Micah 5:2 – 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.

I wonder what Micah was thinking when he uttered this prophesy; did he struggle with even writing it down? How could this be, the Messiah has existed from eternity yet His life will begin in Bethlehem? That doesn’t even make any sense to the natural mind, for that matter prophesy doesn’t make any sense either. How can you declare accurately things that will happen in the distant future? I suppose that is what settled it for Micah, he would lean upon his faith, that’s what the world of prophecy is about anyway.
Today we look back at this amazing word and see that the miracle of the virgin birth in Bethlehem was just a continuation of the miracle that has been from eternity, the only begotten Son who lives in eternity and became a human in Bethlehem. Here is how CYRIL OF JERUSALEM: describes this verse.

“It is enough for piety for you to know, as we have said, that God has one only Son, one naturally begotten, who did not begin to be when he was born in Bethlehem but is before all ages. For listen to the prophet Micah: “And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephratha, are little to be among the thousands of Judah. From you shall come forth for me a leader who shall feed my people Israel; and his goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.” Therefore do not fix your attention on him as coming from Bethlehem simply but worship him as begotten eternally of the Father. Admit no one who speaks of a beginning of the Son in time, but acknowledge his timeless beginning, the Father.”

For the early church fathers this was the litmus test of faith, that Christ existed from eternity, He was and is the only, eternally begotten Son. That’s the part that confuses human understanding, He is the only begotten Son of God without a human mother. He is at the same time the Son of man, born in this world by the Virgin Mary without a human father. That’s the mystery of the ages, the eternal word took on human flesh and came to live among us, that is what we celebrate at Christmas, the Son of God became a man.