Daily Fountain Devotional for 26th October 2023
ANGLICAN DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL FOR THURSDAY 26 OCTOBER 2023
Read and Digest Today’s Anglican Daily Fountain Devotional for October 26, 2023 written to inspire and bless you!
TOPIC: A RULER FROM BETHLEHEM
TEXT: Micah 5:1-15(KJV)
5:1. 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.
5:2. 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.
5:3. 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.
5:4. 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.
5:5. 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.
5:6. 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.
5:7. And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
5:8. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
5:9. Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
5:10. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:
5:11. And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:
5:12. And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:
5:13. Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.
5:14. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.
5:15. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
Daily Fountain Devotional for 26th October 2023 STUDY:
Bethlehem was well known as the hometown of David, Israel’s greatest king; yet it was never a great or influential city. It was truly little among the thousands of Israel. Yet, God chose it as the birthplace of the Messiah, the Ruler in Israel. This passage from Micah 5 was quoted by the chief priests and teachers of the law when Herod asked about the birth of the Messiah (Matt.2:5-6).
Bethlehem means House of Bread, and Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Now, ‘Ephratah’ was the old name of the place which the Jews retained and loved. It meant ‘fruitfulness,’ or ‘abundance.’ “Ah! well was Jesus born in the house of fruitfulness; for whence cometh my fruitfulness and thy fruitfulness, my brother, but from Bethlehem? Our poor barren hearts never produced one fruit or flower, till they were watered with the Saviour’s blood” (Spurgeon).
Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting: This glorious promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and Micah’s prophetic voice declared that though Jesus came from Bethlehem, He did not begin there. His goings forth are from eternity past. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End (Rev. 22:13).
The Ruler serves His flock. Micah anticipated a future time, one that was partially fulfilled in the Babylonian exile and return, but will be ultimately fulfilled in the Great Tribulation and restoration of Israel. In both those eras, the LORD will seem distant from Israel until the time for restoration is ready.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, may your Spirit water me continually with the Saviour’s blood that I may be fruitful, Amen.
