True or false: most people who reject the Bible outright do so because of the creation account in Genesis.
Okay, I don't really know the answer to that. But I suspect it's true, at least in the Western world.
But what if, as you read the rest of Bible, you see over and over again, by a thousand little proofs in the other 1,187 chapters, that it really is true? What then?
Here's one of those little proofs.
One time, the Pharisees were arguing about Jesus:
Nicodemus [one of the Pharisees] said to them..."Our Law does not judge a man, unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?"
They answered and said to him, "You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee." (John 7:50-52)
Very soon afterward, Jesus stood in the temple and said this about Himself, in the presence of the Pharisees:
"I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
I think Jesus was reminding everyone willing to listen that the Scriptures did have something to say about Galilee. Something very important. If the Pharisees could have looked up the word "Galilee" in the Scriptures on the spot, they would have seen that the prophet Isaiah had written about Galilee, seven centuries earlier. And in the same chapter, he wrote about the people who walked in darkness, and light of the world who appears to them. We have a copy of that chapter today, dated ~125 B.C., among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Like us, anyone in Jesus' day could have seen for themselves what Isaiah chapter nine says:
....in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them....
Four verses later it continues:
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:1-2,6)
Those words in that Dead Sea Scrolls chapter predate Christ.
Why would Isaiah, a pre-Christian era writer, choose Galilee?
Has there been any other light that has made Galilee glorious?
Showing posts with label Prophecy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prophecy. Show all posts
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Monday, October 13, 2008
A marvelous Stone
I'm feeling overwhelmed today. There are so many things to write about. I've been studying the Old Testament again lately and seeing again how much of it foreshadows Jesus, and God's plans for salvation through faith in Him. Joseph's story. Saul and David. Moses and Joshua. Noah. You name it. Jesus is everywhere.
This morning I was reading about David and Goliath. Talk about symbolism! Anyway, here's a little of it, picking up in the middle of the story. David had just been reassuring King Saul, who lacked the faith of David, that Goliath would be defeated:
And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."
Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor.
And David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." And David took them off.
And he took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:37-40)
I think it's significant that the story slows down and gives extra detail there. Here's some more, eight verses later:
Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.
And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.
Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David's hand. (1 Samuel 17:48-50)
With all the detail that he gives, the writer really seems to want to make clear what David's weapons were, and what they weren't. None of Saul's armor; no bronze helmet; no sword, or spear, or any forged weapons. Just five smooth stones and a sling. Really, just one stone.
Saul tried to protect him with man-made things. They just got in the way. The rock that David chose was straight out of a brook. Unaltered by human hands. Doesn't that sound like:
Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar: "You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them....But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." (Daniel 2:34-35. Daniel talking to King Nebuchadnezzar about the king's dream of a statue, which represented four successive kingdoms, starting with his own. God would send a powerful "stone" cut without human hands during the fourth kingdom. The kingdoms were Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.)
It also sounds a lot like this:
"So it shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall set up on Mount Ebal, these stones, as I am commanding you today, and you shall coat them with lime.
"Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones; you shall not wield an iron tool on them.
"You shall build the altar of the LORD your God of uncut stones; and you shall offer on it burnt offerings to the LORD your God...." (Deuteronomy 27:4-6. Moses talking to the Israelites before they entered the promised land.)
And this:
Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed." (Isaiah 28:16. It doesn't say anything about not being cut by hands, but God is the one who places the "firmly placed" stone, not people.)
This post is getting long. Last one. Jesus talking to the chief priests, about Himself:
"Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" (Matthew 21:42)
This morning I was reading about David and Goliath. Talk about symbolism! Anyway, here's a little of it, picking up in the middle of the story. David had just been reassuring King Saul, who lacked the faith of David, that Goliath would be defeated:
And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."
Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor.
And David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." And David took them off.
And he took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:37-40)
I think it's significant that the story slows down and gives extra detail there. Here's some more, eight verses later:
Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.
And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.
Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David's hand. (1 Samuel 17:48-50)
With all the detail that he gives, the writer really seems to want to make clear what David's weapons were, and what they weren't. None of Saul's armor; no bronze helmet; no sword, or spear, or any forged weapons. Just five smooth stones and a sling. Really, just one stone.
Saul tried to protect him with man-made things. They just got in the way. The rock that David chose was straight out of a brook. Unaltered by human hands. Doesn't that sound like:
Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar: "You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them....But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." (Daniel 2:34-35. Daniel talking to King Nebuchadnezzar about the king's dream of a statue, which represented four successive kingdoms, starting with his own. God would send a powerful "stone" cut without human hands during the fourth kingdom. The kingdoms were Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.)
It also sounds a lot like this:
"So it shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall set up on Mount Ebal, these stones, as I am commanding you today, and you shall coat them with lime.
"Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones; you shall not wield an iron tool on them.
"You shall build the altar of the LORD your God of uncut stones; and you shall offer on it burnt offerings to the LORD your God...." (Deuteronomy 27:4-6. Moses talking to the Israelites before they entered the promised land.)
And this:
Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed." (Isaiah 28:16. It doesn't say anything about not being cut by hands, but God is the one who places the "firmly placed" stone, not people.)
This post is getting long. Last one. Jesus talking to the chief priests, about Himself:
"Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" (Matthew 21:42)
Friday, June 20, 2008
"Who is this Son of Man?"
The multitude therefore answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up?' Who is this Son of Man?" (John 12:34)
I wanted to call this post "The amazing Son of Man," but it sounded too much like the amazing Spiderman. Oh well. He's still amazing.
When Jesus was on the earth, He called Himself by the name "Son of Man" more than any other name. You can find Him mentioning the name "Son of Man" more than 80 times in the New Testament.
When He does, this is what He's referring to-- something that was written by the prophet Daniel more than 500 years before:
I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)
I like to try to picture the clouds, picture Him before the throne, imagine Him receiving that kind of everlasting authority. Then with that picture in mind, to read some of the amazing things He said about Himself when He was here, walking among his disciples:
"The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Matthew 8:20)
"...for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40)
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up." (Matthew 20:18-19)
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life." (John 3:14-15)
"Truly, truly, I say to you; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves." (John 6:53)
According to Daniel's prophecy, Jesus would be an everlasting King...The Everlasting King. The disciples, Pharisees, chief priests and others must have been familiar with the prophecy, at least to some extent. I wonder what Jesus' words sounded like to them?
I wanted to call this post "The amazing Son of Man," but it sounded too much like the amazing Spiderman. Oh well. He's still amazing.
When Jesus was on the earth, He called Himself by the name "Son of Man" more than any other name. You can find Him mentioning the name "Son of Man" more than 80 times in the New Testament.
When He does, this is what He's referring to-- something that was written by the prophet Daniel more than 500 years before:
I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)
I like to try to picture the clouds, picture Him before the throne, imagine Him receiving that kind of everlasting authority. Then with that picture in mind, to read some of the amazing things He said about Himself when He was here, walking among his disciples:
"The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Matthew 8:20)
"...for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40)
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up." (Matthew 20:18-19)
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life." (John 3:14-15)
"Truly, truly, I say to you; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves." (John 6:53)
According to Daniel's prophecy, Jesus would be an everlasting King...The Everlasting King. The disciples, Pharisees, chief priests and others must have been familiar with the prophecy, at least to some extent. I wonder what Jesus' words sounded like to them?
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