from the other Bethlehem (house of bread) in Zebulun. It was situated a few kilometres south of Jerusalem.
‘Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.' The dual repetition of words representing ancient times introduces the conception of everlastingness. For the conception compare Proverbs 8:22-23. Here is one Whose activities (‘going forth') have been eternal. He is the King of the ages. For the significance of the verb ‘goings forth' as indicating activity see Hosea 6:3; Ezekiel 12:4; 1 Kings 10:28; 2 Samuel 3:25.
It will be noted that these words parallel the ideas of Isaiah in Isaiah 9:6, ‘His Name will be called wonderful, counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.' Both prophets were looking for someone with divine connections
Thus the whole idea is of the ‘coming King' Who has been destined by God from the beginning, Whose goings forth have been from eternity, Who will come forth from Bethlehem to fulfil God's purposes. This ‘Messianic' expectation is found in a number of passages. See Genesis 49:10; Numbers 24:17; 2Sa 7:13; 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalms 2; Psalms 89:27-29). Its final fulfilment through the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem is emphasised in Matthew 2:6.
Therefore will he give them up,
Until the time that she who travails has brought forth,
Then the residue of his brethren,
Will return to the children of Israel.
‘And he will stand, and will feed his flock in the strength of YHWH,
In the majesty of the name of YHWH his God,
And they will abide,
For now will he be great to the ends of the earth.'
But the coming of this King will not be immediate. For God will first give up His people to travail and suffering like that of a woman in labour (compare Micah 4:9-10). However, once that is accomplished all who are apart will be gathered back to their people, and the King will stand among them, and will feed them in the strength of YHWH, and in the majesty of YHWH His God, and their continuance is guaranteed, and He Himself will be great to the ends of the earth (compare Psalms 2:7-9; Psalms 89:27-29). For YHWH is the Lord of the whole earth (Micah 4:13).
That the people did suffer greatly, and did then gather back from exile, and that they supremely came into a remarkable oneness in Jesus Christ, and that the King came among them in Jesus Christ, and fed them with the strength of YHWH and made known to them the majesty of God, both in His life and especially in the Transfiguration, is now well known. And from them He called a new people whose growth through the ages has been phenomenal, and is found in His church worldwide, while His Name is known wherever man is found.
Some, however, see the woman in travail as referring to the Messiah's earthly mother, and thus see this as a direct indication that Israel will be ‘given up' until that time.