Daily Devotional for Saturday, August 22

The Ruler of Israel

“But thou, Beth-lehem 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,” Micah 5:2.
After the 2000 United States presidential election, there was a question as to who won the election and would become the new President of the United States. It all came down to a recount effort in the state of Florida. The question came down to the interpretation of whether voters had intended to vote for a certain candidate or not based on whether the punch card ballots had been punched or not, or was there a hanging chad that had to be interpreted by a poll worker. Ultimately, a case was filed, and it went before the United States Supreme Court where they determined that there had to be the same standard used in counting all ballots. The election was certified, and we then knew who would be our President.
Israel had issues with their rulers turning from the Lord and not being faithful in their roles, plus there were two different kingdoms, Israel and Judah, and there was always confusion as to who was on the Lord’s side and who was a true ruler in the land. But Micah made it clear that the One who had been told of, the Messiah, was going to come out of Bethlehem, and that He would be the ruler in Israel (Micah 5:2). After Jesus’ birth, King Herod asked the priests and scribes where He would be born, “And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet” (Matthew 2:5). Jesus was the ruler that was to come, and He will always be their true king.

THOUGHT
“Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). Is there any question as to who should be Lord of your life?

Tim Chambers