Micah 5:1 (NIVUK)
1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.
Israel’s defeat by Assyria, which is what Micah foresees, was humiliating; they didn’t have the strength or ability to defend their ruler, and so they failed in this most basic function of governing, keeping the leader and people safe. In a wonderful act of turning things upside-down, Isaiah uses a similar illustration in looking forward to God’s messiah: ‘4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed’ (Isaiah 53:4-5). It is through being humiliated on our behalf that Jesus is able to rescue us from our positions of disgrace and failures.
Thank you Jesus that you were willing to be brought down so that we might be lifted up.
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