A Christmas Meditation on Micah 5

1 The earth is locked in darkness,
Men turn to their own way,
And in their futile thinking,
Like sheep they go astray.
But in a shepherd’s city,
Is born a Shepherd boy
His way from everlasting,
His purpose peace and joy.

2 O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
From you King David came,
And though you are so little,
Yet great shall be your name,
For out of you a ruler
Shall come for Israel,
When she who was in labor
Brings forth Emmanuel.

3 And he shall stand and shepherd
His sheep with his own pow’r;
The God of God eternal
Shines forth in flesh this hour;
And sinners who have wandered
Far from the flock of God,
King David’s Son will gather
By pouring out his blood.

4 The glory of the Father
It is his task to preach;
His lost and fallen creatures
It is his goal to reach.
Come here, my soul, take comfort,
However much you sin;
For you the Lord of Glory
Is pleased to enter in.

5 And you shall dwell securely,
Though you feel insecure,
The bent and broken spirit
Is Christ’s to calm and cure;
He is the better David,
Whose flock, his holy band,
Nor death, nor sin, nor Satan
Can snatch out of his hand.

Micah 5:2-5a,

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.

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