Today’s Scripture Reading (December 27, 2016): Micah 2
William Shakespeare was known by many names, and most of them were connected to his career as a playwrite and a poet. Early in his career he was known as “the upstart crow,” apparently indiscriminately flapping his wings in the writing of his poetry. More commonly, Shakespeare is known as “The Bard” or “The Bard of Avon” or “The Immortal Bard.” He was “The Swan of Avon,” a name given to him posthumously by fellow poet Ben Johnson in his poem, “To the Memory of My Beloved, the Author, Mr. William Shakespeare.” And, of course, he was known as “Spanky.” Okay. Maybe that is not an “of course.” No one is sure why he was called Spanky by his friends, but Spanky sounds like something that most likely originated out of his childhood or out of life being lived out inside of a large family. So the next time you read Hamlet and Othello, just remind yourself that it was written by a guy who his friends and family called “Spanky.”
The child of the manger would also go by many names. He would be called The Christ or The Messiah, The Prince of Peace, Rabbi, Counsellor, and The Living Word of God among countless others. But one of the more obscure nickname for Jesus is that he is “The Breaker,” a nickname that comes from this verse in Micah 2. He is the one who breaks open the way and goes before us. The Breaker is the one responsible for the restoration of his people – the one who redeems in the name of the God who sent him.
I love the words of David Guzik on this passage. “We can see this as a more obscure, but no less precious messianic title of Jesus - The Breaker. In this office, he is the captain and leader of His people, advancing in front of His flock. How we need a Breaker, a trailblazer in our life!”
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Micah 3
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