man of peace

November 28, 2017

The new ruler of Israel (Mic 5:3-5:4)

“Therefore,

He shall give them up

Until the time

When she who is in labor

Has brought forth.

Then the rest

Of his brethren

Shall return

To the people of Israel.

He shall stand.

He shall feed his flock

In the strength of Yahweh,

In the majesty

Of the name of Yahweh,

His God.

They shall live secure.

Now he shall be great

To the ends of the earth.

He shall be the one of peace.”

Next Micah gave a description of this new Israelite ruler.  Apparently, this would take place after a long process of pregnancy labor.  Then the new ruler would be born when the rest of the people of Israel returned.  This new ruler would stand with them and feed them like his own flock.  He would stand in the majesty and strength of the name of Yahweh, his God.  They then would live secure.  This new ruler would be great, since he would be a man of peace, known to the ends of the earth.  It is easy to see why many of the early Christians applied this passage to Jesus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem.

December 1, 2014

The word of Yahweh to King David (1 Chr 22:6-22:10)

“Then King David called for his son Solomon. He charged him to build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel. King David said to Solomon. ‘My son, I had planned to build a house to the name of Yahweh my God. But the word of Yahweh came to me.

‘You have shed much blood.

You have waged great wars.

You shall not build a house to my name,

You have shed so much blood in my sight on the earth.

See, a son shall be born to you.

He shall be a man of peace.

I will give him peace from all his enemies on every side.

His name shall be Solomon.

I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.

He shall build a house for my name.

He shall be a son to me.

I will be a father to him.

I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.’”

King David called his son Solomon. It would be Solomon’s obligation to build the house of Yahweh, the Temple. This is the beautiful admonition of Yahweh to King David directly. This was not the prophet Nathan speaking, but Yahweh himself. Yahweh had told King David that he had spread too much blood during his life. Yahweh wanted a more peaceful man like his son Solomon to build his temple, because he wanted the throne to go on forever. Some Christians have seen this portrayal of Solomon as the precursor to Jesus, the man of peace, especially “he will be my son and I will be his father.”