Micah 5

“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity. Therefore, He will abandon them until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand and shepherd them in the strength of Yahweh, in the majestic name of Yahweh His God.” Micah 5:2-4a (HCSB)

Some would say that the culture we live in is “postmodern.” Perhaps you have heard that term and wonder exactly what it means. A quick tutorial may be in order since “postmodern” has become a generational catch-all term in many respects.

Let’s say the height of the “modern era” was the WWII generation. This was a generation where the big “isms” flourished:  Industrialism, Communism, Capitalism, Fascism…  The general belief was that there were “absolutes” worth dying for, non-negotiable rights and wrongs. Each movement had its own literary manifestos.  

Moving beyond the political realm, “modernism” stretched into all facets of culture, including religion. Every religious patron declared theirs was the ONLY way.

In response to the failures of many modern “isms,” postmodernism rejects absolute truth altogether. A postmodern attitude toward religion holds to the notion that every religion may own a piece of a larger puzzle, but no one religion is the “only” way. This philosophy is, of course, a lie. Declaring “no absolutes” is itself an absolute statement.

Perhaps the most observable method of determining whether the Lord is the only God is through Biblical prophecy. If God alone can call His prophets from such varied social, economic, and educational backgrounds to predict the future of such various events as wars, the rise and fall of kingdoms, famines, the weather, etc., then surely He is absolutely the ONLY true God. Furthermore, His Word should be considered the ONLY source of Spiritual truth. The Bethlehem birth of Messiah Jesus was predicted in Micah chapter 5. In addition, the deity of Messiah is clearly stated. Jesus’ human birthplace may be Bethlehem, but His “origin” is “from antiquity, from eternity.”  Also, the 400-year silence of Israel’s prophets is predicted, its silence broken with the birth of Messiah.

Is there absolute truth? Absolutely. As every pool shark knows, Any fool can knock a few balls into the pockets. Only a pro can call his shots. Only God can call His shots thousands of years in advance and make everyone! After all, if what God has predicted has come true, what logical person would assume the rest of the prophecy would not unfold as the Lord has determined? It’s not a question of pre-modern, modern, or postmodern philosophy. It’s simply an acknowledgment of prophecy, combined with the faith that God is able & willing to accomplish His purposes.

“Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet…”  Matthew 1:22 (HCSB)