Bethlehem: Small Town, Eternal Impact
- Elijah McSwain
- 2 hours ago
- 11 min read
12/20/2025
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Mich 5:2 (NKJV) “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Historically, when a passage about the coming of Jesus is read, it was a time of anticipation and excitement. God’s people throughout the pages of Scripture waited with hopeful expectation for the future arrival of their eternal king. His impending arrival created a buzz of excitement about the long-awaited Messiah, in alignment with the prophecies spoken. This prophetic passage looked forward to the future concerning the first advent of Jesus. It marked a crucial moment in the eternal plan of God to send His Son into the world to reveal the story of redemption. In Micah 5:2, the biblical writer outlined God’s plan for Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem Ephrathah, provided insight into His sovereign rule and authority, and concluded with a description of His eternal nature. All of these components have a significant meaning in God’s orchestration of redemptive history. Micah 5:2 will unfold the deeper meaning of Christ’s birth in an insignificant place with eternal impact.
An Unlikely Place
The author of this book, named after the prophet Micah, begins chapter five with a description of the nation and its approaching future. He writes of the impending calamity that was set to take place before them. They would be attacked by enemies who would strike the judge of Israel. After mentioning this account about Israel, the prophet shifts his attention to the future state of Bethlehem Ephrathah, saying, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah.” Here, Micah looks beyond what was stated in verse one to express the blessed state of Bethlehem Ephrathah.
Geographically, Bethlehem was located south of Jerusalem, approximately five to six miles apart. Bethlehem was a town in the province of Judah. Judah is one of the twelve tribes of Israel, named after the sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel in Genesis 32:28 by God.
Bethlehem was considered little due to its population size, as a small town in comparison to the other provinces of Judah.
Economically, Bethlehem today would be considered country living due to its reputation for supplying bread and its vineyards. It would not be considered the ideal place compared with city living. Physically, this small town was an unlikely place for Christ to be born, as it seemed small, agricultural, and insignificant. However, as it may seem, this small town possessed eternal significance. Though Bethlehem may seem insignificant humanly, it was the geographical place divinely appointed by God as the birthplace of Jesus. John MacArthur explained, “The name Bethlehem means “house of bread” because the area was a grain producing region in OT times. The name Ephrathah (“fruitful”) differentiates it from the Galilean town (Bethlehem of Galilee) by the same name. The town, known for her many vineyards and olive orchards, was small in size but not in honor.” 1
Providentially, the “living bread” and “bread of life” (John 6:48, 51), Jesus, would be born in the House of Bread, Bethlehem. Divinely, Jesus, the “true vine” (John 15:1), would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah, the place of fruitfulness.
This town would seem insignificant to many because of its small size and reputation. But God chose an unlikely place that was experiencing a national dilemma and moral failure, where Micah delivered a prophecy of hope and assurance concerning Jesus. The fulfillment of this prophecy, unfolding in an unlikely place, is presented in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter two. It speaks of Jesus being born in Bethlehem of Judea, which is the same as Judah. Wise men came from the East to Jerusalem searching for the King of the Jews to worship Jesus after seeing His star. When Herod heard this, he gathered the chief priests and scribes to inquire about Jesus. They responded in Matthew 2:5-6 (NKJV) — So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.”
God chose what seemed like an unlikely place for His only begotten Son to be born.
Bethlehem is significant because of the Davidic covenant. God promised David that an everlasting kingdom would be established through his family line or lineage. 1 Chronicles 17:11-14 (NKJV) captures God’s promise to David. — “And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. “He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. “I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. “And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” Luke 2:1-7 highlights the outworking of the Davidic covenant when Caesar Augustus issued a decree requiring all the world to be registered. Joseph went from Galilee into Judea, out of the City of David, Bethlehem, because he was of the lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was with child. Luke 2:6-7 (NKJV) states, “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
John 7:42 (NKJV) also confirms— “Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” JoAnna Hoyt wrote, “The connection between David coming from Bethlehem and the future ruler coming from there as well raises at least a small possibility that this term (small) is intended to allude to David’s status when chosen. David was the youngest son of his family, and prior to his anointing he is depicted as insignificant (though not with the word צָעִיר, “small”), and in a similar way Bethlehem was perceived as insignificant.” 2 It is further stated by another writer, “As David had been the least notable of his brothers, so Bethlehem was the least honorable among the towns in Judah. The most insignificant place would bring forth the most significant person.” 3 The link between the covenant God made with David and the emphasis placed on Bethlehem Ephrathah is of great importance, as it was part of God’s divine design for the Savior to be born into the world to offer His plan of salvation.
Next, this leads us to the Savior’s sovereign rule.
The Promise of A Sovereign Ruler
The prophet Micah addressed in “Micah 5:2 NKJV — “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel.” Bethlehem was considered small among the thousands of Judah.
The reference to the thousands of Judah pertains to the organizational structure or system used among the Israelites.
The Israelites used a method of breaking down its citizens into tribes or clans, as the ESV states, into groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, each assigned to its own ruler. This practice began in Exodus 18, when Moses heeded the advice of his father-in-law, Jethro, because he was bogged down by the day-to-day affairs of all the Israelites. Exodus 18, in verses twenty-one and twenty-five, describes how Moses appointed able men to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. This truth is also found in Deuteronomy 1:15. Not only that, this practice was instituted throughout Israel’s history within their armies, as recorded in 1 Samuel 8:12 and 1 Samuel 17:18. These passages speak to their captains of thousands and of fifties.
This was the polity and system for governmental and family order within their tribes. Each tribe had heads within their respective divisions in Israel.
Judah is one of the twelve major tribes of Israel. Albert Barnes commented “Each tribe was divided into its thousands, each thousand having its own separate head (Numbers 1:16; Numbers 10:4). But the thousand continued to be a division of the tribe, after Israel was settled in Canaan (Joshua 22:21, Joshua 22:30; 1 Samuel 10:19; 1 Samuel 23:23). Places too small to form a thousand by themselves were united with others, to make up the number. So lowly was Bethlehem that it was not counted among the possessions of Judah. In the division under Joshua, it was wholly omitted. From its situation, Bethlehem can never have been a considerable place.” 4 Why is all of this important? It helps us understand Micah’s use of the phrase “Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel.”
God took what was considered humanly insignificant to reveal the divine and eternal significance of Bethlehem in relation to Jesus. A supernatural ruler was going to proceed forth from an inconsiderate place.
John Calvin asserted, “Now there is no doubt but that the Prophet at the sable time recalls the attention of the faithful to the promise which had been given to David. For whence arises the hope of salvation to the chosen people, except from the perpetuity of that kingdom? Even from Bethlehem; for Bethlehem has been called the city of David; and yet it is an obscure and a small town, and can hardly be considered a common province. Since it is so, the minds of the faithful may be depressed; but this smallness shall be no hindrance to the Lord, that he should not bring forth from thence a new king.” Who could have expected that a king would have been chosen from such a hamlet, and then, that he should come from a hut? For David belonged to a pastoral family; his father was a shepherd, and he was the least among his brethren. Who then could have thought that light would have arisen from such a corner, yea, from so mean a cottage? This was done contrary to the expectations of men.” 5
Jesus would be the sovereign ruler from Bethlehem who would rule Israel in a divine way.
John Martin wrote, “The Messiah-Ruler, who will deliver His people, was born in an insignificant, small town (not even mentioned in the list of towns in Josh. 15 or Neh. 11) where the clans of Judah lived. And God said this One, who will minister on Yahweh’s behalf (for Me), will be Israel’s “Ruler” (cf. “rule” in Micah 4:7). Christ accomplished and will accomplish the Father’s will (cf. John 17:4; Heb. 10:7).” 6
Here are the elements and characteristics by which He would rule. The Messiah would…..
Rule in absolute perfection.
He would rule in the hearts of men.
He would rule with authority.
He would rule with kindness.
He would rule with truth.
He would rule with justice.
He would rule with fairness.
He would rule with love.
He would rule with redemption.
He would rule by doing His Father's will
He would rule by divine decree.
He would rule with purity.
He would rule in righteousness.
He would rule in holiness.
He would rule with peace.
He would rule with faithfulness.
He would rule with kindness.
He would rule with goodness.
He would rule with gentleness.
He would rule in equality regarding granting salvation to all who believed.
He would rule by crushing His enemies.
God provided a sovereign and supreme ruler who would supersede any earthly rule and rule by His standard of authority. Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV) sums this up by its written declaration, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Finally, Micah speaks to the Messiah's eternal nature.
Christ’s Eternal Nature
The last phrase in verse two speaks to the reality of Christ’s eternal nature as “old, From everlasting.” Christ existed before time, space, and matter on earth came into being. Psalm 90:2 (NKJV) declares, “Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalm 102:25 (NKJV) proclaims, “Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.” Lastly, John 1:1-3 (NKJV) acknowledges “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
The Messiah always existed in eternity before He entered the ranks of the earth and was born in Bethlehem Ephrathah.
His presence was felt in creation from eternity before His physical presence was manifested to the world as a baby. The God who created the heavens and the earth was wrapped in human flesh, came through the lineage of David, and was born in the city of David, fulfilling prophecy and the plan of God. His supreme and sovereign rule is everlasting because it is tied to His everlasting being. He does not possess a temporary rule like humans. Human rulers come and go; they have a beginning and an end to their rule and reign. Although Jesus had a physical beginning and end to His earthly life, His spiritual rule and kingdom still exist. Many earthly dignitaries, kings, and rulers have ruled over physical kingdoms, and their rule has ended.
However, Jesus was unlike any other earthly ruler. He came to rule as God in the flesh through the hypostatic union, in which He was fully God and fully man.
His kingdom did not end with His death on the cross but is still present today and evident in the lives of His people who advance His kingdom. His rule is enduring, everlasting, perpetual, and without end because it is connected with His going forth of old, from everlasting. The Messiah’s kingdom is not a human kingdom but an eternal kingdom. This eternal kingdom stems from His eternality and will remain in existence when time, space, and matter have come to an expected end. Keil & Delitzsch affirmed, “The announcement of the origin of this Ruler as being before all worlds unquestionably presupposes His divine nature; but this thought was not strange to the prophetic mind in Micah’s time, but is expressed without ambiguity by Isaiah, when he gives the Messiah the Name of “the Mighty God.” 7 The prophecy of the Ruler from the ancient realm of eternity, which is days of immeasurable time, speaks of One who will be born in obscurity, raised from the line of David, and who will have an unending kingdom and reign. Praise God that this prophetic passage of old told us that Bethlehem would be the place of His nativity.
Bethlehem, even though being a small inconsiderable town, would have eternal impact.
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
2 For Christ is born of Mary;
And, gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
3 How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
4 O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in;
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels,
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel! 8
Bethlehem is the place where the eternal Savior would enter the world and eventually head to the cross to save immortal souls. Without the birth of the infant child, the eternal King, there would not have been a Roman crucifixion. Without the righteous, perfect, and sinless life of Christ, we would not have access to eternal life. Bethlehem, as a small town, has had a profound impact on the world through the everlasting Savior. Praise God that the greatest gift known to mankind came through the small town of Bethlehem Ephrathah.
Notes
The MacArthur Study Bible
Hoyt, JoAnna M. 2018. Amos, Jonah, & Micah. Evangelical Exegetical Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Barnes, Albert. “Commentary on Micah 5:2”. “Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/micah-5.html. 1870.
Calvin, John. “Commentary on Micah 5:2”. “Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/micah-5.html. 1840-57.
Martin, John A. 1985. “Micah.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 1:1486. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
https://hymnary.org/text/o_little_town_of_bethlehem#google_vignette
