Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 8/17/2007

Question
In Joshua xxiv. 31, it is said "And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that over-lived Joshua." Now, in the name of common sense, can it be Joshua that relates what people had done after he was dead? This account must not only have been written by some historian that lived after Joshua, but that lived also after the elders that out-lived Joshua. .......also if you have time Michah 5:2 "Beth-lehem Ephrathah" is a person not a village or town,thus Matthews fufilling of prophecy is false?...also describes a military leader ,who will defeat the ASSyrians..............It seems Matthew was aware of this,and tried to subtley cover it up when he says "and thou Bethlehem,in land of Judah..instead of "bethlehem ephratah".......  

Answer
Hi Chris,

Thanks for these questions.  I am sorry for my late response.

It is common knowledge that some books bearing the names of prophets were not all written by those prophets.  Sometimes there are summary statements that have been added by someone else, but that does not render them non-scriptural.

I am not sure why you would imagine that the term used in Micah 5 has to refer to a person rather than a city.  It is contextually part of a prophecy, and thus a symbolic language is often employed.

Micah 5:1-2


Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. 2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

God's WOrd interprets God's Word, and therefore since Matthew tells us that the Birth of Christ is predicted in this passage, then we know that it is.

I hope that this helps you.  Remember, I answer these questions based upon the presupposition that the Bible is God's word.  If you have an issue with that presupposition, then you will probably disagree with my conclusions.

In Christ
Pastor Don